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    Home > Dessert > Key Lime Pie Recipe – No Bake

    Key Lime Pie Recipe – No Bake

    Published: Nov 23, 2020 · Modified: Sep 7, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Refrigerator no bake key lime pie recipe

    This no bake key lime pie recipe is amazingly easy to make. The filling has only three ingredients that when combined bring you a light, fluffy, sweet and tart dessert that everyone will rave over. It simply doesn’t get any easier than this.

    No bake key lime pie garnished with whipped cream and limes

    The recipe was first published August, 2010 and updated November 2020

    First, how about this  from Yogi Berra:

    The waitress asked: “How many pieces do you want your pie cut?” Yogi responded: “Four. I don’t think I could eat eight.”

    About This Recipe and Why It Works

    My husband’s side of the family recently gathered for their family reunion. 

    Bob’s sister and husband Vern hosted the event at their home with a spread of pot luck food that wow’d our crowd.

    They laid out a feast of Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Pork and sliced ham for sandwiches, coleslaw, fresh corn on the cob, calico beans, mac and cheese,  fresh slices of watermelon…get the picture? (I hope so since I didn’t take any)  :-/

    And for dessert? This No-Bake Key Lime Pie Recipe with Cool Whip. And you know it must be easy if she had enough of these pies to feed about 30 people.

    This is an excellent recipe to make-ahead, as it freezes well.

    With it’s refreshing flavor and that “no-bake” factor, this is a great Summer dessert recipe. The filling is fluffy using Cool Whip, sweet with condensed milk and tart with lime juice. Amazing flavor with every single bite.

    A bit if advice? Don’t save this one just for Summer, this is a year round dessert that everyone will enjoy.

    No Bake Key Lime Pie Ingredients:

    Ingredients to make no bake key lime pie with cool whip

    How can something this easy really be this delicious? Let’s take a look.

    • Sweetened Condensed Milk: You’ll find it on the baking aisle at the grocery store. What is sweetened condensed milk? It’s thick, it’s sticky and not for drinking. Condensed milk is made by removing the water. It’s cooked down to remove moisture. Just like you would a balsamic glaze or red wine reduction. Then sugar is added to prolong shelf life. The sugar prevents microorganisms from growing and sugar thickens this milk even more. Unsweetened condensed milk is sold as evaporated milk.
    • Cool Whip: Talk about a science project. Cool Whip is an imitation whipped cream sold as “whipped topping”. Cool whip has a long list of concerning ingredients and contains very little dairy. With that said, I love the stuff. I could (and have) eaten it by the spoonful from the container. It’s delicious. And this key lime pie with Cool Whip is extremely popular.
    • Key Lime Juice: What are key limes? Key limes are known as Mexican or West Indian Limes. They’re more aromatic and more floral in flavor than regular limes.
    • Pie Crust: If you want to make this key lime pie easier than easy, purchase a pre-made graham cracker or chocolate pie crust from the baking aisle at the grocery store. You can also make your own graham cracker crust or chocolate crust. I’m thinking an Oreo pie crust might be fab here.

    Ingredient Notes and Ingredient Swaps

    • Can’t find Key Limes? You can use regular limes. You’ll need to squeeze enough juice to make 1/2 cup of lime juice. You’ll need 4 – 5 full sized limes. Or purchase Nellie and Joe’s Famous Key Lime Juice. I’ve been making this pie long before key limes were available for me to purchase. I’ve made this pie many, many times with Nellie and Joe’s, great flavor.
    • Can I use Homemade Whipped Cream? I’ve not tried it, but I doubt it would hold up to create a dense fluffy texture like Cool Whip. Let me know if you try it.
    • Can I Freeze This Pie? This is one of its best attributes. If you’re making this for a crowd, you can make a couple of these pies ahead of time and freeze. Simply allow an overnight thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

    How To Make This Recipe

    How to make a graham cracker crust with butter and crushed graham crackers.

    First, we’ll prepare this easy graham cracker crust.

    • Step 1: Using a food processor crush full sheets of graham crackers to a grainy consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, break up the crackers with your hands and place them in a zip lock bag. Seal, pressing the air out and use a use a rolling pin to crush them to a grainy state.
    • Step 2: Using a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir.
    • Step 3: Add in the graham crackers, and mix using a fork.
    How to build a graham cracker crust key lime pie
    • Step 4: Using a small measuring cup, press the graham crackers into your pie shell. Use your fingers to form the crust up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the crust for 2 hours before proceeding.
    • Step 5: Make the filling for the pie. Using a whisk, simply mix the condensed milk, lime juice and thawed Cool Whip.
    • Step 6: Using a spatula, spread the filling into prepared graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

    How to decorate a Key Lime Pie

    Presentation Tips:

    • Purchase some extra cool whip and spoon it into a pipping bag. Pipe swirls of whipped topping around the edge, or dollop them spaced on top of the pie.
    • If you use the chocolate crust, dress up the top of each slice of  pie with a bit of  shaved chocolate for chocolate curls. How do you make chocolate curls? Just take a bar of semisweet chocolate. I like to refrigerate the chocolate first. Then I simply use a box grater, the side with the slicer. Or you can use a very sharp paring knife to very thinly slice the chocolate.
    • Decorate with thin sliced limes. Using a knife, make a single cut to the center of the lime. Then twist it.
    • Making this no-bake key lime pie with Cool Whip in a 9″ tart pan will give it an even snazzier look.

