Easy key lime pie is a refreshing, no-bake summer dessert that is perfect for summer cookouts and pot lucks.
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.
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.
It’ll look lumpy at first. 😬Like this.
No worries, though! A few minutes with the mixer will make it creamy like this. This is where softened cream cheese is key!
Then you pour your creamy filling into the shell, and spread it around to even things out.
And sprinkle the remaining lime zest on top.
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. 😎🙌🏻
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.😜😆👌🏻
Enjoy the best easy key lime pie you will ever make!
Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe
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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.
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
-
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).
-
Transfer to a graham cracker crust.
-
Sprinkle reserved lime zest in top, and refrigerate until filling is set, about 3 to 4 hours.
-
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.
BARBARA MARCELLI says
HI DO YOU KNOW IF THIS FEELING CAN BE FROZEN ?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Barbara! I am not sure, since I have not tried that myself. My gut tells me it could separate and turn into a mess. That being said, if you do end up trying it, let me know.👌🏻
Katherine Burton says
I freeze it all the time , never had an issue
Mary Jungquist says
My mixer is broken. Can I microwave the cream cheese before I mix everything in?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I have not done this myself, but it should still work. It should still set when chilled.
Olivia Staats says
I microwaved my for 45 seconds. It was perfectly fine.
julie.cooper@internode.on.net says
Thank you for a great recipe! I made it last night and it was a great hit! So delicious and creamy.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Julie! Glad to hear it.
Barb says
I was wondering if you can use whipped cream cheese
Paulette Hackett says
I plan to make this in honor of Tampa Bay superbowl tomorrow. even if it is 10 below zero here in Wyoming! I am making a home made crust & adding a bit of coconut to it..but we are cheering for the Kansas city Chiefs!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I hope you enjoyed it, Paulette!💚
Bunnie says
I made this pie on a whim. Now it’s my most asked for dessert. I think it comes out creamy and tart and wouldn’t change a thing.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That is amazing to hear, Bunnie!💚
Connie says
If you beat the cream by itself first you can avoid the lumps
Grace says
For those that want something that tastes more like a true key lime pie and less like a cheesecake I strongly suggest using only one 8oz cream cheese bar and double the key lime juice. Otherwise all the cream cheese seems to overpower the lime flavour.
Carol N.W. says
It was certainly easy to make — easy as pie! But it was much more like cheesecake and not tangy enough for my family. I used the zest of an additional lime, but that didn’t make much of a difference. I think Grace is on to something. I’d have added more lime juice but I wasn’t sure if that would make it too watery.
Thanks, Marjorie!
Tracy says
On my Dads’ 80th Birthday, my Sister and I had a blow out birthday party for him. His
friends included people from NASA who brought the space helmet from the first moon landing as a surprise for him. (He loves that stuff). But I digress. I was under so much pressure to make his request of KEY LIME PIE, his favorite, unbeknownst to us. Something I had never made in my life. I found your recipe and made eight (8) of them. My Sister bought the obligatory cake to cut and blow out the 80 candles. Let’s just say, by 1 am when everyone was gone, half the cake was gone (1/2 sheet) and all 8 pies were gone. This recipe was a hit, made exactly as You listed it, and with the key limes about the size of grapes at the time, I used limes. I had so many people ask for the recipe, I brought up your recipe on my phone, sent it to my Dads’ printer and made 50 copies. I put them by the door for everyone leaving, and not one copy was left. You are a Goddess of Pie in my Eye!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That is the sweetest, most amazing feedback, Tracy.💚 I am so happy to be a small part of your dad’s birthday. Thank you for taking the time to let me know and leave feedback!
Lorajean says
My husband loves key lime I’ve never made it, but I going to give it a try. I’ll add a little extra lime just for the tang and see how it goes, I’ll let you know, thanks for your share.
Diane says
Filling was nice and creamy but could not taste any lime. Used fresh squeezed limes. Next time I will double the juice and zest.