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.
The recipe was first published August, 2010 and updated November 2020 with step by step instructions and photos.
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.
And once the graham cracker crust is made, this is basically a 3 ingredient no-bake key lime pie.
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:
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.
- 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.
- Graham Crackers.
- Butter. Salted or unsalted.
- Granulated Sugar
Ingredient Notes and Ingredient Swaps
- Can’t find Key Limes? You can use regular limes. You’ll need to squeeze enough juice to make ½ cup of lime juice. You’ll need 4 – 5 full sized limes. You may also find key lime juice on the juice or baking aisle at your grocery store. I’ve been making this pie long before key limes were available for me to purchase. I’ve made this key lime pie with Nellie and Joe’s Lime Juice, great flavor.
- 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.
How To Make This Recipe, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Place broken up sheets of graham crackers in a food processor.
- Step 2: Use the pulse feature to crush 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 3: Using a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for 30 second increments until melted. Add the sugar and stir.
- Step 4: Step 3: Add in the crushed graham crackers, and use a fork to blend well.
- Step 5: Use a small measuring cup to press the graham crackers into your pie pan. Use your fingers to form the crust up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the crust for 2 hours before proceeding.
- Step 6: Make the filling for the pie. Use a whisk to simply mix the condensed milk, lime juice and thawed Cool Whip.
- Step 7: Use a spatula to spread the filling into prepared graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, top with an additional layer of Cool Whip and decorate with some lime slices.
Common Questions
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 and labeled as evaporated milk.
Yes you can. If you’re feeding a crowd and want to get a head start, prepare the pies a few days in advance then cover the top with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Simply allow for an overnight thaw in the refrigerate before serving.
You’ll need about 12 key limes, or 4 – 6 regular sized limes to yield the ½ cup lime juice called for in this recipe.
I’ve not tried it, but I doubt it would hold up to create a dense fluffy texture like Cool Whip. I’d say stick with the Cool Whip not only for ease but guaranteed success.
How to decorate a Key Lime Pie
Tips For Success:
- Crust: You can purchase pre-crushed graham crackers on the baking aisle to make a pie crust, but try making your own. Purchase a box of graham crackers, It’s easy to make using a food processor. Plus you’ll have extra crackers left over for snacks.
- Preparing Crust: When pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan, don’t pack it too tightly. This will cause it to harden and become hard to remove from the pan when ready to serve. Just press it into the pan until it’s well formed to the bottom.
- Cool Whip: Make sure the Cool Whip has completely thawed. Place it in the refrigerator for a 4-5 hours or leave it at room temperature. You can also remove the lid and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Important: Use the setting for defrost.
- Refrigerate: For best results, once assembled, make sure to refrigerate No-Bake Key Lime Pie overnight. This will allow the dessert to set up and become firm enough for serving.
- Slicing: As with any cheesecake type dessert, use a sharp knife for slicing and serving. Each time you start a new slice, dip the knife in warm water and wipe clean with a paper towel. This will insure easy neater slices.
- 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 Cool Whip.
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.
No Bake Key Lime Pie Recipe
This is such an easy key lime pie recipe, that I’ve made it 2 – 3 pies at a time to serve at pot lucks or back yard bbq parties. Its most certainly a crowd pleaser. No-bake Key Lime Pie is a perfect Summer dessert made with just a few simple ingredients.
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.
And if you’re looking for more dessert recipes, don’t miss my category for Dessert Recipes. You’ll find my recipe for Cherry Delight. A dessert that’s not too sweet, and simple with ingredients. Who can resist a graham cracker crust topped with pecan studded cream cheese, Cool Whip and cherry pie filling.
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Easy No-Bake Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs about 10 sheets of graham crackers
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 14 ounces Eagle Brand Milk sweetened, condensed milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip defrosted, plus extra for topping
- ½ Cup Key Lime Juice or juice from 12 key limes, or 4 – 6 regular sized limes.
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
-
- Crust: You can purchase pre-crushed graham crackers on the baking aisle to make a pie crust, but try making your own. Purchase a box of graham crackers, It’s easy to make using a food processor. Plus you’ll have extra crackers left over for snacks.
