Combining the refreshing flavor of key lime pie and the irresistible creaminess of classic cheesecake, this key lime cheesecake is two mouthwatering desserts in one. Made from only 8 ingredients total, this smooth & tangy homemade cheesecake is so much easier than you’d ever guess! For recipe success, follow my in-depth instructions.
This key lime cheesecake recipe is sponsored by PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, whose products I’ve always trusted in my baking.
Remember my chocolate peanut butter cheesecake bars? I’m thrilled to show off this quality cream cheese again! As always, all opinions are 100% my own. You know I only work with brands I truly love!
Maybe you’ve caught on by now or maybe you haven’t, but I’m completely nuts about cheesecake. Have you seen my extensive collection of cheesecake recipes? When developing a new flavor, I turned to another dessert love of mine: key lime pie. Sweet and citrus-packed, this warm weather favorite sits on a buttery graham cracker crust. The marriage of two iconic desserts was inevitable. Welcome to the ultimate dessert duo!
If you’re wild about key lime, you’ll flip for these individual upside down key lime pies and dark chocolate key lime truffles too. And if you want a party ready cheesecake, you’ll love these mini margarita cheesecakes!
Many readers have asked about replacing the limes with lemons in this cheesecake. Follow this recipe for lemon cheesecake instead.
This Key Lime Cheesecake Is:
- Made from just 8 ingredients
- Perfect for spring & summer celebrations
- Wonderfully sweet & tangy
- Unbelievably creamy
- Flavor-packed with plenty of key lime
- Easy to make ahead or freeze
Homemade cheesecake has the reputation of being difficult to make. I’m here to break that barrier. Because guess what? If you know how to turn on your electric mixer, you know how to make cheesecake. Most of the “work” is hands-off while the cheesecake bakes and cools. This key lime pie cheesecake batter comes together in just 1 bowl and if you read through and follow my instructions, you can easily avoid cheesecake cracks, lumpy batter, and over-baking. (These are all problems you could face if you didn’t have a solid recipe!)
Overview: How to Make Key Lime Cheesecake
- Make the crust: A graham cracker crust is a natural choice as it’s the usual accompaniment to both key lime pie and cheesecake. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Here’s a tip: use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust in tightly!
- Pre-bake the crust: A quick 10 minutes in the oven helps the crust set up before adding the cheesecake batter on top.
- Make the batter: The ingredients come together in a certain order. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together first, then beat in the rest of the ingredients except for the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating only until combined. Over-beating the eggs incorporates too much air into the batter, which causes the cheesecake to deflate and crack.
- Prepare the water bath: I promise a water bath is nothing complicated. You see, cheesecake needs to bake in a humid environment. Adding steam to the otherwise dry oven prevents cracks on the surface of your key lime cheesecake. Additionally, it keeps the dessert extra creamy and moist. There are two options for preparing a water bath and both are detailed in the recipe below. The cheesecake can sit in a roasting pan of water in the oven or you can place a roasting pan of hot water on the bottom rack. (This is what I do for flourless chocolate cake! Works like a charm.) Taking a few extra minutes to prepare a water bath is well worth it.
- Bake the cheesecake: This key lime cheesecake can take anywhere from 55–70 minutes. It’s done when the edges are lightly browned and set. The very center of the cheesecake will still be wobbly, but don’t worry, it will set as the dessert cools.
- Cool the cheesecake: Cheesecake doesn’t like vast temperature differences, so cool it using my guaranteed method—turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour. After that, place it on the counter at room temperature to fully cool down. When it’s cool, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or even overnight.
Trust Me on This Cooling Method
There’s no greater test to your willpower than those few hours waiting for this key lime cheesecake to cool! But every minute is completely worth it when you take that first unbelievably refreshing, satisfying, key lime-packed bite. 🙂
2 Quick Success Tips
- Use Bricks of Cream Cheese: To guarantee the cheesecake sets up properly, use 8 ounce bricks of full fat PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese. Do not use low fat cream cheese or cream cheese spread that’s sold in a tub.
- Room Temperature Batter: Make sure all of the cheesecake batter ingredients are at room temperature so the batter remains smooth and combines quickly. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky over-beaten cheesecake batter, hardly the way we want to start!
I love serving key lime cheesecake with homemade whipped cream, lime slices, and fresh berries. Though I guarantee that no one would turn down a plain slice either. Ha!
