No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

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Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

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This no-churn key lime pie ice cream has all the bright lime flavor of the pie — even the crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust — and is a cinch to make.

key lime pie ice cream

Delighted with the success of an ultra-creamy no-churn cheesecake ice cream I developed for my cookbook, I’ve been playing around with other no-churn ice cream flavors. This key lime pie ice cream is my favorite thus far: it has all the bright lime flavor of key lime pie—even the crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust—and it’s a cinch to make.

There’s no temperamental custard base to make and chill, no ice cream machine to fiddle with, and no pulling the ice cream out of the freezer every 30 minutes to beat out the crystals. You start by making the 3-ingredient crust (easy!), then you beat the ice cream ingredients together, layer the mixture with the crust in a loaf pan, and pop it in the freezer. The next day you have a creamy, dreamy key lime treat that tastes far better than anything you could buy at the store.

“My family begs me to make this! So delicious and easy to make!”

Heather

What You’ll Need To Make Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

ingredients for key lime pie ice cream
  • Graham Cracker Crumbs: Provide classic key lime pie crust flavor and a satisfying crunchy texture.
  • Butter: Binds the crumbs together, adds a rich buttery flavor, and helps achieve a golden crust when baked.
  • Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
  • Cream Cheese: Creates a rich, creamy base with a slight tang emulating the taste of key lime pie.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: Adds sweetness and a velvety mouthfeel.
  • Heavy Cream: Contributes to the creamy texture and richness, making the ice cream smooth and indulgent.
  • Lime Zest: Provides a bright, citrusy flavor and aroma.
  • Fresh Lime Juice: Adds tanginess and enhances the key lime pie flavor. I use regular limes instead of key limes. (Key limes are challenging to find, and regular limes work just as well.)
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

Graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt in mixing bowl.

Begin by making the crust. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Using a spoon first and then your fingers, mix until evenly combined, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar.

Crust ingredients mixed together in bowl.

Press the crust into an even 1/4-inch layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Crust pressed into a freeform layer on baking sheet.

Bake until golden around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes.

breaking baked graham cracker crust into chunks

Let cool, then use a spoon to break into chunks.

finished chunks of crust

Set the crust aside while you make the filling. To start, zest and juice the limes. (Be sure to zest them first as it’s near impossible to do once they are juiced.)

zesting and juicing limes

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and creamy, about 1 minute.

beating cream cheese in mixing bowl

Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

adding sweetened condensed milk to mixing bowl

Add the heavy cream, lime zest, lime juice and salt.

Lime zest in a bowl with an electric mixer.

And beat until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.

beating cream cheese mixture until smooth

Arrange half of the crust evenly over the bottom of an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan.

creating layer of crust in loaf pan

Pour the ice cream mixture over top.

adding ice cream layer to loaf pan

Then cover with the remaining crust crumbles. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.

adding final crust layer

Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use bottled key lime juice?

I don’t recommend it. Bottled key lime juice can be bracingly tart and artificial-tasting. You’ll get a much better result with fresh lime juice.

Can I use store-bought graham cracker crumbs instead of making my own?

Sure! Store-bought crumbs work just as well.

Can I make no-churn ice cream ahead?

Yep, the ice cream will keep, tightly covered, for up to 2 weeks.  Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften to a scoopable texture before serving.

scooping frozen ice cream from loaf pan

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No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

This no-churn key lime pie ice cream has all the bright lime flavor of the pie — even the crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust — and is a cinch to make.

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus at least 8 hours to freeze

Ingredients

For the "Crust"

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, from 8 whole crackers
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • Pinch salt

For the Ice Cream

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 packed tablespoon finely grated lime zest, from about 3 limes
  • 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 3 limes
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Using a spoon first and then your fingers, mix until evenly combined, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Press the crust into an even ¼-inch layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then use a spoon to break into chunks.
  3. Make the Ice Cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, lime zest, lime juice and salt, and beat until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
  4. Assemble: Arrange half of the crust crumbles evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Pour the ice cream mixture over top, then cover with the remaining crust crumbles. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Serving size: About 1 cup
  • Calories: 542
  • Fat: 32 g
  • Saturated fat: 18 g
  • Carbohydrates: 59 g
  • Sugar: 50 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Sodium: 342 mg
  • Cholesterol: 98 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Oooh, this was so good and so easy! It fit perfectly in 6 ramekins and made a lovely individual dessert. Definitely a keeper, and stunning perfect make-ahead dessert for company, too!

    • — Laurie on August 12, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,
    I love your site and all your recipes – always reliably wonderful!
    I made this ice cream in the past and this time it seemed less “summery,” more like a light cheesecake than a lime ice cream. Maybe I didn’t beat it long enough? (We all loved it nonetheless, it just seemed different!) What do you think?

    • — cathleen matanle on August 11, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi cathleen, thanks for your kind words – so glad you like the recipes! The change in texture you had this time around with the ice cream is a bit of a head scratcher – I’m not sure why it would have come out differently for you unless you changed how you prepared it or made ingredient substitutions. Another possibility is if you used different brands of any of the ingredients, that could’ve impacted the finished product.

  • This is SO good and easy to make! A hit with all my guests.

    • — Amy on July 28, 2024
    • Reply
  • Followed this recipe to the letter for husband’s birthday and it was a screaming success! I recommend thawing it just enough to pop it out of the tin to serve slices rather than scoops. Tastes more like frozen cheesecake than ice cream. I might do half gingersnap crumbs for some extra kick next time. Fabulous for summer.

    • — Lisa K. on July 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • Could I make this with no cream cheese and instead use all heavy cream?

    • — Alisha Feldman on July 12, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Alisha, I don’t recommend it – the cream cheese adds some density to the ice cream and you won’t achieve the right texture with all heavy cream.

      • — Jenn on July 16, 2024
      • Reply
  • H Jenn,

    Would this recipe work with gluten free graham cracker crumbs?

    Maria

    • — Maria Hahn on May 29, 2024
    • Reply
    • Sure!

      • — Jenn on May 30, 2024
      • Reply

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