No-Bake Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Name: No-Bake Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Prep time: 33 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 36 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed (about 10 full sheets); 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; ⅛ tsp (0.7 g) fine salt; 14 oz can (397 g) sweetened condensed milk, one full can, at room temperature or cold, shaken; ½ cup (120 ml) key lime juice, fresh or bottled, strained; 1 tbsp (6 g) lime zest, finely grated from 2 to 3 limes, green part only; 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, very cold; 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, very cold; 2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy; ½ tsp (2½ ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 whole (65 g) lime, cut into very thin slices, then halved, for garnish (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A cool, tangy, creamy key lime pie with no oven and no eggs. Sweetened condensed milk and lime juice thicken together, and whipped cream lightens the filling. It sits in a buttery graham cracker crust and chills until sliceable.

Prep: 33 min
Cook: 3 min
Wait: 6 hr 30 min
Total: 7 hr 6 min
Makes: 1 pie, 9-inch (23 cm), 8 slices

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the crust
1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed (about 10 full sheets)
3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
⅛ tsp (0.7 g) fine salt
For the filling
14 oz can (397 g) sweetened condensed milk, one full can, at room temperature or cold, shaken
½ cup (120 ml) key lime juice, fresh or bottled, strained
1 tbsp (6 g) lime zest, finely grated from 2 to 3 limes, green part only
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, very cold
For the topping
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, very cold
2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
½ tsp (2.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 whole (65 g) lime, cut into very thin slices, then halved, for garnish (optional)

Equipment (8)

9-inch (23 cm) standard pie plate, about 1¼ inches (3 cm) deep
Large mixing bowl
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
Flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass, for pressing the crust
Rubber spatula
Fine grater or microplane
Sharp knife, for slicing

Steps

Before you start

Plan for at least 6 hours of chilling, so make the pie in the morning to serve at dinner, or the day before.
Put the mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping. Keep the cream in the fridge until you use it.
If you are using fresh key limes, squeeze about 20 small limes to get ½ cup (120 ml) of juice. Strain out the seeds and pulp.
Crush graham crackers in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, or pulse them in a food processor, until they look like fine sand.

1
Melt the butter
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, or in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Melt it until it is liquid with no solid pieces.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes so it won't be hot when it hits the crumbs.
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Ready when: Butter is fully melted and just warm, not sizzling.
2
Mix the crust
- In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar and salt.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork for about 1 minute, until every crumb is moistened.
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Ready when: Mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when squeezed in your fist.
Tip: If it crumbles apart when squeezed, add 1 more teaspoon of melted butter.
3
Press the crust
- Tip the crumbs into the 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate.
- Press firmly and evenly across the bottom and up the sides with the flat bottom of a measuring cup.
- Pack the corner where the bottom meets the side and finish the rim so the crust is level with the top of the plate.
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Ready when: Crust is compact and about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, with no loose crumbs on the sides.
Tip: Press hard. A loosely packed crust falls apart when you slice the pie.
4
Chill the crust
- Place the pie plate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so the butter firms up and the crust sets.
- Use this time to zest and juice the limes if you haven't already.
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Ready when: Crust feels firm and cold when you touch the edge.
5
Mix the lime base
- In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk with the lime zest for 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the lime juice while whisking.
- Keep whisking for about 1 minute, until the mixture is smooth and noticeably thicker.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, pale green-yellow and thickened to the texture of pancake batter.
Tip: The acid in the juice thickens the condensed milk. Don't worry if it looks loose at first, because it firms up as you whisk.
6
Whip filling cream
- In a chilled bowl, beat the 1 cup (240 ml) of cold heavy cream for filling on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stop when it forms stiff peaks that stand upright when you lift the beaters.
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Ready when: Peaks stand straight up and the cream looks thick and matte, not runny or grainy.
Tip: Stop as soon as peaks are stiff. Overwhipped cream turns grainy and starts to become butter.
7
Fold and combine
- Scoop about one third of the whipped cream into the lime base and stir gently to loosen it.
- Add the remaining cream and fold with a rubber spatula, scooping from the bottom and turning over the top, until no white streaks remain.
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Ready when: Filling is uniformly pale green, light and fluffy, with no streaks of white.
Tip: Fold gently so you keep the air in the cream, which gives the pie a light, mousse-like texture.
8
Fill the pie
- Scrape the filling into the chilled crust.
- Spread it to the edges with the spatula, mounding it slightly in the center.
- Rap the pie plate on the counter twice to settle the filling and release air bubbles.
- Smooth the top.
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Ready when: Filling is level or gently domed and touches the crust all the way around.
9
Chill until set
- Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap, tented so it doesn't touch the surface.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until the filling is completely set.
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Ready when: Filling is firm and doesn't wobble when you gently shake the plate, and the center holds a light fingertip press.
Tip: Slicing before 6 hours gives soft, messy slices. Overnight chilling gives the cleanest cuts.
10
Whip the topping
- Just before serving, beat the 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla in a chilled bowl on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until it forms medium-stiff peaks that hold their shape with the tips just curling.
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Ready when: Cream holds a soft peak and is spreadable and pipeable, not stiff or grainy.
11
Top, garnish and slice
- Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie.
- Arrange the halved lime slices around the edge, if using.
- For clean slices, dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the pie into 8 wedges, wiping the knife between cuts.
- Serve cold.
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Ready when: Slices hold their shape with a firm filling and an intact crust.
Tip: Slice with a hot, dry knife for the cleanest edges.

Good to know

Tips

Whip the cream to stiff peaks for the filling. Soft cream makes a looser pie that may not slice cleanly.
Zest the limes before juicing them, because it is much easier on a whole fruit.
Wipe the knife clean with hot water between cuts for neat slices.
Don't skip the crust chilling. A cold, firm crust holds together best and avoids a soggy bottom.

Make ahead

"Make the crust up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. The whole pie, without the whipped topping, can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Add the topping and garnish within 2 hours of serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 1 hour, as the filling is dairy-based and softens. Fridge: cover loosely and keep up to 3 days. The crust softens slightly after day 2. Freezer: freeze the unsliced, untopped pie, wrapped tightly, up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours and add fresh whipped cream before serving. Serve cold, with no reheating."

Substitutions

key lime juice → Regular (Persian) lime juice. Use the same amount, ½ cup (120 ml). The flavor is a little less floral and a touch sharper, but the pie sets the same way.
graham cracker crumbs → Digestive biscuit or gingersnap crumbs. Use the same weight (150 g). Gingersnaps give a spicier crust, and you may want to use 1 tablespoon less sugar.
heavy cream → Thawed frozen whipped topping. Use about 2 cups (about 240 g) and skip the powdered sugar and vanilla. It is more stable but less rich.
unsalted butter → Salted butter. Use the same amount and omit the pinch of salt in the crust.