Key Lime Cheesecake is everything you love about the classic tangy flavors of key lime combined with the smooth and luscious elements of cheesecake! This vibrant homemade cheesecake is ideal for serving at all of your summertime soirees.
Easy Key Lime Cheesecake
Nothing says beachy more than the flavor of key lime pie! Even if it’s storming outside, the tangy, sweet, and slightly sour flavor of key lime transports my mind straight to the beach!
If you’re also prone to daydreaming while you eat sweets, you’ll love the flavor of this Key Lime Cheesecake. It’s like taking a little vacation with every slice! Fresh key lime juice lends the most incredible summery flavor to this decadent dessert.
And when I say decadent, I really mean it. There’s nothing quite as scrumptious as a homemade cheesecake, and this recipe is one of the best! It’s my tried and true recipe, just made even more delicious with that timeless tropical flair. Oh, and that cream cheese frosting? Swoon!
Why You’ll Love this Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe:
- Summery: Whether you’re headed to the beach house (or just wish you were), this is the perfect dessert to set the summery tone!
- Real flavor: The fresh key lime juice creates the best flavor for this cheesecake. In a world filled with artificial flavors and syrups, it’s refreshing to taste the real deal here.
- Easy: Don’t let the water bath scare you. If you’re a novice cheesecake baker, fear not! I’ve simplified the steps to make everything nice and easy.
How to Make Key Lime Cheesecake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Mix the ingredients for the crust and press the crumbs into a pan, then bake it and let cool.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar. Then, add the remaining cheesecake ingredients in order until smooth.
- Place the cheesecake in a water bath.
- Bake.
- Let cool in the oven, then let it finish setting.
- Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack to cool completely before transferring it to the fridge to chill.
- Whip up the frosting and decorate your cheesecake!
Key limes are smaller and have a more intense, floral flavor than regular limes. Fortunately, for this cheesecake, you can use either regular limes or key limes.
Cheesecakes require the use of a springform pan. This type of pan allows for even baking, easy release, and less mess. If you don’t have one, you should be able to pick one up at most stores in the aisle with other baking pans.
If you want to keep the cheesecake from cracking, turn the oven off, and let it cool with the door closed for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 3 hours.
Yes! The water bath creates steam in the oven, keeping the cheesecake moist during baking. Cheesecakes can dry out from the heat of the oven and a water bath helps combat this. The water bath also allows the cheesecake to cook slower and more evenly, which prevents cracking.
Cheesecake should come out of the oven with a slightly jiggly center. It will take a few hours to cool and set properly, so don’t worry! If after baking, you press gently in the center of the cheesecake and runny batter comes off on your finger, it needs a bit longer to bake.
If you love key lime pie, then you’ll love this easy cheesecake recipe. It’ll have you feeling positively sublime!
The flavor of fresh key lime juice is deliciously present in every bite of this luscious homemade cheesecake. It’s so much better than any artificial flavoring could ever hope to be!
Make Ahead Instructions
Key lime cheesecake can be made up to 3 days in advance of when you plan to serve it. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover key lime cheesecake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze key lime cheesecake whole or cut into slices tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
- Graham cracker crumbs or golden Oreos can be used in place of vanilla wafers.
- Regular granulated sugar can be used instead of brown sugar.
- Plain or Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream.
- All-purpose flour can be used instead of cornstarch; simply increase the amount used to 2 tablespoons.
- Regular (Persian) lime juice can be used in place of the key lime juice.
Tips for the Best Key Lime Cheesecake
- Use bricks of full-fat cream cheese, not cream cheese in a tub.
- Make sure all of the cheesecake batter ingredients are at room temperature so the batter remains smooth and combines quickly.
- When making the cheesecake, be sure to beat the cream cheese well at the beginning to ensure that it is smooth. If, when the cheesecake batter is complete, you still have lumps, simply press them against the side of the bowl using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Do not overmix the cheesecake batter as it will add air and result in uneven baking and can cause it to crack at the end.
- The center of the cheesecake should jiggle slightly when it is properly baked.
- Be sure to leave the cheesecake in the oven for the hour after baking to rest. This allows the cheesecake to set, thus preventing or at least lowering the chances that the cheesecake top cracks.
- Once the cheesecake is baked, placing it onto a cooling rack allows all of the cheesecake to be exposed to the air to cool more quickly. However, you can place the cheesecake onto a hot pad to cool, it may just take a little longer.
