No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake

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Allow me to present a brilliantly easy dessert. It’s so easy to whip up this no bake key lime cheesecake, it’s practically cheating. But hey, your secret is safe with me.

Let’s get the pretense out of the way right up front. This recipe uses a mix and a ready made pie shell. So it’s what we in the business call a semi homemade recipe. Let me tell you something, girl. Some people complain about recipes using mixes, and I politely ask those people to move along. There are times and places for scratch recipes. I have those, too! Sometimes the ease of a mix is just what the doctor ordered. And this no bake key lime cheesecake pie is my current prescription for happiness.

a beautiful green pie with dollops of white whipped cream piped in stars all the way around the edges.

How to fancy up your no bake key lime cheesecake:

  • Place the pie tin into a pretty ceramic pie dish. It will instantly look a little more put together if you present your dessert in the ceramic pie plate.
  • Add cute dollops of whipped cream all the way around the outer edge of you pie. I use a similar technique on my cake decorating, and nobody ever complains about swirls of frosting or whipped cream. If they do, are you sure you want those people in your life anymore?
  • Sprinkle sanding sugar or some sort of pretty sprinkles on the whipped cream swirls.
  • Present your key lime cheesecake pie with a linen in a complementary color.

They say we first “eat with our eyes” so take those few extra minutes to jazz up your key lime cheesecake, and it will taste even better. Just don’t let anyone see you mix this up, because it comes from very humble beginnings.

whipped cream cheese with the powdered mix as seen overhead in the mixing bowl

Nobody is going to believe that is worth eating , so I’m asking you to trust the process. I use a mix called the Southern Living Key Lime Cheesecake mix. I find it in my grocery store on the baking aisle, but I’m linking to it in case you can’t find it in your local store. The Amazon reviews on this were not very good, which surprises me. Apparently the average person does not understand that when we purchase a mix, we then have to add ingredients to actually complete the recipe.

“This is a complete rip-off. The picture shows a slice of pie, making you think that you are buying the ingredients needed to make it.”

certified amazon genius

Does this person complain that when they buy a box of cake mix they have to add eggs and oil to actually make the darn cake? Some of these people think there is such a thing as powdered cream cheese! I blame the school system for replacing Home Ec with “women’s studies.” Which is neither studious nor particularly helpful to women. But I digress.

“It should be clear that this is not a cheesecake. This box is only flavoring to make a cheesecake. It does not come with cream cheese, a crust, or anything else. Don’t ask me why it was $7 for a flavor packet.”

A mom who is yet another certified amazon genius

In the case of the of the last review, it should be terrifying to you that this person is raising small human beings. She doesn’t understand the intricacies of whipping up a mix at home, and yet she is out there procreating. Very likely a graduate of the women’s studies program at Columbia.

Am I being a little bit snarky? A wee bit sarcastic? Yes. Yes I am. Why? Because if you actually read the very easy to follow instructions, and do as instructed you wind up with a very pretty pie that is absolutely delicious.

And in the mayhem of 2020, I’m on board with a no bake key lime cheesecake I can serve in a ready made pie shell. Plus I love the Southern Living brand.

close up of a slice of key lime cheesecake on a vintage plate
Creamy and dreamy pie

Ingredients for the no bake Key Lime Cheesecake pie

  • One box of Southern Living Gourmet Cheesecake Mix. I used Key Lime for this version.
  • Two packages of cream cheese
  • Whipped topping. I used real whipped cream.
  • Vanilla (optional)
  • Lime zest (optional)
  • Ready Made Pie Shell
  • Light Corn Syrup (optional)
  • Green food coloring (optional)

I added the vanilla and the lime zest and a 1/8 cup of light corn syrup to smooth out the flavor. Key Lime can be on the tangy side, so I thought the corn syrup cut the tang.