How to Freeze Key Lime Cheesecake
- Cool the cheesecake on the counter before freezing. No need to chill it in the refrigerator
- Freeze on springform pan: Remove the outer rim from the springform pan. Wrap the cheesecake with the bottom of the pan with a few layers of plastic wrap, then a final layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze without springform pan: After the cheesecake has completely cooled, run a sharp knife underneath the crust to release it from the bottom of the pan. Carefully slide it onto a parchment paper lined piece of cardboard or use a plate. Wrap it all in a few layers of plastic wrap, then a final layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Do not freeze cheesecake with any toppings. Add toppings when serving cheesecake.
Key Lime Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours, 45 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: serves 16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Key lime pie meets cheesecake in this refreshing and simple cheesecake recipe! For the best results, use either water bath method described in the recipe and notes below.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
Cheesecake
- four 8-ounce bricks (32 oz/904g) full-fat PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) key lime juice*
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons key lime zest*
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Optional Toppings
- homemade whipped cream
- fresh berries
- key lime or regular lime slices
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the center position, with a lower oven rack in place for the water bath described in step 5, and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: If your graham crackers aren’t crumbs yet, use a food processor to pulse them into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter until combined. Mixture will be sandy. Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. No need to grease the pan first. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust down tightly. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow crust to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the lime juice, sour cream, vanilla extract, and lime zest then beat on medium-high speed until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the final egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking as it cools, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can.
- Pour cheesecake batter into warm crust. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth it into an even layer.
- Prepare the simple water bath (see recipe note for traditional water bath method): Boil a kettle or pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place a large metal baking or roasting pan (I usually use a 9×13-inch baking pan—do not use glass) on the bottom rack of the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into pan, about 1 inch deep. Immediately place the cheesecake on the center rack. Close oven to trap the steam inside. This unique water bath adds steam to the oven without having the cheesecake sit inside the water itself, which is the traditional water bath method explained in the recipe Notes.
- (Note: if you notice the cheesecake browning too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil halfway through baking.) Bake cheesecake for 55–70 minutes or until the center is almost set. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently tap the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven as it cools down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, then cool cheesecake completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Add optional toppings if desired. I used a piping tip for the pictured whipped cream. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice.
- Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This cheesecake can be made the day before. It has to chill for quite some time before serving. See step 6. Another way to make this cheesecake ahead of time is to freeze it. Cheesecake can be frozen up to 3 months. See instructions in blog post above.
- Key Limes: If you don’t have access to key limes, use the same amount of regular lime juice and lime zest instead. You can usually find bottled key lime juice next to the regular lime juice in most grocery stores.
- Traditional Water Bath: Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. As the water is heating up, wrap aluminum foil around the springform pan—you can do this before or after you pour in the cheesecake batter. Place the wrapped pan inside of a large roasting pan. Carefully pour the hot water inside of the pan and place in the oven. (Or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.) Bake as directed. When cooling the cheesecake in the oven in step 6, leave it sitting inside the water bath. Remove it from the water bath when letting it cool at room temperature.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly, so you won’t risk over-mixing. Also, beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake batter, hardly the way you want to begin!
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs instead (about 13–14 biscuits), the same amount of butter, and add a bit more sugar (about 1/3 cup, or 67g). You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.
Keywords: cheesecake, key lime pie, lime
Great tasting recipe. I added a bit more Key lime juice for a stronger flavor. I have made a nut based crust for all of my other cheesecakes. Toast a 1/4 cup almonds and about 3/4 cup pecans, grind in a food processor and use like graham crackers or cookies. You can also add cinnamon depending on the cheesecake.
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How do you keep the cheesecake from taking on the metallic taste of the pan? I think you had an answer to this in the past but I can’t find it.
Thanks!
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Hi Connie, that can happen when using metal pans but it’s only really been an issue when making lemon curd or lemon bars. And for those I recommend avoiding metal and using glass or ceramic. I haven’t experienced it when making a lemon or lime cheesecake. Are you experiencing that with this recipe?
you think just the juice would make that big of a difference? I saw lots of passionfruit cheesecake recipes online but I prefer to use yours when I can! It seemed like a simple sub.
It is strange, but we can’t imagine what else the issue could be if you followed the instructions carefully!
Hi sally! I’m hoping you can help me figure out where I went wrong. I followed your recipe exactly except I subbed fresh passion fruit juice for the key lime juice. I did a traditional water bath with a roasting pan/foil wrapped springform. My full fat blocks of cream cheese and sour cream was room temperature and while I did mix the cream cheese/sugar a bit extra by accident I was very careful after that and only mixed until just incorporated. My oven is a little wonky and it’s tough to get it to stay right at 350, but it was right around 340. At 50 minutes it was pretty puffy and starting to brown on top, but the entire thing was jiggly. I tented foil over it and let it go for 15 mins more and bumped the temp to about 355. Still fully jiggly. Fast forward another hour? Plus? It’s fallen down, still fully jiggly, and looks like it might be curdled 🙁 I’ve turned off the oven and opened the door. I’m praying for a refrigerator miracle overnight! Any thoughts?? Thank you!!!