- This cheesecake freezes really well. For ease of serving, I like to slice the entire cheesecake into individual slices and then wrap each slice in plastic wrap really well. This makes for ease of freezing and for quick serving later on.
- If the heavy cream becomes flat and granulated after whipping it, it has broken and will continue disintegrating. If you have reached this point, start over and be sure to watch the heavy cream as it is whipping up.
A sweet, buttery wafer crust serves as the base to this tangy Key Lime Cheesecake. While you don’t necessarily have to top it off with the homemade cream cheese frosting, it’d be a real shame to skip it. The crust, filling, and frosting always make for such a perfect bite!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3½ cups crushed vanilla wafers 298 grams (about 80 wafers)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar 71 grams
- 10 tablespoons salted butter 141 grams, melted (1¼ stick)
For the Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese 681 grams, room temperature (3 bricks)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar 133 grams
- ½ cup heavy cream 114 grams, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream 76 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ⅓ cup fresh key lime juice 76 grams (from about 5 key limes)
- 2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks 28 grams, room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch 11 grams
For the Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- ½ cup powdered sugar 57 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams
- ⅔ cup heavy cream 151 grams, cold
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the crushed vanilla wafers and brown sugar together. Add in the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the crust into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the springform pan. Place the pan into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool slightly while you make the cheesecake batter. Increase the oven heat to 400°F.3½ cups crushed vanilla wafers, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 10 tablespoons salted butter
For the Cheesecake
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on high speed for 2 minutes to ensure that the mixture is creamy and that no cream cheese lumps remain. Add in the heavy cream, sour cream, salt, and vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds to combine. Add in the lime juice and stir to incorporate. Add in the eggs and mix just until incorporated. Lastly, add in the cornstarch and mix until combined. Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan and smooth out.24 ounces cream cheese, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, ⅓ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅓ cup fresh key lime juice, 2 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent any water from seeping in. Place the springform pan into a large baking pan or broiler pan and fill the broiler pan with 1 inch of water to create a water bath.
- Place the pans into the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 250°F. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Crack the oven door and let the cheesecake set in the oven for another 30 minutes.
- Once the cheesecake has set, remove it from the oven, unwrap the aluminum foil, and place the springform pan onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cover with tinfoil and place into the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.
For the Frosting
- To make the frosting for the top, place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip together for 2 minutes. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a different, medium-sized bowl. Add the heavy cream to the bowl of the stand mixer. Whip on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or just until the whipped cream has formed stiff peaks. Use a rubber spatula to fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until smooth and fully combined. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅔ cup heavy cream
- Once the cheesecake has chilled, run a butter knife around the inside edge of the springform pan to release the cheesecake. Release the springform and remove the sides from the cheesecake. Place the cheesecake onto a cake stand or serving platter. Pipe swirls of frosting around the edge of the cheesecake. Garnish with lime zest and lime slices if you so desire.
Notes
- Graham cracker crumbs or golden Oreos can be used in place of vanilla wafers.
- Regular granulated sugar can be used instead of brown sugar.
- Plain or Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream.
- All-purpose flour can be used instead of cornstarch; simply increase the amount used to 2 tablespoons.
- Regular (Persian) lime juice can be used in place of the key lime juice.
- Use bricks of full-fat cream cheese, not cream cheese in a tub.
- Make sure all of the cheesecake batter ingredients are at room temperature so the batter remains smooth and combines quickly.
- When making the cheesecake, be sure to beat the cream cheese well at the beginning to ensure that it is smooth. If, when the cheesecake batter is complete, you still have lumps, simply press them against the side of the bowl using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Do not overmix the cheesecake batter as it will add air and result in uneven baking and can cause it to crack at the end.
- The center of the cheesecake should jiggle slightly when it is properly baked.
- Be sure to leave the cheesecake in the oven for the hour after baking to rest. This allows the cheesecake to set, thus preventing or at least lowering the chances that the cheesecake top cracks.
- Once the cheesecake is baked, placing it onto a cooling rack allows all of the cheesecake to be exposed to the air to cool more quickly. However, you can place the cheesecake onto a hot pad to cool, it may just take a little longer.
- This cheesecake freezes really well. For ease of serving, I like to slice the entire cheesecake into individual slices and then wrap each slice in plastic wrap really well. This makes for ease of freezing and for quick serving later on.
- If the heavy cream becomes flat and granulated after whipping it, it has broken and will continue disintegrating. If you have reached this point, start over and be sure to watch the heavy cream as it is whipping up.
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