No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
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This easy key lime pie ice cream layers a smooth, tangy filling with a buttery graham cracker crust—no ice cream maker required.
After falling in love with this ultra-creamy no-churn cheesecake ice cream base (the same one I use for my Oreo cheesecake ice cream), I started experimenting with other flavors. This key lime pie ice cream is my favorite so far: it has all the bright, tangy flavor of key lime pie—even the buttery graham cracker crust—and it’s a cinch to make.
There’s no temperamental custard base to cook and chill, no ice cream machine to fuss with, and no need to pull the ice cream out of the freezer every 30 minutes to beat out ice crystals. You start with a simple three-ingredient crust (easy!), then blend the ice cream base, layer everything in a loaf pan, and pop it in the freezer. The next day, you’ll have a creamy, dreamy dessert that tastes far better than anything from the store.
“My family begs me to make this! So delicious and easy to make!”
What You’ll Need To Make 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.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Adds sweetness and richness.
- Heavy Cream: Contributes to the creamy texture and richness, making the ice cream smooth and indulgent.
- Lime Zest & Juice: Provides a bright, citrusy flavor and aroma. Adds bright, citrusy flavor. I use regular limes instead of key limes; key limes are challenging to find, and regular limes work just as well. I don’t bottled key lime juice; it can be bracingly tart and artificial-tasting.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the crumb 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.
Step 2: Press the crust. Dump the crumbs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press into an even ¼-inch layer.
Step 3: Bake and break. Bake until golden around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then use a spoon to break the crust into bite-sized chunks.
Step 4: Mix the filling. Zest and juice the limes (zest them first—it’s much easier). In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until completely smooth. Finally, add the heavy cream, lime zest, lime juice, and salt, and beat until evenly combined.
Step 5: Layer and freeze the ice cream. Arrange half of the crust evenly over the bottom of an 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 then freeze until completely firm, about 8 hours or overnight. The ice cream will keep well in the freezer for about 1 week.
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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
- Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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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Hi Jenn. Love your recipes and refer your site to everyone who cooks. And who doesn’t some times at least. This recipe was great. Do you have suggestions for making no churn pistaccio ice cream?
Thanks so much. You’re the BEST!
So glad you like the recipes and enjoyed this one! I don’t have a recipe for pistachio ice cream, but I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. Thanks for the suggestion!
I have a question for you Jenn….having made this no churn recipe (with a great response from guests!), I plan to now make the No Churn Cheesecake Ice Cream from your 1st book. My question is why the difference in the treatment of the crumble – here it is layered under & on top of the ice before freezing…I realize the cheesecake version is a bit different (ie the pecans) but is there a reason it is / has to be kept separate in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Allie, I actually prefer the method I used in this recipe. When I developed the recipe for the cookbook, it hadn’t occurred to me to incorporate the crumble into the ice cream. That said, you can go either way!
Thank you ! It’s going to be company dessert this Sunday ……I’m super excited to try this one – cheesecake !!!
“better than anything you could buy at a store”… no truer words have ever been spoken. The results from prep of this recipe means I’ll never go back to the gourmet ice cream shop for their $13.00 per quart, Key Lime Pie Ice cream. Which, in fact, was the reason I decided to try this recipe. I could not be happier! Thank You so much!!!
I enjoyed this ice cream so much I made it in lemon today!
My son said that this was the best dessert I ever made!
What a fantastic recipe. It has a bit of wiggle room too. I used a 10 ounce (300ml) can of sweetened condensed milk (i struggled to find a larger can) and 1/2 cup whipping cream to make it a bit less cloying. I was also short a lime so I added two drops of Doterra lime oil which really enhanced the lime taste. This recipe is a crowd pleaser!
I made your no-churn ice cream last night and just sampled and omg, it’s simply delicious! Perfect for this 100 degree temp expected today in Chicago. Thanks for another fantastic recipe😋😋
I made this recipe and your recipe for cheesecake bars for Father’s Day. Both so easy and delicious. They are both keeper recipes. Thanks!
Really delicious and so easy to make – was a hit at Father’s Day!
I was actually considering making the no churn cheesecake version from your book just as this recipe appeared in my inbox. I made it for guests and it was a huge success! It’s creamy and beautifully tart with great texture from the graham crust chunks throughout. The only issue is that the volume of sweetened condensed milk is awkward in that it doesn’t match the volume of the can I can get but since I have good luck freezing excess in mason jars, I plan to make sure I have the exact amount needed to top up my can waiting in the freezer. I will make this one again for sure (and I do plan to try the cheesecake version as well based on how good this one is 🙂