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key lime cheesecake on a wooden serving board. One slice has been cut from the whole cheesecake

no bake key lime cheesecake recipe

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My no bake key lime cheesecake has the distinctive brightness of fresh key limes, blended into a silken cheesecake filling and smothered over buttery sweet ginger cookie crust. 

  • Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

for the crust:

  • 2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt

for the filling:

  • 2 (8 oz. each) blocks full fat cream cheese
  • 1 can (14 oz.) fat free sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup key lime juice (from about 12 limes)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons key lime zest (from about 12 limes)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup reduced fat cool whip

for topping:

  • Key lime slices
  • Chopped crystallized ginger
  • Crushed ginger snaps

Instructions

  1. First things first, we need to process those limes. It takes a little time, so pop on your favorite cooking playlist or audio book and enjoy the process. This is the “hardest” part of this recipe, I promise! Zest the limes first, until you get about 1 ½ tablespoons, then juice the key limes until you have ¼ cup of juice.key limes in the process of being zested and juiced.
  2. Break the ginger cookies into the bowl of your food processor and blitz until they turn into fine crumbs.ginger snap cookies in a food processor.
  3. Dump the cookie crumbs into a mixing bowl and add the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until well-combined. The mixture should have a wet sandy texture.the crumbled cookie mixture is stirred into a cohesive mixture.
  4. Press mixture into the bottom and about 1” up the sides of an 8.5” springform pan. I alternate between using a rubber spatula and my fingers to do this part. Do your best to press it into an even layer. If you make a hole don’t worry! This crust is forgiving, just smoosh it back together and keep pressing. Transfer the pan to the freezer to let your crust harden for about 30 minutes.the cookie mixture is pressed into the bottom of a nonstick springform pan.
  5. Use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together in a mixing bowl. You want the mixture to become thick and silky so that it creates ribbons as you whip it, like you can see here.the cream cheese mixture is being blended with an electric hand mixer to a smooth and creamy texture.
  6. Add key lime juice, zest, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Continue beating until well mixed.the blended cream cheese mixture, now flecked with bits of lime zest.
  7. Plop the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold it in. The idea here is to incorporate the cool whip without deflating its volume, so be gentle with it! Keep folding until the mixture is fluffy, creamy, and cohesive.a rubber spatula is being used to fold the cool whip into the thick cream cheese mixture.
  8. Retrieve your chilled ginger cookie crust and dollop your filling into the center.the no-bake cheesecake filling is scooped into the pan, centered on the crust.
  9. Use your rubber spatula to gently smooth the cheesecake filling into an even layer, pressing it right up to the sides of the pan. Once it’s even, make a few final passes with the spatula or a spreader to smooth out the top. Create a few swirls if you’re feeling fancy!the top of the cheesecake has been smoothed, showing a few decorative lines where the spatula has been dragged across.
  10. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Since I’m using a nonstick springform pan (which plastic wrap doesn’t stick to) I use a super giant rubber band to secure it in place. My fridge can get a little, ahem, untamed, and the chances of something bonking into my key lime cheesecake as it’s setting are high! Transfer your cheesecake to the fridge and let it chill for at least 8 hours. Overnight works!plastic wrap is stretched over the top of the cheesecake pan and secured.
  11. Once your cheesecake has set, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan. Release the spring and remove the sides. You can use a large spatula or pie server to carefully free the cheesecake from the bottom pan if you want to move it to a serving board, or just leave it on there. Decorate your cake with lime slices, chopped crystallized ginger, and additional crushed ginger cookies as you like!an unmolded key lime cheesecake sitting on a wooden cutting board with piles of sliced key lime and chopped crystallized ginger next to it.

Notes

  • When removing your cheesecake from the springform pan, make sure to use a plastic knife if your pan has a nonstick surface. Metal knives can easily damage the special coating. 
  • Author: kelly@crescentmoonkitchen
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Chilling Time: 8 hours
  • Category: desserts
  • Method: no bake
  • Cuisine: american

Find it online: https://crescentmoonkitchen.com/no-bake-key-lime-cheesecake/