This easy gluten free key lime pie with cream cheese only calls for a handful of ingredients! The graham cracker crust pairs perfectly with the tart filling.
If you love this key lime pie recipe, you need to check out my key lime donuts!
I'll be honest, key lime pie was never one of my go-to desserts. I'll always pick something rich and chocolatey off a dessert menu before I even consider something citrusy.
That all changed when I developed and tested this recipe. Now, I find myself craving this particular pie all the time!
This is the perfect summer dessert recipe, and it's a nice option if you are looking for something different to serve at your next dinner party or cookout.
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Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Key Lime Pie
- First of all, it's SO super easy. This recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients and, aside from the chill time, comes together very quickly overall.
- The flavors are perfect together. I love making key lime pie with cream cheese because it adds an extra creaminess and tang.
- The graham cracker crust is simply delicious paired with the lime flavor! And to make this recipe even easier, you can always go with a store-bought crust.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- For the crust, you can either go with store-bought gluten free graham crackers or homemade gluten free graham crackers. You can also go with a pre-made crust.
- The brown sugar is not pictured above, but you'll need it to add some flavor and texture to the crust.
- Your eyes are not deceiving you... I do use bottled lime juice in this recipe! This is one of my favorite shortcuts. You can definitely use fresh lime juice if you would rather, though.
- Speaking of limes, I'm going to let you in on another secret... when it comes to this particular recipe, I don't think there's much of a difference between using key limes or regular limes. So go ahead and use whatever is available to you or whichever you prefer.
- Sweetened condensed milk should be easy to find in the baking aisle of most major grocery stores. This ingredient not only adds a lot of delicious sweet flavor, it helps with the texture and binding everything together, especially since we're not using egg yolks.
- Make sure you're using full-fat blocks of cream cheese, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub.
- If you're not planning to make your own whipped cream, skip the heavy cream.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Make the gluten free graham cracker crust. Use a food process to grind up the graham crackers into crumbs, then stir in the brown sugar and melted butter and press the mixture into a greased tart pan.
Beat the cream cheese. We'll start the filling by beating the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it's smooth and creamy.
Add the rest of the ingredients. To the cream cheese, you're going to add the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, sour cream, vanilla extract, and lime zest.
Bake low and slow. Pour the filling into your prepared crust. Bake on 300º for 35 minutes. Cool the pie completely and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Make the whipped cream. For homemade whipped cream, simply whip the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Expert Tips...
- It really is important to use room temperature ingredients here. Working with softened cream cheese makes it easier to beat, and all of the ingredients incorporate much better when they are not too cold.
- The filling may look a little lumpy as you're mixing, but that's not a big concern. It should smooth out as it bakes and sets.
- I like to serve this key lime pie with homemade whipped cream because it's so easy and delicious, but you can go with store-bought if you'd rather. If you do end up making your own, you will want to use COLD heavy cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can read all about the differences here. Key limes are smaller and yellow in color, while regular limes are larger and tend to be juicier. When it comes to this pie, use either one. I use regular limes in this recipe and it's still delicious every time.
Yes! I love to use bottled lime juice and don't think it makes a huge difference in flavor here.
No. These are two completely different ingredients, and unfortunately you can't swap one for the other in this recipe. Evaporated milk is unsweetened, so there will be a big difference in flavor. It's also lighter and not as dense as sweetened condensed milk.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure if this would work because of the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. I know you can find dairy free sweetened condensed milk at most grocery stores, but I don't have much experience baking with vegan cream cheese.
How To Store
You can store this gluten free key lime pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days. I like to use a cake carrier but you can also slice into individual slices and store in smaller containers. I recommend making the whipped cream fresh right before serving.
Did you try my gluten free key lime pie with cream cheese? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog! And don't forget to subscribe to get new recipes directly in your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Easy Gluten Free Key Lime Pie with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups (150g) gluten free graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
For the pie filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup (80ml) lime juice
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lime
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9-inch tart pan and refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese for a few minutes until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, sour cream, vanilla extract, and lime zest and beat to combine.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 35 minutes. Cool completely, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or until ready to serve).
- To make the homemade whipped cream, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and sugar on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Notes
- Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream.
- Feel free to use regular limes rather than key limes. Regular limes can be much easier to juice. Alternately, you can buy bottled lime juice at most grocery stores.
- For the whipping cream, it's important to use COLD heavy cream.
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