Easy Key Lime Pie Cheesecake
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Easter is just around the corner and if you are looking for a real showstopper for the occasion, you cannot go wrong with this Easy Key Lime Pie Cheesecake! It combines two of the best Easter flavors, rich cheesecake and key lime pie, all set upon a chocolate cookie crust!
For an even easier Key Lime dessert you can try my super simple Key Lime Cups.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Rich and creamy, yet tart and refreshing
- You can make it the day before! In fact, it’s even better when made a day ahead
- It looks so springy and pretty and always gets rave reviews!
- A really nice twist on the classic cheesecake dessert!
Step#1: Make Cookie Crust
For this cheesecake, I really love to use a chocolate cookie crust. It’s a great flavor combination against the richness of the cheesecake and the tartness of the key limes.
I like to use the Famous Chocolate Wafers for this, but feel free to use any chocolate wafer cookie you can find.
Whirl them up in a food processor with sugar, salt, and melted butter (full recipe below) and that’s all there is to it. Create an even layer of crumbs on the bottom of your 9″ springform pan to form the crust.
TIP: Pat the cookie crumbs down with a measuring cup. This will create a nice tight crust and it’s a bit easier to get uniformity this way than trying to do it with your hands.
Bake the crust at 350F for just 5-6 minutes.
Step#2: Fill with Cheesecake Filling
Once your crust is cooled, you’ll make the cheesecake filling and add it to the cooled crust as the first layer.
Step#4: Make the Key Lime Filling
Key lime pie could be the simplest dessert on the planet. It’s basically 3 ingredients.
- a can of sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup of key lime juice
What’s the Difference Between Sweetened Condensed Milk and Condensed Milk?
Sweetened Condensed Milk has sugar in it, whereas Condensed Milk does not. They both have a very thick, condensed texture, but I like to use the sweetened condensed milk for key lime pie recipes because it saves you the step of having to add the sugar.
Can I Use Regular Limes?
In a word, yes. If you can’t find key limes you can use regular limes. I find key limes are a bit more tart than regular limes, but they have this very floral fragrance that adds a great flavor to desserts.
But it’s really a subtle difference so if regular limes are all you can get, they will definitely work too.
Once your key lime batter is made, you will pour it on top of your cheesecake batter.
TIP: Resist the urge to just pour the key lime batter directly in the center of the cheesecake. It works better to pour it around the perimeter of the cheesecake and then a little bit in the center.
This will make it easier to smooth the key lime pie filling over the cheesecake so it’s completely covered. Otherwise, the cheesecake will rise up and crack before the key lime pie filling is set. So be sure your cheesecake is completely covered by the key lime batter.
It will take between 35-40 minutes to bake and should be slightly jiggly. Do not overbake! Otherwise, the top will crack!
Step#5: Pipe with Whipped Cream
Make the homemade whipped cream (recipe below) and then transfer it to a pastry bag.
I love to make small little dollops all around the cheesecake. Starting on the outside edge and working your way into the center.
It looks really pretty and is SO simple to do! Then garnish with fresh lime zest and a lime wheel in the center.
If you have access to citrus trees, a little citrus blossom is also a pretty garnish too.
Step#6: Chill Overnight
This dessert really needs at least 4-6 hours to set and chill in your refrigerator. But overnight is even better. The flavor will be better once the cheesecake is set and chilled and it will make it easier to slice too!
More Cheesecake Recipes!
- Creme Brulee Cheesecake
- Raspberry Creme Fraiche Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
- No-Bake Cheesecake with Summer Berries
Please let me know if you make this recipe
by leaving a rating and review below!
Easy Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Recipe
This Key Lime Pie Cheesecake combines two of the best Easter flavors, rich cheesecake and key lime pie, all set upon a chocolate cookie crust! The best part is it can also be made at least 2 days ahead of time!
Ingredients
FOR THE CHEESECAKE MIXTURE:
- 4.5 oz (125g) of chocolate wafer cookies
- 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter, melted
- 16 oz (452 g) of whipped cream cheese
- 1/3 cup (65 g) of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) vanilla
- 2 tbsp (15g) flour
FOR THE KEY LIME MIXTURE
- 1 14-oz (400 ml) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup (120 ml) key lime juice (about 12-13 key limes + one more key lime for the garnish)
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (13 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (176C). Spray a spring form pan with baking spray and distribute well with a pastry brush and set aside.
- Place the cookies, the sugar and salt in a food processor. Process until crumbs form. Add melted butter, continue to process until wet crumbs form. Transfer crumbs to a 9" spring form pan and shake the pan to level the crumbs and then press them tin with a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass.
- Bake crust for 5-6 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar, beat on high until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat and then add flour and beat just until combined.
- Pour cheesecake filling into cooled cookie crust, smoothing out with a spatula until layer is leveled out. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and key lime juice. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the key lime mixture on top of the cheesecake mixture, making sure you are covering all the cream cheese with the pie filling. Smooth out with a small spatula.
- Bake in a 350F(176C) oven for 35-40 minutes until cheesecake is set and jiggles slightly.
