Key Lime Pie Cheesecake
In my key lime cheesecake, I take two favorite desserts of Florida key lime pie and a smooth cheesecake. A graham crust infused with lime zest, a layer of smooth cheesecake, then a layer of actual key lime pie, and as the big finish, a thick swirl of toasted meringue. It's rich, tart, and sweet all in one bite.
Why This Key Lime Cheesecake Is So Good
- I live in Florida, so I’ve had my share of key lime pie, and this cheesecake is my way of building on a dessert I already love rather than reinventing it.
- Cheesecakes are my specialty, and I love finding ways to combine them with other favorite desserts. This one turns key lime pie into a full cheesecake layer instead of just flavoring the batter with lime.
- It’s genuinely two desserts baked as one, a full cheesecake layer and a full key lime pie layer, not just lime flavoring stirred into a single batter.
- No water bath needed, since the cheesecake layer bakes for a shorter time under the pie layer and meringue.
- The meringue on top isn’t just decoration. It balances the tartness of the key lime layer and uses up the egg whites left over from the pie layer, so nothing goes to waste.
If you like combining desserts into cheesecake form as much as I do, my Creme Brulee Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake follow the same idea.
Key Ingredient and Notes
- Key limes – you’ll need both zest and fresh juice. Key limes are smaller, more tart, and yield less juice per lime than regular limes, so budget for 7-9 of them for the juice alone.
- Cream cheese – don’t try to make this “lighter” by using anything other than full-fat, original cream cheese, it will change the texture. Take it out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before starting so it’s fully room temperature and beats smooth without lumps.
- Heavy whipping cream – while it’s best to use heavy whipping cream, you can use half and half, but don’t go any lower in fat than that. Half and half is thinner than heavy whipping cream, so use about a tablespoon less if you swap it in.
- Sweetened condensed milk – this recipe uses it in two places, a small amount in the cheesecake layer and most of the can in the key lime pie layer.
- Egg yolks and egg whites – you’ll separate 4 eggs for this recipe. Take them out of the refrigerator ahead of time so they’re room temperature too. The yolks go into the key lime pie layer and the whites become the meringue, so nothing is wasted.
- Cream of tartar – helps stabilize the egg whites so the meringue holds its peaks.
- Gluten-free note – use gluten-free graham crackers for the crust to make this cheesecake gluten free. The rest of the ingredients should already be gluten free, but check labels to be sure.
How to Make Layered Key Lime Cheesecake
- Make the crust – Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla, key lime zest, and brown sugar, then press evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Make the cheesecake layer – Beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the corn starch and sugar, then beat in the egg. Add the sour cream, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream, and beat until smooth. Fold in the lime zest by hand. Spread the batter evenly over the crust.
- Make the key lime pie layer – Beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the key lime juice, then slowly stream in the sweetened condensed milk. Beat for a couple more minutes, scrape the bowl, and pour this layer over the cheesecake batter, spreading it evenly.
- Bake – Bake for 20 minutes. Around the 15-minute mark, start the meringue so it’s ready to go the moment the cheesecake comes out.
- Make the meringue – In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar while continuing to beat, until stiff peaks form.
- Top and finish baking – Working quickly, spread the meringue over the hot cheesecake, sealing it all the way to the edges of the pan so no heat escapes underneath. Bake for another 25 minutes, then turn off the oven, crack the door slightly, and let the cheesecake sit inside for 10 minutes.
- Cool and chill – Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then cover loosely and refrigerate overnight before slicing. Add the meringue browning (if torching separately) or any final touches just before serving, not ahead of time.
How to Store Leftover Cheesecake
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. The meringue is delicate and may weep or shrink slightly with time, which is normal for meringue toppings.
- You can store it right in the springform but make sure to cover it air-tight.
Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe FAQs
Do you have to use key limes for key lime cheesecake?
No. Regular (Persian) limes are a common substitute for key limes and work well in this recipe, though the flavor will be slightly less tart and aromatic than true key limes. Use the same amount of juice called for in the recipe.
Does key lime cheesecake need lime zest?
Based on reader feedback on this recipe, leaving out the zest still works fine, it just results in a much milder lime flavor though.
How do you freeze key lime cheesecake?
Freeze it without the meringue, then add fresh meringue after it’s thawed. Once the cheesecake is fully cooled, run a butter knife around the inside edge of the pan to release it, then freeze it uncovered for about an hour to firm up. Wrap it tightly in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and label it with the date. To thaw, leave it in the refrigerator overnight before topping with fresh meringue.
How far ahead can you make key lime cheesecake?
This hasn’t been tested for adding the meringue a day later, so I can’t say for certain how the key lime layer holds up sitting unbaked overnight before the meringue goes on.
Why does key lime cheesecake only bake for 20 minutes at first?
This recipe isn’t baked in a water bath, since the key lime and meringue layers go on top partway through. The shorter initial bake, followed by the second bake once the meringue is added, is intentional for this layered method.