    I think it takes longer to get the items out of the pantry than it does to throw this key lime icebox pie recipe together.

    No Bake Key Lime Pie Recipe

    A slice of no-bake key lime pie in a graham cracker crust

    This is such an easy key lime pie recipe, that I’ve made 2 – 3 at a time to serve at pot lucks or back yard bbq parties. It’s most certainly a crowd pleaser.

    I hope you give this easy key lime pie recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating, and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

    And if you have a favorite no-bake easy pie, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Summer Pie Recipes

    • Peach Crumble Pie Made With Canned Peaches an easy peach pie recipe with a streusel topping.
    • Lemon Tart with Sour Cream Lemon Curd, This beautiful refreshing lemon tart recipe combines fresh lemon juice, sour cream and egg yolks for a perfectly creamy sweet curd filling.
    • Strawberry Tart with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling, This is easy to make and a perfect dessert for fresh strawberry season. Perfect dessert for Summer back-yard BBQ’s. Who doesn’t love strawberries and cream?
    • Fresh Peach Blueberry Pie: Fresh fruit, a little bit of spice and you’ve got a beautiful fresh peach pie.
    No bake key lime pie garnished with whipped cream and limes

    Easy No-Bake Key Lime Pie

    It takes longer to gather the ingredients than it takes to make this pie. Easy and incredibly tasty.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    resting time: 12 hours
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 206kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs about 10 sheets of graham crackers
    • 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
    • 1/3 cup Sugar
    • 14 ounces Eagle Brand Milk sweetened, condensed milk
    • 8 ounces Cool Whip defrosted, plus extra for topping
    • 1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice or juice from 12 key limes, or 4 – 6 regular sized limes.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • For the Graham Cracker Crust: Purchase pre-ground graham crackers. Or if using sheets of graham crackers, break them into a food processor and pulse until a grainy texture. Or crush them with a rolling pin in an enclosed zip-lock bag.
    • In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir. Mix in the crushed graham cracker crumbs and still until well coated with the butter mixture.
    • Using a small measuring cup, press the crust into a 9" pie pan. Use your fingers to form the crust up the side of the pan. Refrigerate for two hours.
    • For the Pie: Stir all ingredients together and mix with a whisk. Pour into a prepared pie crust. Refrigerate overnight. The pie also freezes well.
    • Top with additional Cool Whip, lime slices and serve.

    Video

    Notes

    • Can I Freeze This Pie? This is one of its best attributes. If you’re making this for a crowd, you can make a couple of these pies ahead of time and freeze. Simply allow an overnight thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
    • If you can’t find key limes, regular limes will work fine. You’ll need about a dozen key limes and 4 – 6 regular sized limes. You can also purchase Nellie and Joe’s Famous Key Lime Juice. 
    • This pie works well in a purchased chocolate pie crust, such as an oreo pie crust. Or a regular pie crust. If using a chocolate pie crust garnish with thin slices of shaved chocolate and additional whipped creme.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Key Lime Pie Recipe No Bake …It’s What’s For Dessert.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ann Membel says

      June 12, 2022 at 11:51 am

      Thank you, Lee Ann, for bringing back the memories with this old favorite, and for sharing your family’s pot luck menu with all of us! Many of our personal family favorites, and as we have a family pool gathering coming up, I will be making several of these – especially the pulled pork, calico beans, mac and cheese and I think I will dust off another old one…the layered overnight salad with the lettuce, cheese, sour cream, peas, bacon, tomatoes, etc. I will definitely be trying this key lime pie recipe, especially since I can make several in advance and freeze them! I’ll do a gluten-free carrot cake for my husband, as it will be his b-day! Thanks for all the inspiration in bringing back the oldies! Ann, Highlands Ranch

      Reply
    2. Marileen says

      May 29, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      5 stars
      Made this twice in the last month and my husband loves it.

      Reply
    3. Sherrie Hunt says

      June 15, 2021 at 9:50 pm

      5 stars
      This pie is good! The recipe was printed at least far back into the 70’s when my mother made it often. Very quick, very simple and very delicious!

      Reply
    4. Ann Wilkins says

      May 05, 2021 at 10:18 am

      I make real whipped cream it is delicious and I used the pecan crust. For people with celiac disease this is a perfect time for them I make this for my grandson that has the disease and he loves it every time.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        May 05, 2021 at 1:59 pm

        Hi Ann and thanks so much for your note. And the tip about celiac safe!

        Reply
    5. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      November 25, 2020 at 8:13 am

      Key lime is my favorite pie. Can’t. Get. Enough. 🙂 This looks terrific — thanks.

      Reply
    6. Pauline Webb says

      May 07, 2020 at 5:44 pm

      What can be used for the topping? I tried Cream Cheese, but that didn’t work.

      Reply
    7. lesliewienswineryadventures says

      September 03, 2010 at 1:41 am

      Your post made me homesick!!! Many years ago I lived in Denver and beautiful Buena Vista and have often driven past all the tourist areas you mentioned! How I miss the beauty of the mountains, aspens and pines.
      This recipe looks simple and zesty! Can’t wait to offer it up to the husband!
      Thanks!

      Reply
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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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