Hi Laura! We’ve never tested this recipe with passion fruit juice so that may be what went wrong – perhaps something in the juice is keeping the filling from setting. So sorry it didn’t turn out for you!
I had high expectations for this based on the reviews, but it tasted bland to me. One-half cup of key lime juice for two pounds of cream cheese just isn’t enough. It needed more sugar too. I’m grateful to the poster of this recipe for the tips on the water bath and how to cool a cheesecake so it doesn’t crack.
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I’m excited to try this recipe! I’m wanting to make it for a pie auction though. So, I’m wondering if you can bake this in a pie pan vs springform pan since I won’t be getting the pan back. Or does this have enough stability to slide off of the bottom of the springform pan?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Kaylani! A springform pan really is best here. There will be a bit too much filling for a pie pan and it will be very messy to slice. You could try very carefully shifting the finished cheesecake from the bottom of the springform pan to another surface (use a few spatulas and go very slowly). Let us know how it goes!
It was perfect! I will be making this again. Thank you.
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Hello! I tried to make this cheesecake and it did not turn out. I baked it for 70 minutes and it never got to a point at which only the center jiggled – the whole thing jiggled. It got so brown on top and when I tried to tent it the cheesecake stuck to the foil so I was unable to tent it and it got super dark brown and the texture of the cheesecake was kind of crumbly and not smooth. I would say that I overbaked it but it never seemed to quite set, even around the edges. I did the water bath as directed. What did I do wrong?
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Hi Nicole, it does sound over-baked, but it’s odd that it never set. If you try the recipe again, bake it on the center oven rack (or lower third) and lower the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C). The bake time will be longer since the oven isn’t as hot, but it should prevent it from browning on top too much.
can you use the recipe and make mini cheesecakes
Hi Mary! You can use this recipe, but follow the assembly, baking, and cooling instructions for mini cheesecakes.
I’ve made this cheesecake multiple times and it is one of my absolute favorite desserts and one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had.
I would like to make an orange cheesecake and cannot find a recipe with orange zest and juice. Do you think I could substitute the lime juice and zest with orange juice and zest to make an orange cheesecake?
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I can’t see why not! Let us know if you give it a try, Jame.
In the oven baking now for my daughter’s birthday. She loves key lime and cheesecake so I can’t go wrong with this recipe.
haven’t tried this yet – but will. cheesecakes are something that can be made KETO with a few changes – mainly the crust – but my next question would be if you have a suggestion for making this in an instant pot? other cheesecakes doing that seem to work well because the instant pot adds the ‘steam’ or moisture that a water bath does. I haven’t done one yet, but my DIL did a year or so ago and it was good – but it wasn’t a key lime one.
Hi SS! We haven’t tested baking our cheesecake recipes in an instant pot but let us know if you do!
Hey Sally! I’ve made the key lime cheesecake about 6 times. It’s a pretty constant hit with any crowd. I just purchased an oven that has convection steam. Have you done a cheesecake in this type of oven? Do I just forgo the water bath for steam? Any special instructions? Thanks for your help.
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Hi Matt! All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings, so we haven’t tested a cheesecake in a convection steam oven. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake. Hope this helps!
Living in Canada, Key lime juice or key limes is not available to us. Would regular limes still be ok to use? Was considering a 1/4 cup of lime juice and a 1/4 cup of lemon juice. What substitution would you recommend?
Hi Lana, If you don’t have access to key limes, use the same amount of regular lime juice and lime zest instead. You can usually find bottled key lime juice next to the regular lime juice in most grocery stores.
How would baking instructions and time change if I make several mini cheesecakes using 4-inch mini springform pans? Would you still bake at the same temp and with a water bath? Still prebake the mini crusts?
Hi Nicole, You can use this recipe, but follow the assembly, baking, and cooling instructions for mini cheesecakes.
Hi,i will try to make cheesecake for the first time.And i will used your recipe,seems easy enough.My question is how to take the cheesecake out of the pan or plate of the spring form pan?Thank’s.
Hi Liza! A springform pan will make it very easy to remove the cheesecake. Simply remove the outer ring of the springform pan once the cheesecake is baked and cooled, and then serve on top of the bottom plate (you can put that right on a serving plate or platter if you’d like). Hope you enjoy this recipe!