More Cheesecake Recipes From Me
- New York Cheesecake
- Double Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Cheesecake
- Maple Pecan Mini Cheesecakes
- S’mores Cheesecake
- Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
- Baileys Cheesecake
- Apple Pie Cheesecake
Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Recipe
In my key lime cheesecake, I take two favorite desserts of Florida key lime pie and a smooth cheesecake. A graham crust infused with lime zest, a layer of smooth cheesecake, then a layer of actual key lime pie, and as the big finish, a thick swirl of toasted meringue. It's rich, tart, and sweet all in one bite.
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Servings: 10 (9-in cheesecake)
Calories: 519kcal
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
- Zest from 2 key limes
Cheesecake:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 of 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- Zest from 2 key limes
Key Lime Pie Layer:
- 3/4 of 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks save whites
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice 7-9 key limes
Meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ and grease a 9 inch spring form.
Cheesecake Layer:
- In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract, key lime zest and brown sugar. Mix very well.
- Spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the spring form, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and half way up the sides.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
- Add corn starch and sugar and mix until combined.
- Beat in egg until well incorporated.
- Add sour cream, vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream, beat until all mixed very well.
- Add lime zest and mix with a spatula until incorporated throughout.
- Transfer batter into the spring form and spread it evenly.
- Wash out the bowl from an electric mixer and dry well.
Key Lime Pie Layer:
- Beat egg yolks with a whisk attachment, until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Start pouring in lime juice into egg yolks while they're mixing. Make sure to pour it in slowly.
- Pour in sweetened condensed milk slowly, still beating the egg yolk mixture. After you've added the sweetened condensed milk, beat for a couple more minutes.
- Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and stir gently.
- Pour key lime mixture over the cheesecake batter and spread it evenly.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After about 15 minutes, start preparing the meringue.
Meringue:
- Wash out the bowl of the electric mixer and whisk attachment and dry well.
- Pour egg whites into the bowl and add cream of tartar and vanilla extract.
- Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then very slowly add sugar as you continue beating. Beat until stiff peaks are formed, 1-2 minutes.
- After the cheesecake baked for 20 minutes, quickly top it off with meringue, sealing the edges as to not let the heat escape. Sealing the edges will help the inside cook better.
- Bake for 25 minutes, turn off the oven, open the oven door a little bit and let the cheesecake sit there for 10 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
- Cover the cheesecake loosely with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Before serving, very gently loosen the meringue from the rim of the springform. (Don't worry, it is very fragile, it will crumble a little bit no matter what you do. Just work slowly and gently to minimize it.) Gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it.
Nutrition
Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 1125IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg
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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I thought I had a unique idea in doing this, I googled and there you are. Haha Have you done Eldeberry?
Haha, great minds think alike! I haven’t tried an elderberry cheesecake, but that sounds like such an interesting idea. If you make one, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I tried several times to print the recipe with the picture, but after hitting the print button, the printer signin comes up and won’t allow me to hit the picture button. I had the same problem with the lemon cheesecake recipe.
That’s definitely frustrating, I’m sorry you’re running into that! The issue is usually caused by the print window your browser or printer brings up, it can block the options on the recipe page (like the “with photo” button).
Try this:
• Make sure you select the “print with photo” option before clicking the final print button
• If the print window pops up too quickly, close it and try again
• You can also try using a different browser (Chrome tends to work best)
• Or download/save as PDF first, then print from there
If it’s happening on multiple recipes, it may be a browser or device setting rather than the recipe itself. Let me know what device you’re using and I can help you troubleshoot it.
So the cheesecake is only baked for 45 minutes, or am I missing something? Most cheesecakes take over an hour to bake.
Yes, this cheesecake only bakes for 45 minutes since it’s not in a water bath. I skipped the water bath because of the layers.
Excellent product! I made it for my son’ housewarming party. Have ever froze it? I’m making one for someone who’s traveling.
Hi, you can freeze this cheesecake. You can go to my chocolate pumpkin cheesecake and I go over how to freeze and thaw cheesecake here is the link https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/chocolate-pumpkin-cheesecake/
This came out delicious,, my family raved about it! The lime flavor really came through and the cake was beautifully creamy. I was looking for a recipe similar to a dessert I just had recently at a restaurant in Florida and my husband says this one was even better!
I searched first on Google for a Cheesecake with a Key Lime Pie Layer. My son and grandson both love my cheesecakes and my son loves Key Lime Pie.My son asked me to combine the two desserts into two layers.
So, when I saw your recipe first I knew this would be a success.My grandsons are allergic to eggs; so, I have been using the plant version for eggs:Either Just Eggs or Simply Eggless. I have used them for cookies, cakes and cheesecakes and the results are good. I have to adapt your recipe since the substitutes do not offer the “whipped egg white” capability. However, that will not be a problem. I spent several hours on Google and Pinterest and only your recipe will offer what my son wants and the rest of my family will enjoy. Thank you for being the only one to offer what I was looking for. I like my cheesecakes baked; so I knew I nedded a recipe with the cheesecake layer on the bottom.
