No Bake Key Lime Pie
Featuring a delicious balance between tart and sweet, this No Bake Key Lime Pie is a perfect dessert for warm summer days!
Have you ever tried juicing key limes? It’s not easy. Those little buggers are tiny, and you have to juice about 25 of them to get ½ cup of key lime juice. And then if you want to incorporate some of the zest in the recipe, too? Good luck zesting key limes! To be fair, it can be done. It’ll just take some time.
Bottled key lime juice is a life-saver when it comes to making this No Bake Key Lime Pie. I normally like to use fresh citrus juice in recipes, but this is one of those times when I jump at using bottled juice instead!
Key Limes vs. Persian Limes
So what exactly are key limes? Aren’t they the same as ‘regular’ limes? Key limes are much smaller than the traditional Persian limes that you see in the produce section at your local grocery store. Key limes are also a bit lighter in color – almost yellow-ish compared to the dark green of a ripe Persian lime.
As noted above, a key lime is much, much smaller than a Persian lime. A traditional Persian lime often yields 2-3 tablespoons of juice. A key lime? 2-3 teaspoons. That’s why bottled key lime juice is so helpful!
When it comes to flavor, key limes are much tarter than Persian limes, too. While you could use Persian lime juice in this recipe, key lime juice is the best option. After all, a No Bake Key Lime Pie that uses traditional lime juice is just a No Bake Lime Pie!
No Bake Key Lime Pie
With summer on the horizon here in upstate New York, I decided to create a no-bake version of a classic summer pie. And let me tell ya – this recipe for No Bake Key Lime Pie will be kept close at hand! It’s tart in the best way possible. It’s sweet in the best way possible. And it’s served cold. In short, it’s one heck of a delicious dessert for warm summer days!
The only downside to this pie is that you’ll need to plan ahead a bit. It will need to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving…although if you’re trying to speed things up a bit, you can absolutely freeze this pie for an hour or two before moving it to the fridge.
Truth be told, I stuck this pie in the freezer so that it would cool down quickly…and then I kinda forgot about it. I came back ~4 hours later, and the pie was frozen solid. Now that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – in fact, Laura pointed out that it tasted like key lime ice cream. While the frozen version was tasty, the refrigerated version was much better! (We ‘defrosted’ the remaining slices in the fridge overnight, and they were perfect the next day.)
If you’re looking for the ultimate summer dessert, then this No Bake Key Lime Pie deserves a spot on the list! It’s an easy recipe to make, and the combination of tart and sweet just screams summer to me. I hope you enjoy this no bake pie as much as we did!
Did you make this No Bake Key Lime Pie at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
No Bake Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 1⅔ cups graham cracker crumbs ~16 full cracker sheets
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
For the Key Lime Pie
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup key lime juice
- fresh whipped cream for garnish
- sliced limes for garnish
- lime zest for garnish
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- Using a small bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9” pie pan. (Tip: A flat-bottomed glass helps pack the crust down!)
- Place pie pan in freezer.
For the Key Lime Pie
- Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
- Using a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth (~2 minutes on medium speed). Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir until well combined. Add the key lime juice and stir until well combined.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream (from above).
- Remove pie pan from freezer and pour filling on top of graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, garnish with fresh whipped cream, lime slices and lime zest.
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cant wait to make this soon for me for the crust can i use vegan butter and for the pie can i use coconut cream and vegan cream cheese i never had no bake key lime pie before perfect for hot days here in Singapore and after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
You can certainly use vegan options for the crust, Ramya! I don’t know how coconut cream would work in the filling – mainly whether it would get firm enough to slice. The flavor would be great, though, so I say give it a shot!
They make a Sweetened condensed Coconut milk (with Cane sugar) & you can use Coconut cream & whip it for the Whipped Cream , I have made it before & it turns out really good , I’m going to use this recipe with the heavy cream , but use a Sweetened condensed Coconut milk , Bec my family wants regular Whipped Cream , & I personally love the Sweetened condensed Coconut milk, lol , I am obsessed with Key lime & Key lime pie lately, Thank you for sharing your recipe, I love that it’s no bake 🍈💕
Interesting! I haven’t stumbled across that sweetened condensed coconut milk yet. I’ll have to look for it in the store! Thanks so much for the tip, Janeen – and I hope you really enjoy this pie!
I can’t even imagine trying to squeeze those teeny little limes! I love a good no bake dessert, especially during the summertime. This key lime pie looks delicious and would be perfect for some of the BBQs I have planned this summer!
Oh, this pie would absolutely be perfect for summer picnics and gatherings, Kathy!! I know I plan on making it a couple more times. 🙂
Try using a Garlic press to squeeze the little key Limes , it works great ! I can’t wait to make this Key lime pie , I love the key Lime flavor better than regular lime, so it’s worth it to squeeze those little key Limes , or use a garlic press ! I think it takes about a dozen or so ?
I do like key limes over regular (Persian) limes for Key Lime Pie! There’s a reason it’s called key lime pie instead of just lime pie! Great tip on the garlic press, Janeen…I appreciate you sharing that!
Just the thought of this key lime pie makes my mouth pucker (in a really good way). I do appreciate that you recommend using the bottle of key lime juice because I agree that juicing enough key limes to make this pie would be a chore. I’m like you though, I normally use fresh citrus juice. And I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten things in the freezer and I had to wait for them to thaw. Thanks so much for a perfect no-fuss summertime dessert.
