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Home » Food » Recipes » Desserts » Easy Key Lime Pie (no bake, assembly only)

Easy Key Lime Pie (no bake, assembly only)

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Easy key lime pie is a refreshing, no-bake summer dessert that is perfect for summer cookouts and pot lucks.

Easy key lime pie on white plate with fork and slice of lime

My easy key lime pie recipe is a summer treasure, internet friends. Minimal effort, maximum deliciousness and all the refreshing vibes make this one a hit, y’all.😎

Side note: This particular recipe reminds me of the days after I first gave birth to Canon almost 6 years ago! My mom came and stayed with us, and she made this a bunch of times. Sweet memories!

Mom has made this for us for many years prior to that too, and it is so easy and delicious!

And I love that it is sticking to me no-cook theme that I have been running with lately. 😆👌🏻This recipe is perfect to make on vacation at the lake or the beach.

And if you prefer lemons, you make want to make my no bake lemon cheesecake instead.

Tips for making easy key lime pie

Tip 1

You can make a homemade crust if you insist, but in the spirit of chill and easy I used a store-bough graham cracker crust. 💁🏼‍♀️

Tip 2

Also, I do not use true key limes, but just regular limes.🤷🏼‍♀️ To me, the difference in taste is minimal and doesn’t justify all the extra work of juicing all those key limes.

But feel free to use actual key limes if you prefer. You’ll need to zest 3 or 4 of them, instead of just 1.

Tip 3

You will want to let your cream cheese come to room temperature. Mine sat out for about 2 hours in a 75 degree house, and it was perfect.

This step is key for creamy consistency. If it is still chilled, your filling will be a little lumpy. It’ll still taste good, though, speaking from experience. 😉

How to make easy key lime pie

The filling is super simple to make, and it only has three ingredients: cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice + zest. I just add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl and pour everything over top.

Pouring sweetened condensed milk over cream cheese for easy key lime pie

You want to use about 1/3 cup of lime juice. This was the juice of two large-ish limes for me. (👈🏻A citrus juicer is very helpful for this.)

Plus, you will want the zest of one of them. I added about 2/3 of that zest to the mixing bowl (eye-balling it), and I reserved a little to sprinkle on top later.

Once you have everything in there, you are going to beat it with a mixer.

Making easy key lime pie beating the filling

It’ll look lumpy at first. 😬Like this.

beating easy key lime pie filling

No worries, though! A few minutes with the mixer will make it creamy like this. This is where softened cream cheese is key!

Easy key lime pie filling in a green bowl with beaters

Then you pour your creamy filling into the shell, and spread it around to even things out.

spreading key lime pie filling into a graham cracker crust

And sprinkle the remaining lime zest on top.

Sprinkling lime zest on top of easy key lime pie

Then you refrigerate for a few hours to let everything firm back up. Mine took about 3 to 4 hours.

And you are left with the yummiest dessert. Nobody will suspect how little time and effort you put into it either. This is summer recipe jackpot, my friends. 😎🙌🏻

Easy key lime pie slice closeup on white plate

Garnish with lime slices if you want to fancy things up a bit. Honestly, I did this for the photos. We don’t have patience for that in real life.😜😆👌🏻

Easy key lime pie overhead

Enjoy the best easy key lime pie you will ever make!

Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe

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Easy key lime pie slice closeup on white plate
4.67 from 75 votes
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Easy Key Lime Pie (no bake)

Easy key lime pie is a refreshing, no-bake summer dessert that is perfect for summer cookouts and pot lucks.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword easy key lime pie recipe, no bake key lime pie
Prep Time 14 minutes
Refrigeration time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 14 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 462 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cream cheese (I used 2 8 ounce blocks, softened at room temperature)
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
  • 1/3 cup lime juice (2 large limes was enough for me, but get some extras just in case)
  • zest of 1 lime divided (leave 1/3 for garnish)
  • graham cracker crust (10-inch, store bought)

Instructions

  1. Add softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and 2/3 of the lime zest to a  large mixing bowl, and beat on high until smooth and creamy (about 4 minutes).