-
- Preparing Crust: When pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan, don’t pack it too tightly. This will cause it to harden and become hard to remove from the pan when ready to serve. Just press it into the pan until it’s well formed to the bottom.
-
- Cool Whip: Make sure the Cool Whip has completely thawed. Place it in the refrigerator for a 4-5 hours or leave it at room temperature. You can also remove the lid and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Important: Use the setting for defrost.
-
- Refrigerate: For best results, once assembled, make sure to refrigerate No-Bake Key Lime Pie overnight. This will allow the dessert to set up and become firm enough for serving.
-
- Slicing: As with any cheesecake type dessert, use a sharp knife for slicing and serving. Each time you start a new slice, dip the knife in warm water and wipe clean with a paper towel. This will insure easy neater slices.
- 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 Cool Whip.
- 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 cream.
Nutrition
Key Lime Pie Recipe No Bake …It’s What’s For Dessert.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Key lime pie is one of my favorites–this looks really good. 😉
I love key lime pie and order it every time I see it on a menu. I got a good laugh out of Yogi’s comment on how to cut the pie. I’ll have to remember that one.
Enjoy the King exhibit. Makes me wish I lived closer to a city instead of out in the woods.
Sam
I could eat eight, no problem ;).
Great looking pie. I’m a big fan of any dessert that doesn’t require firing up the oven, particularly with the heat we’ve been having.
I would love to have a slice of that. It sounds so simple but looks so yummy!
We are undeafeted!!!!!!! Yeah!
This looks positively luscious! Rich and refreshing. And I love that quote!
Looks great! Chicken Legs LOVES key lime pie. I love that this is no-bake.
This is my favorite pie in the whole world! yours came out great!
Ooooo, I’d love a piece of this pie now, even if it is only 8:00 in the morning. I have no excuse not to make this as it is such an easy recipe.
Looks delicious!
This sounds great – I think I could even make it 😉
Mmm, looks delicious!
I just found a little baggie of key limes and brought them home. I had never seen them up here before. They are tiny!
This is one of my very favorite summertime pies! (And I love the yogi berra line!)
I hope so because I didn’t take any…LOL!!! Sounds like a feast I would LOVE! This sounds so nummy…is it sweetened condensed milk or evap milk?? I love key lime cake…but haven’t found a key lime pie I can love yet. Must try! 🙂
It’s that ooey gooey sweetened condensed Eagle Brand Milk. I should go back and change the post.
I love that Yogi Berra quote. And I love anything that has anything to do with key lime pie. Delicious.
Mmm, I would love this right out of the freezer. Cute quote by Yogi Berra… LOL
Good idea Karen. I divided up pieces and they’re in the freezer. Next time I want one for dessert I won’t let it thaw.
I have made a key lime pie once. I loved it but nobody else in my household did. That was very disappointing. I still think it is a great tasting pie. Maybe I should try a different recipe?
I can’t imagine anyone not liking this recipe…cool whip and that thick sugared milk. yum. Tell them it’s something else….like call it a refrigerator pie.
I’m going to make this pie for my lovely bride (of 25 years). It better be as good as you say. Thanks.
Well heck, if you don’t like it please don’t hunt me down! 🙂 All kidding aside, please let me know how you liked the recipe.
Oooh! It just so happens that The Niece loves key lime pie! This sounds lovely and easy. Gonna have to make this the next time I see her…
You better make a test pie in the meantime for you and Zio.
I like your thinking on this 😉
I love key lime pie! It is so refreshing and sweet at the same time!
Beeyootiful! And the pie is as pretty as the ginkgo leaf dish. 😉 Seriously, it sounds delicious – I love key lime pie and had no idea it was this easy. Sweet!!
I’ve got four of those plates, they make great little salad plates, especially on my periwinkle blue dinner plates. You should give the pie a try, it’s really good….and rich.
I love key lime pie and this sounds very fattening, I mean good.
We each ate about 1/2 of a slice and it went straight to the freezer to portion out in future slivers. 🙂