Key Lime Cheesecake
This key lime cheesecake is THE cheesecake of the summer! It has all the tangy and zesty flavor of a key lime pie with double the amount of graham cracker crust, both on the bottom and baked in the center. Pile it high with a cloud of whipped cream and top with even more zest for that beautiful pop of lime green!
What makes this key lime pie cheesecake so good?
Taking direct inspiration from my popular brown butter maple cheesecake, the special part of this key lime cheesecake recipe is all in the crust.
This graham cracker crust recipe is my tried and true as I use it for ALL of my cheesecakes! It has the perfect ratio of graham cracker to sugar to butter, and it’s just the right amount to cover the bottom and sides of a cheesecake.
However, we’re adding a DOUBLE layer of graham cracker crust so it requires three sleeves of graham crackers. The entire cheesecake is wrapped in a delicious graham cracker crust. Then with the rest of the mix, we toss in some more lime zest and sprinkle it into the middle of the cheesecake batter.
Speaking of, this cheesecake is insanely creamy and is flavored with tons of lime juice. Yes, I said LIME juice. I’m not one to squeeze the juice out of all of those tiny key limes. So when I’m making a “key lime” dessert…I always opt for regular limes. The flavor difference just isn’t drastic enough to justify all that extra effort!
Regular Limes vs Key Limes
As stated above, I almost always use regular limes in lieu of key limes. First, because they’re much easier to find and second, because you can get way more juice out of way fewer limes.
Now, there is a very slight flavor difference between the two. Key limes are supposed to have a more intense tartness that isn’t too acidic.
Personally, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if I blind tasted two key lime pies – one made with regular limes and one made with key limes. So for this reason, I’m choosing the regular limes.
So when I’m making a key lime dessert, I often take the zest from regular limes as well as the juice. Then, I supplement with bottled key lime juice if the regular limes don’t product enough juice for the recipe. It’s my little cheat code to sneak in that key lime without having to hunt down the tiny citrus.
Now, you can most definitely use all key limes in this recipe if you prefer! For the zest of every regular lime, use 3 key limes. But to keep things as easy as possible, I suggest going with regular limes.
Key Lime Cheesecake FAQs
I haven’t tested it, but in my experience gluten free graham crackers require much less butter. For that reason, I would mix the crust with 1/2 cup of melted butter and then assess if it needs more. The consistency should be moist and packable, but not greasy. If it still appears too dry, mix in one tablespoon of butter at a time until you reach the right consistency.
Sure! Just use the crust recipe from my classic cheesecake and omit the cinnamon. I would also mix that extra zest reserved for the crust into the cheesecake batter.
Sure! You can do whatever you are most comfortable with, as long as there’s water in the oven.
Yes, just use 2 to 3 key limes in place of 1 regular lime for zesting. You can also use bottled key lime juice.
A day or two is fine! Keeping it mind that it does at least have to chill overnight to set.
Reserve the whipped cream for day-of serving and store the untopped cheesecake on its own. Key it in a container or well wrapped and store in the refrigerator for about a week.
For more cheesecake recipes, check out my:
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake
- Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- New York Style Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make this key lime cheesecake recipe. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Key Lime Cheesecake
- Total Time: 2 hour 45 minutes + overnight chill
- Yield: 10-12 slices
Description
This key lime cheesecake has all the incredible flavors of a key lime pie wrapped up in a delicious and creamy cheesecake. It’s also baked with DOUBLE the amount of graham cracker crust, where more lime zest is mixed into the middle layer to inject even more of that bright flavor.
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups (420g) ground graham crackers (about 3 sleeves)
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, melted
- Zest of 1/2 lime
Key Lime Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 1 1/4 cup (250g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120g) lime or key lime juice
- 3 large eggs, room temp
Whipped Topping
- 2 cups (480g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- Zest of 1/2 lime
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease the inside of a 9” springform pan. Remove the ring, place a sheet of parchment paper down on the bottom plate, and return the ring to secure the paper in place.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ground graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Then stir in the melted butter until evenly hydrated.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the mixture and store in the refrigerator (we’ll use this for decoration later). Now dump 2/3 of the mixture into the springform pan and pack it into the bottom and all the way up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes.
- To the remaining crust, mix in the lime zest and set to the side.
- Once the crust is baked, reduce the oven to 325F.
Key Lime Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch on low speed until just combined.
- Scrape down the bowl and add in the vanilla, lime zest, and sour cream. Mix again on low speed just until combined.
- Now to the oven, place a large roast pan on the bottom rack and place a medium pot full of water over high heat. By the time the batter is prepared, the water will be boiling and ready for our water bath.
- Back to the batter. Scrape down the bowl and as the mixer is running on low speed, slowly pour in the lime juice until incorporated.
- Crack the eggs into a pourable glass and lightly beat with a fork. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the eggs and mix until just combined.
- Use your rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and give the batter one last good mix by hand.
- Pour half of the batter into the baked crust. Top with a layer of the remaining graham cracker crust and gently spread it even.
- Cascade the rest of the cheesecake batter on top, careful not to pour it all into one spot so it doesn’t sink through the crust. Spread even.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the roast pan at the bottom of the oven and quickly place the cheesecake on the middle rack just above the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center jiggles when judged. Then turn off the oven and crack open the door, leaving the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- After the hour, transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill uncovered overnight.
Whipped Topping
- Before serving, top with the whipped cream (or serve it on the side).
- In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar on high speed until fluffy but smooth.
- Spread or scoop the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake and sprinkle with lime zest and reserved graham cracker mixture. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
LIMES OR KEY LIMES – When I’m baking a key lime dessert, I almost always use regular limes for the sake of ease. But feel free to use whichever one you want for this recipe! For the juice, I like to squeeze the juice out of the limes I just zested and then supplement the rest with bottled key lime juice.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: Overnight
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