  2. Transfer to a graham cracker crust.

  3. Sprinkle reserved lime zest in top, and refrigerate until filling is set, about 3 to 4 hours.

  4. Serve chilled, and garnish with extra lime slices, if desired.

Recipe Notes

I used a store-bought crust, but if you want to use homemade, that works too!

It may set quicker than what I recommend here, but this is how long until I checked mine.

You could use light (1/3 less fat) cream cheese, but for best taste use regular. I would not recommend fat free cream cheese.

I do not use true key limes, but just regular limes.🤷🏼‍♀️ To me, the difference in taste is minimal and doesn't justify all the extra work of juicing all those key limes. But feel free to use actual key limes if you prefer. You'll need to zest 3 or 4 of them, instead of just 1.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Key Lime Pie (no bake)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 462 Calories from Fat 261
% Daily Value*
Fat 29g45%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 79mg26%
Sodium 345mg15%
Potassium 298mg9%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 33g37%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 894IU18%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 204mg20%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

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Comments

  1. Celia says

    April 26, 2025 at 4:13 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Absolutely Delicious from my family to you! Incredibly easy to make lime cream cheese pie. They thought I slaved over it. I’ll keep the secret. “Smile” Thank you for sharing the recipe. For the future: I order Key Lime Juice and will make the next pie with key lime. Yummy!

    Reply
  2. Tammie Estess says

    November 24, 2024 at 10:30 am

    5 stars
    Everyone loves this pie, for added tropical feel i add toasted coconut flakes to my crust. It outs this pie over the top.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      November 25, 2024 at 4:27 pm

      So glad you are enjoying it Tammie! And your addition sounds delicious!

      Reply
  3. Joan Burke says

    November 11, 2024 at 8:40 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this pie so many times, and it’s a favorite with my family and friends. I love it. It’s so simple to make, and it’s a terrific crowd pleaser. I do prefer a homemade graham cracker crust over the store-bought kind. It’s only three ingredients – graham crackers, butter, and a little sugar. And it’s no bake. Easy as pie!

    Reply
  4. Emerald says

    August 17, 2024 at 8:39 am

    You can make homemade sweet condensed milk then use it in this recipe. I have done this and it turned out fine. I have also used this substitute as well.
    1c light corn syrup 7/8 cup evaporated milk and 3tbs dry milk will make the equivalent of one 15oz can. Whisk together.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      August 26, 2024 at 8:01 am

      Good tip! I’ve never tried this, but it sounds like it would work perfect. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Janelle Spinelli says

        September 17, 2024 at 10:00 pm

        Add heavy whipping cream to all ingredients listed. Perfect!

        Reply
  5. Lily says

    July 23, 2024 at 11:58 am

    5 stars
    This was a big hit at a baby shower we hosted for my co-worker. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      July 24, 2024 at 12:52 pm

      I am so glad to hear that Lily!

      Reply
  6. Renée says

    July 18, 2024 at 7:31 pm

    5 stars
    My family enjoyed this recipe immensely. It was very easy to make and truly no bake!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      July 21, 2024 at 12:51 pm

      I am so happy to hear that Renée!

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    July 3, 2024 at 8:35 am

    3 stars
    This isn’t a key lime pie, and it’s barely a no bake lime cheesecake. It looks and tastes like a pie crust full of soft cream cheese.

    The flavor isn’t bad, it’s just very mild. It’s not too sweet, and there’s just a hint of lime. It’s got that heavy taste of a cheesecake, not the light and tangy taste of key lime pie.

    The lemon cheesecake linked on this page uses the same exact ingredients (with lemon instead of lime), and it’s called a cheesecake. If I’d know this “key lime pie” was a cheesecake, I wouldn’t have made it.

    Reply
    • Jenny says

      April 16, 2025 at 1:03 pm

      Well zip-a-dee-doo-dah day, you ate it anyway

      Reply
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I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

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Easy key lime pie (no bake)