  • Pie ingredients ready for mixing in a stand mixer
    Whipped cream ready to be folded in
  • green pie filling on a paddle mixer
    The mixed pie filling

How to mix:

  • Bring cream cheese to room temperature.
  • In a large mixing bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and whip both packages of softened cream cheese until creamy.
  • Add the mix, vanilla, and corn syrup to the whipped cream cheese and combine on medium until well mixed.
  • In another bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
  • Add a drop or two of green food color to the cream cheese mixture and combine until the color is streak free.
  • Add the whipped cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture and paddle on low until folded in and no streaks remain.
  • Spread the cream cheese filling into the pie shell of your choosing and smooth the top as desired.
  • Refrigerate 4 hours but overnight is best.
  • using the offset spatula to smooth the top of the key lime cheesecake
    Use a small offset spatula to smooth the top of your pie
  • key lime cheesecake pie ready to be refrigerated
    My pie is ready for the fridge

Tools and Equipment:

  • Electric mixer. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and large bowl to mix the pie filling. I used my hand mixer to whip the whipping cream in a separate bowl. However, I suppose if you are super fit, maybe you can mix this by hand, but I don’t generally have cross fit trainers making my recipes, so I’m standing by the electric mixer.
  • Small offset Spatula to smooth the pie into a pretty design.
  • Using a ceramic pie plate to dress up the premade pie shell is I recommend. While we might like some short cuts here and there, for heaven’s sake, we aren’t animals.
  • close up view of a slice of no bake key lime cheesecake pie
    Oh the creaminess
  • a bite taken from a creamy piece of key lime cheesecake
    I could not resist!

I hope you are inspired to try out this very yummy and very easy cheesecake. If you follow my instructions, no one will know you used a mix. In summary, I won’t say a word. It will be our little secret.

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Slice of cheesecake on a vintage plate

No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake

  • Author: Patty McGuire
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: no bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Allow me to present a brilliantly easy dessert. In fact, it’s so easy to whip up this no bake key lime cheesecake, it’s practically cheating. But hey, your secret is safe with me.

Ingredients

Scale
  • One box of Southern Living Key Lime Cheesecake mix
  • 2 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese
  • 8 ounces of heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 cup light corn syrup
  • zest of a lime
  • Green food coloring
  • Ready made Pie Shell. I used the Diamond brand Pecan pie shell, but you can use any graham cracker pie shell you like, including something homemade.

Instructions

  1. Bring cream cheese to room temperature.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and whip both packages of softened cream cheese until creamy.
  3. Add the mix, vanilla, and corn syrup to the whipped cream cheese and combine on medium until well mixed.
  4. In another bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
  5. Add a drop or two of green food color to the cream cheese mixture and combine until the color is streak free.
  6. Add the whipped cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture and paddle on low until folded in and no streaks remain.
  7. Spread the cream cheese filling into the pie shell of your choosing and smooth the top as desired.
  8. Refrigerate 4 hours but overnight is best.

Notes

  • Electric mixer. I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and large bowl to mix my pie filling. I used my hand mixer to whip the whipping cream in a separate bowl. I guess if you are super fit, maybe you can mix this by hand, but I don’t generally have cross fit trainers making my recipes, so I’m standing by the electric mixer.
  • Small offset Spatula to smooth the pie into a pretty design.
  • The ceramic pie plate dresses up the premade pie shell so I would definitely recommend dropping your pie into the ceramic plate before serving. We might like some short cuts here and there, but for heaven’s sake, we aren’t animals.
  • A word on the food coloring: I put in a drop of green food dye because the pie as mixed was basically the color of the cream cheese. That didn’t really say Key Lime to me so I added a little color. It’s totally optional, but I’m of the opinion a drop of food coloring is not the worst thing we can do.
A signature that reads with love and cupcake, Patty. My signoff for every blog post. A script font with an illustration of a cupcake is included.
Smiling woman in a sewing room

Hi! I’m Pattymac!

Sewist, Baker, Maker

I’m a creative lifestyle blogger living and working in Coastal Virginia. When I’m not mixing or stitching or taking pictures, I’m out exploring the cook book section of my favorite library or munching my own home baked cookies at a mid week movie matinee.

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