HI I am excited to try making this recipe. I have a 6in cheesecake pan that I am planning to use instead of a 9in-spring form pan, how long should my cheesecake be in the oven for? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, we’re unsure of the exact bake time for a 6 inch cheesecake. You’ll want to halve the recipe too, as a full recipe will be too much for the smaller pan. Enjoy!
Hi Sally!!
I have made this cheesecake once before for Father’s Day, and it was the perfect, light summer treat!! I am going to be making it again, but was curious if you had a recipe/cooking time conversions if I wanted to make two 6″ cheesecakes opposed to the one 9″ as directed? Thanks!!
Hi Katie, we’re so glad this cheesecake was a hit for Father’s Day! We’re unsure of the exact bake time for 6 inch cheesecakes. Same oven temperature.
Hi. I don’t have a roasting pan. Do you have an alternative for the water bath?
Hi Lizette, You can use any metal oven safe pan to create a humid environment inside your oven.
I recently made your Lemon Blueberry Tart with shortbread crust and the crust was a huge success. I was wondering if I could swap out the graham cracker crust in this key lime cheesecake recipe for the shortbread crust? My family loved the shortbread crust and they love key lime pie so I was hoping I could marry the two for a new family favorite!
Hi Caitlin! What an interesting idea, we haven’t tested those two recipes together, but please let us know if you do. Another way to bring those two flavors together would be to use key lime or lime instead of lemon in the Lemon Blueberry Tart recipe. Let us know what you try!
The short bread crust and key lime cheese cake marriage is so good it’s almost illegal. The cheesecake didn’t even last a few days. I definitely recommend trying it if you aren’t fond of the Graham cracker crust.
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So happy to read this, Caitlin! We’re thrilled it turned out.
I have used this crust /cake combo twice and it’s been rave reviews both times. EXCELLENT!
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My cheesecake came out beautiful, but I felt it was a bit too tart?? I used Nellie’s Key Lime Juice, so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it. Followed the directions and this was the best looking cheesecake I have ever made. I just need to balance it out with something sweet like whipped cream.
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This recipe was a huge success. Best cheesecake ever. Consistency perfect. Mix of the tart from the lime and the sweet from the crust just right. Greetings from the Caribbean!
I made this cheesecake and took it in to work for Cinco de Mayo today. It was gone by 9 AM! I’ll definitely make this again and again. Thank you!
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Can I use 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch in this recipe? I’ve always put cornstarch in my cheesecakes, but this recipe has a half cup of lime juice vs. the 2 tsp. I usually use.
Can you make this cheesecake without the graham cracker crust? I have an old cheesecake recipe that does not have a graham cracker crust and it comes out perfect? I would like to make this for Easter?
Thank you
Hi Gail, We’ve never used this recipe for a crustless cheesecake but you can certainly try it. Obviously the pre-bake is not necessary. The total cheesecake bake time should be the same though. Keep the cooling and chilling process the same as well.
I love your recipes and this one didn’t disappoint! I used lemons instead of key limes and it has turned out perfect. The only issue I encountered is the cheesecake sticking a little around the top edge where the graham crackers/ digestive biscuit crust (I live in the UK so had to compromise) didn’t go all the way to the top. Will add more crust next time and see if that solves it. Thanks for all of your fab recipes!
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I used Philadelphia cream cheese tubs from Lidl (great prices!) and it turned out really well
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Planning to make this recipe this week, wondering if anyone has tried making this in the instant pot….
Hi! I can’t find limes nor key lime in my oocal grocery store, but I have the bottled key lime juice. Can I omit the zest? Does it make a big difference if I do?
Hi Lizette! The bottled key lime juice will be perfect with this cheesecake – we would use fresh regular lime zest along with your key lime juice. Enjoy!
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Perhaps it is the fault of my key limes and not the recipe, but it tasted like the filling could do with a tad bit more sugar. I would up it by about a 1/4 of a cup if I made it again. Other than that, the cheesecake baked beautifully and did not crack. It held its shape well but still had a creaminess to it. I opted to top it with a layer of key lime curd to give it even more of a lime kick and really thought it worked well with the cheesecake.
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I needed to add more sugar as well!
Hi Sally, my whole family like your non-baking cheesecake! Can you make it non-baking key lime cheesecake? Thank you very much!
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Hi Helen, For a no bake lime cheesecake follow the recipe notes for lemon flavor in the No Bake Cheesecake post but use lime instead of lemon.