Haha – those little key limes are so annoying! I’ve made a key lime pie with them on several occasions in the past, but they really do take a while. The bottled stuff is where it’s at…at least for key limes! 🙂 Thanks, Kristy!
Mmm love a good key lime pie and the fact that it’s no-bake makes it even better! What a great dessert for summer!
Thanks so much, Michelle! This is a fantastic dessert for hot summer days! 🙂
David, this pie looks so refreshing and delicious! No bake is perfect for hot summer days. And you’re right, juicing those tiny key limes is a real pain! Last time I enlisted the help of my garlic press 🙂
Kelly!! What a great idea to use a garlic press for key limes – I’ll have to remember that little trick. Hope you are doing well, my friend!
I agree bottled key lime is a time and effort saver. Nice recipe
If it was bottled lime juice, it wouldn’t be the same…but bottled key lime juice? That works quite well! Thanks, Raymund!
I haven’t had Key Lime anything since we moved over the pond. But, your pie would be a real summer winner over this way if I could get key lime. Maybe I could try it using a 50-50 mixture of lime and lemon juice. What do you think?
NOOO!! Limes only!
Hmmm, that’s a good question, Ron! I do think a combination of key lime and lemon could work. You’re basically looking for something really tart to balance the sugar in the pie. I say it’s worth a try! (Although if you can just order a bottle of key lime juice, I think that might be the way to go here.) Good luck, my friend! I do hope this pie brings back memories. 🙂
this looks scrumptious david. Persian limes? never heard of ’em. I think we have tahitian limes here. But any lime is a good lime.
Interesting! I’m not familiar with Tahitian limes – I’ll have to google ’em to see what they are. 🙂
Turns out Tahitian limes are the same thing as Persian limes – just another name! Now we know – haha!
OK so I had never made a key lime pie before this past Easter and decided to give it a try… whoa, so good!! I think lime desserts have really grown on me and now I can’t wait to make one again! PS – I totally used regular limes haha
Oh my gosh – key lime pie is so good! I love the tart combined with the sweet. You should totally make it with key limes now…they are different than traditional limes. (And as I noted in the post, a bottle of key lime juice is a super easy way to go here! It doesn’t seem to be hard to find in the juice section or perhaps the alcoholic mixers section of most stores.)
I haven’t made a key lime pie in ages David. Thanks for this no bake version. As you know I love a good no bake dessert. This is perfect for summer and a great end to any BBQ!
Yes! Summer means grilled (or smoked) foods and delicious no-bake desserts. 🙂 This Key Lime Pie turned out really well. Thanks, Neil!
This key lime pie sounds like the perfect summer treat. Thanks for explaining what a key lime is. In the midwest where I live, we don’t see them in the grocery store.
Yeah, key limes can be a bit difficult to find. One of the stores around here sells ’em in mesh bags in the produce section. The other stores don’t sell ’em. The key lime juice is the way to go here, Dawn!
Although I prefer freshly squeezed citrus juice in 99% of all my cooking situations, juicing about 25 of key limes would probably fall under the 1% exemption for me, too! 🙂
This pie looks so fresh and delightful – perfect summer treat!
Haha – you and I think the same, Ben! I do prefer to use the real thing when cooking or baking, but juicing key limes is a real pain. The bottled stuff is the way to go! Although another reader commented that a garlic press makes quick work of those little key limes, so I’ll have to keep that in mind. Thanks so much, my friend!
Lol, you’re right. It does take a lot of limes to get a little bit of juice! Always forget about using the bottled stuff, but great idea! Citrus desserts are probably my favourite, even over something like chocolate, so I’m loving this key lime pie! And the fact that it’s no bake makes it all the better! I would love a big slice of this one right now. Looks amazing, David!
So I feel like bottled key lime juice is relatively new…or maybe I just didn’t know where to look for it before. Regular lime juice is plentiful, but the key lime juice makes this recipe so much easier! I do love a good citrus dessert on a hot summer day. It’s hard to beat! 🙂 Thanks, Dawn!
I adore sweet, tart key limes and no bake desserts, so this is a win win for me, David! Definitely putting it on my list of summer treats to make. Thank you!
I’m with ya, Marissa – no bake citrus desserts are perfect for hot summer days! (And they taste even better after dinner on the grill or smoker!) 🙂
David this looks like a showstopper! What a gorgeous pie, and I love that it’s no bake. Absolutely perfect for summer. The juice comparison between Persian and key limes is so interesting! Can’t want to make your No Bake Key Lime Pie this summer, yum!
Thanks so much, Shannon! I do love a good no-bake pie on a hot summer day, and this key lime version really took the cake…err, pie. 🙂 I definitely recommend this one!!
Oh boy – juicing those suckers ain’t no joke! And I totally concur – thank heavens for bottled key lime juice – tho I must say, key limes are kinda adorable to photograph – that and the fact that they taste divine are their redeeming qualities IMO! And, speaking of taste – David, WOW – this is one stellar pie! And it’s no bake! Cannot wait to try this out with dairy free options. Hoping the packing is going well!
You definitely hit the nail on the head there, Shashi – key limes do make a great photo! But these little suckers are small. I like the idea of using a garlic press to juice ’em…I might try that next time I make this pie. Speaking of, I highly recommend coming up with a dairy free version – although I might not recommend beetifying this one. 🙂 Packing is going well – T-10 days now!