This is the most spectacular no-bake key lime pie, which requires only 5 ingredients, including the base! It has a buttery base and a vibrant tart, creamy lime filling. It takes 15 minutes of minimal effort, it's freezer-friendly, and it contains no gelatin. This pie is the perfect refreshing dessert for the summer!
★★★★★
Thank you for the recipe. The lime pie is amazing.
- Hristinka
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
We've always been big fans of no-bake desserts in hot weather, such as our no-bake vanilla cheesecake, no-bake chocolate cheesecake, and no-bake healthy mini blueberry cheesecakes. This no-bake key lime pie recipe is refreshingly amazing, and here's why we keep making it.
Insanely delicious and easy-This easy, no-bake key lime pie is incredibly creamy, packed with zesty and vibrant lime flavor, and perfectly complemented by the buttery crumb crust. It requires no baking, making it ideal for hot weather! Honestly, you can't get it wrong even if you want to!
5-ingredient recipe-You'll only need biscuit crumbs and butter for the base, as well as lime juice and zest, sweetened condensed milk, and whipping cream for the filling. Most, if not all, of the ingredients are likely already in your pantry.
15-minute preparation-This is the easiest dessert you'll ever make, and yet it will taste and look as if you've spent hours making it! All it takes is making the base by smashing the biscuits into a fine texture and whisking the ingredients for the filling. That's all!
Ingredients For This Recipe
Digestive biscuits-They're the go-to biscuits for the base in Europe, with a sweet, buttery, and salty mix, and we love to use them in recipes like easy cheesecake, cinnamon roll cheesecake, and pecan cheesecake bars. Graham crackers or store-bought, ready-made graham crackers base work amazingly, too.
Butter-We prefer using unsalted butter to have control over the salt content in our recipes.
Sweetened condensed milk-This is the condensed milk key lime pie, so it's the sole sweetener for our pie filling. It also contributes to achieving a smooth and luscious texture, like in our no-bake lemon cheesecake with condensed milk.
Lime-We've used key limes and regular limes and noticed that they're interchangeable for this recipe, which is awesome! We will use both lime juice and zest. Freshly squeezed lime juice will give a vibrant lime flavor, and the zest really enhances it, like in our fantastic no-bake lime cheesecake bars.
Whipping cream-Depending on your location, it is also known as heavy cream. It has a minimum 35% fat content and helps the pie firm up beautifully without gelatin.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
A baker's best friend!
Kitchen scale
It gives accurate measurements for your ingredients, better than measuring cups. We highly recommend using it, as baking is a science!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the base. Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs, then mix with melted butter. Press into a 9-inch pie pan with a removable bottom. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the lime mixture. Add condensed milk, lime juice and zest into a bowl. Whisk for 30 seconds until everything is well combined, using a whisk.
Step 3: Fold in the whipping cream. Whisk the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold it into the condensed milk and lime mixture until homogeneous.
Step 4: Chill. Pour the filling into the pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight. Optionally, decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lime slices.
Recipe Expert Tips
If you're going to make this no-bake key lime pie recipe, make sure to follow these top tips!
- Use freshly squeezed and zested lime. This will infuse the fresh and vibrant lime flavor into the pie!
- Use full-fat sweetened condensed milk. We need the fat content to help set the pie and the sugar content to sweeten it.
- Place the pie pan on a tray. This will simplify transferring the pie without shifting the removable bottom or squishing the pie with our fingers.
- Chill it at the coldest part in the fridge. Fridges are like ovens, they're not made all the same. This pie needs the cold to firm up beautifully.
For another twist, make our Key Lime Cheesecake that's super cream even being baked without water bath!
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Serve-We love to serve this pie cold from the fridge, with some sweetened whipped cream and lime slices on top.
Store-Keep it refrigerated at all times and consume it within 4-5 days. The pie crust will soften over time due to the filling's moisture.
Freeze-It's freezer-friendly, and we've lost count of how many times we've frozen it! We slice it into smaller portions, place them on a tray lined with parchment paper, and fast-freeze them for 1-2 hours. Once solid, we transfer them into an airtight container and put them back into the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw, simply place them in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! This recipe is freezer-friendly, and we've frozen it so many times that we lost count! Place the whole pie or pie portions on a tray lined with parchment paper, fast-freeze them for 1-2 hours, and then keep them in an air-tight container, in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge.
Key limes are more tangy and acidic, while regular limes are milder. Key limes are also smaller in size. We've used key limes and regular limes before and noticed that they can easily be interchangeable for this recipe.
We do not recommend using low-fat milk, as the fat content from full-fat milk is essential for proper pie setting, especially since this recipe does not include gelatin.
Did you try this No-bake Key Lime Pie?
Please leave us ★★★★★ ratings and feedback below in the comment section. We'd love to know how it went, what you liked, or if there's anything we can improve. Share and tag us on Instagram; we'd like to see your creation.
Thank you! -Bea and Marco
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
No-Bake Key Lime Pie
Video
Ingredients
Base
- 2 cup (200 g) biscuits crumbs
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter , melted
Filling
- 14 oz (400 g) full-fat sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup (125 g) lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 cup (230 g) whipping cream, min fat of 35% , chilled
Topping (optional)
- 1 cup (230 g) whipping cream, min fat of 35% , chilled
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Base
- Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs, then mix with melted butter. Press into a 9-inch (24cm) pie pan with a removable bottom. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Filling
- Add condensed milk, lime juice and zest into a bowl. Whisk for 30 seconds until everything is well combined, using a hand whisk. Set aside.
- Whisk the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold it into the condensed milk and lime mixture until homogeneous.
- Pour the filling into the pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight. Optionally, decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lime slices.
Topping (optional)
- In another bowl, add in whipping cream, icing sugar, vanilla extract and whisk until stiff peaks. Pipe on the chilled pie. Decorate with some slices of lime.
Notes
- Use freshly squeezed and zested lime. This will infuse the fresh and vibrant lime flavor into the pie!
- Use full-fat sweetened condensed milk. We need the fat content to help set the pie and the sugar content to sweeten it.
- Place the pie pan on a tray. This will simplify transferring the pie without shifting the removable bottom or squishing the pie with our fingers.
- Chill it at the coldest part in the fridge. Fridges are like ovens, they're not made all the same. This pie needs the cold to firm up beautifully.
Originally published on Aug 16, 2020. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on Jun 29, 2024.
Sarah says
Can I use lemon juice as a substitute?
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Sarah! Yes, you can sub it for lemon juice. Have fun, and thank you!
Hristinka Hristova says
Thank you for the recipe. The lime pie is amazing.
Bea says
Yeay 🙌! Glad that you liked it, thanks!