Our Best Key Lime Recipes (2024)

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen

Key lime certainly tastes wonderful in pie form, but bake outside the box and try it in cupcakes, ice cream, cheesecakes, and more.

Key Lime-Shortbread Icebox Cake image

Key Lime-Shortbread Icebox Cake Recipe

Layers upon layers of fresh key lime, luscious cream cheese, and shortbread cookies make for a delicious no-bake cake witha show-stopping presentation. A thin layer of pistachiosadds a crunch to each creamy, bright bite. The taste is light and sweet, making it the perfect ending to a large holiday meal.If you can't find Key limes to juice, try Nellie & Joe's brand.

Foolproof Key Lime Pie

Foolproof Key Lime Pie Recipe

Whip up this Foolproof Key Lime Pie for an easy dessert your guests are sure to enjoy.

Creamy Raspberry Tart Sorbet

Key Lime Ice Cream Recipe

Creating the coolest scoops is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Sugared Key Limes and Cranberries image

Rum Cake with Key Lime Buttercream Recipe

Lime In Coconut Cheesecake image

Lime In Coconut Cheesecake Recipe

This no-bake key lime cheesecake is served in a halved, fresh coconut for a light, fresh, and fun twist on dessert. If you have trouble finding coconut whipped topping, you can use dairy whipped topping with a drop of coconut extract mixed in.

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Key Lime Tassies image

Key Lime Tassies Recipe

If you love Key lime pie, then you must make these. The best part is they're truly make-ahead: The tart shells can be made and frozen up to a month in advance, and the Key lime curd can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

Key Lime Ice Pops

Key Lime Ice Pops Recipe

This frozen treat offers all you love about Key lime pie in a neat handheld package. Ripe avocados are the key to making these pops rich and indulgent, and they make the texture creamy and smooth instead of icy. The avocados also plump up the dessert with heart-healthy unsaturated fats, which keep you satisfied. Try to keep the graham cracker crumbs coarse so that the pops have more texture; fine crumbs might end up soggy.

sl-Key Lime-Buttermilk Icebox Pie with Baked Buttery Cracker Crust Image

Key Lime-Buttermilk Icebox Pie with Baked Buttery Cracker Crust Recipe

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies Recipe

This cupcake version of a chocolate-Key lime pie is an ideal pick-up dessert for entertaining. Make a crumb crust with chocolate wafers and top with a sweet cream cheese mixture flavored with fresh Key lime juice.

Mini Coconut-Key Lime Pies

Mini Coconut-Key Lime Pies Recipe

One Test Kitchen Professional said these Mini Key Lime Pies are “a delicious taste of the tropics and just the right size to not feel guilty!” The coconut crust is crisp but chewy, and the sweet coconut contrasts beautifully with the tart key lime filling, and no key lime pie would be complete without fluffy homemade whipped cream. This mini delight is truly the perfect bite. Tiny Key limes can be a chore to squeeze, but microwaving them for 15 seconds will help them soften and juice more easily. One pound of fresh Key limes will yield about a half cup of juice. If you’re using bottled juice, make sure it is 100 percent pure Key lime juice and not sweetened. Our Test Kitchen recommends Nellie and Joe’s.

Heavenly Key Lime Pie

Heavenly Key Lime Pie Recipe

This pie is wonderful with fresh or bottled Key lime juice.

Frozen key Lime Fingers

Frozen Key Lime Fingers Recipe

If you're craving something sweet, let Frozen Key Lime Fingers fill that urge. Use whole-grain graham crackers in these frozen treats because they'll stay crisp in the freezer.

Key Lime Pie Parfaits

Key Lime Pie Parfaits Recipe

Enjoy the flavor of Key lime pie in parfait form. Key limes add just the right amount of sweet-tartness!

Key Lime Tart

Key Lime Tart Recipe

Enjoy the tart flavor of Key limes, in well, a tart! The Key lime flavor combined with a creamy custard, a soft crust, and meringue makes this a go-to recipe.

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie Recipe

Fresh limes are a must for this perfect citrus pie. It comes together quickly and easily, and your guests will love it!

Key Lime Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Key Lime Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce Recipe

Fresh Key lime juice makes this cheesecake authentic, but use bottled juice if fresh limes aren't available. The strawberry sauce adds a sweet a refreshing flavor to the traditional flavors of Key lime pie.

Key Lime Cupcakes

Key Lime Cupcakes Recipe

The creamy Key Lime Filling tastes like sunshine captured in a cupcake. Key limes are easy to find these days. They are small, golf ball-sized limes with a pale yellow and green color. If you can't find them, bottled Key lime juice works well.

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Key Lime La Croix Pancakes Recipe

If you've never experimented with bubbles in your homemade pancakes for maximum fluffiness, today is the day. In this iteration, we used La Croix's newest flavor, key lime, for an indulgent, oh-so-tropical taste. Topped with toasted coconut flakes, graham cracker crumbs, whipped cream, and maple syrup, this breakfast treat has all the same flavors as your favorite slice of key lime pie.

Key Lime Panna Cotta

Key Lime Panna Cotta Recipe

We used only enough gelatin for the creamy texture and wobbly jiggle panna cotta is known for.