- Allow to cool completely.
- For whipped cream topping, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a pastry bag with a round tip. Pipe little dollops of whipped cream all of over cheesecake until covered.
- Garnish with fresh lime zest on top and a thinly sliced lime wheel in the center. Chill overnight to set.
Notes
Resist the urge to just pour the key lime batter directly in the center of the cheesecake. It works better to pour it around the perimeter of the cheesecake and then a little bit in the center.
Pat the cookie crumbs down with a measuring cup. This will create a nice tight crust and it's a bit easier to get uniformity this way, than trying to do it with your hands.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 518Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 211mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 1gSugar: 47gProtein: 12g
Looks delicious but what size of spring form pan? I have 8 1/2”, 10” & 12”
I use a 9″ cheesecake pan. I would use your 8 1/2 inch pan, and just bake it a bit longer maybe 10-15 minutes more. I hope you enjoy it! (Thanks for pointing this out, I’ll update the recipe to make sure it’s clear!)
Hi Beth, really excited to try this recipe. However, I cant find the cookies anywhere in Spain neither online. Do you know a substitute?
Thank you 🙂
Hmmm, can you get “Digestive Biscuits” that would work too! 🙂
I made this last night for my birthday and all I can say is wow! What a delicious dessert, so creamy and flavorful. I used ginger snaps for the crust, used 4 oz with 2tbs of butter instead and it complimented the keylime flavor very well. My family raved about it and my husband went for seconds. This will be my go to dessert for parties now. I think I will try other fruit flavors also, perhaps passion fruit juice would taste amazing!
Oh yes! I think passion fruit juice would be fantastic! I’m so glad it was a hit! It’s one of my favorites too! 🙂
Made this for Thanksgiving to rave reviews. Because we all ate in our own homes this year and I divided it in thirds to share, I made a stabilized whipped creme so it could be completely finished the day before. Every aspect of this recipe was easy and the result looked complicated and professional!
What tip did you use for the whipped cream?
Sure I used a round tip that was about 1/2″ here’s a link to a set 🙂 https://amzn.to/34qeDpd
I made this for my husband’s birthday during lockdown and it was a huge hit. So much so that my son has requested other variations. Do you think it’d be good to make it with other fruits like mango, strawberry, or raspberry?
Oh sure! You could absolutely do that too! Just juice the fruit to the same quantity as the lime juice, and proceed as directed. So glad it was a hit! 🙂
This is wonderful! I love keylime and cheesecake, so this was perfect for me. It was also the first cheesecake I’ve ever made and it came out perfect. It was so pretty that I didn’t want to cut into it. My husband kept begging for a piece, so I finally gave in. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Aww So glad to hear it was such a hit! 🙂 It’s one of my husband’s favorites too! Bravo!!
I would like to make this dessert to feed 15 people. Would this work in a 9×13 with high sides so I could cut it in squares? Thanks ?
Hmm great question! I think you would be OK with 9×9 brownie pan, but for 9×13 I would double (if the sides are at least 2 inches) or 1.5x the recipe otherwise the bars might be really thin 🙂
Everyone loved this cheesecake so
Much at our Family dinner that I’m making it again just so I can have a piece!!! Thanks Beth!
Awe! So happy to hear that! It’s one of my favorites too! 🙂 So yummy! So glad it was such a hit!
I made this LimeCheese cake for my friends for Easter it was a hit!!!! Everybody love it!!!
Thank you so much Beth for posting this recipe!!!
YAY! So glad it was a hit! I made it as well for Easter 🙂 Always a crowd pleaser!
Hi! I made this cheesecake and it tasted amazing, however it bubbled constantly while it was in the oven, so when it was done, it has an uneven surface and some spots were a little too brown. Any idea why this might have happened?
Hmm sounds like the oven may run hot. High heat will do that. Next time I would either bake with an oven thermometer to assure the your oven is running at temp (surprisingly so most ovens are off a bit!) or lower the temp by 25 degrees F and bake for about 10 minutes more. Hope that helps!
My sister and I made this last night for our family Easter dinner tonight. It smelt amazing and I am SO excited for everyone to taste it. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Beth!
YAY! I hope everyone enjoys it! Mine’s in the fridge too! 🙂
Am I correct in assuming you’re using a 9″ spring form pan?
Correct! 9′ spring form pan! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Beth! Thanks for the recipe! I made it today and when it’s cooling down it formed a few big cracks on the surface 🥲otherwise it’s a perfect lime pie cheesecake. To prevent it from happening again next time, may I ask how should it be cooled down? Take out directly? Cool in oven with door closed? In oven with door crack open? I really want to make it again and I hope it won’t crack again!
Ah OK you can certainly try cooling it down in the oven, with the door left open a crack. That would help! Since the cracking is usually due to the extreme temperature change from hot to room temp. If it happens again with this method, I would think then it could be overbaking, so you could assure your oven is running at temperature with an oven thermometer, it may be running a few degrees too high, which can cause overbaking of the cheesecake underneath, which will crack when overbaked, thereby cracking the key lime layer above as well 🙂 hope that helps!