You’re most welcome! I’m glad my recipe stood out to you and fulfilled your requirements. Wishing you the best in creating this cheesecake!
This recipe sound amazing!! My Mom, Mother-in-Law and I are big key lime pie lovers! I do not like zest – its a texture thing. If i eliminate it form the recipe, will it affect the taste very much?
It will just have less of a lime flavor but I think it would be fine.
Hello!
This looks fantastic and I’m excited to make it for my upcoming birthday! Do you know if it freezes welll? Thank you!
Hi Bree, You can freeze it but do not put the topping on until you unfreeze it. Here is a link to my New York Cheesecake where I go over how to freeze a cheesecake. https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/new-york-cheesecake/
Hello!
Thank you for sharing! Quick question, my sister doesn’t like meringue, can I make this without it? How long should I bake it? Thanks again for sharing!
Hi Autumn,
I am not sure how the key lime layer will react to being baked directly the whole time without the meringue on top. In theory, I think it would be fine but I can’t say for sure since I have never tried it. I would bake the cheesecake at 325 in a water bath for 70-75 min and then turn off the oven and open the oven door and let it sit for another 10 minutes. You could use whip cream for the top layer once it was done cooking. If you would like to read more on the water bath you can go to my new york cheesecake which I will link below. Hopefully it will turn out the way you like it.
https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/new-york-cheesecake/
Step #7 mentions to add the vanilla extract but in the cheesecake ingredients, I am not seeing how much. I just assumed it was a tsp and carried on my way lol
I also made the crust with Nilla Wafers and it was a HUGE hit! I received many compliments on this cheesecake. It has a delicious balance where the sweetness dosen’t over power the lime and vice versa. I’m definietly making another tonight!
Hi Gabby!
Thank you so much for letting me know! 1-2 tsp is the right amount and I will add it to the recipe right now. So sorry about that!
Nilla wafers is a great substitute for graham crackers in a cheesecake 🙂
I’m SO glad the everyone was happy!
Hi could I make this the day before and just add the meringue the following day?
Looks amazing but I would like to save some time when I have family for dinner
Try the key lime pie at The Fish House in Key Largo. Creamy custard and meringue. The best I’ve ever tasted!!
I will definitely have to try that! Thank you, Judy 🙂
Julie is right about the temptation. This cheesecake, your pictures are simply mouthwatering. You have a talent. Will be making this cake for my next occasion. Thank you.
Awe, that is so nice of you to say! Thank you, Vera!! 🙂
Thank you for fixing this and if no one said it “THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT”. I am actually trying to lose weight. LOL. You are the devil for tempting me. I will volunteer to proof read your recipes for you if you like. However now that I am empty nested I only make something like this for when the garden club meets or we have a potluck at church or some “evil person” ☺ tempts me.
Haha, you are most welcome!
I know what you mean, there are only three of us and we can’t even finish a cheesecake or a cake on our own. I have to send some to work with my husband or share with friends. (Or give them away to my mom who gives me an evil look every time because she always seems to be on a diet 🙂 )
Hi lyuba,
Thank you for fixing some of the errors in the recipe. However if you compare the key lime pie layer ingredients with the instructions specifically line #13 the recipe calls for sugar however there is no quantity of sugar in the ingredient list. Also in the instructions for the key lime pie layer there is no mention of when to add the key lime juice. I am salivating thinking of how this pie will taste , thank you so much for fixing this.
You know, after I finished making this cheesecake, I took a deep breath and told myself “now, just make sure to write up all the instructions for all these layers correctly!” Lol. The key lime part is fixed now, it was supposed to be lime juice instead of sugar. (I should give you some recipes to test as I’m writing my cheesecake cookbook.)
In the directions it doesn’t show when to add the lime juice also #12 in the directions it has you mixing and adding cream of tarter and sugar to the key lime pie mix but it’s not in the ingredients list. #13 says to add vanilla extract should that be the lime juice? And it also says egg whites. Should that be the yolks?
Also it shows the vanilla extract in the ingredient list to be part of the meringue. I would love to make this but it is very confusing.
Hi Julie!
Thank you so much for letting me know, it did sound confusing. It took me a second but I fixed it. Hopefully, it’s better to follow. I think the last time I was rereading the recipe, which was like 10th time, I confused the two steps. I separated them now and fixed the ingredients, and it looks to be much easier to follow. Please let me know if it’s not!
Thank you, I hope you will get a chance to make it 🙂
I don’t see a step to add the lime juice?
Hi Carla, I’m so sorry about that! It’s all fixed now 🙂
Yum!! The cheesecake looks delicious! And as far as going to Key West we haven’t been there either. Our kids took the fast boat from Marco Island, where we were staying, and spent the day touring Key West. I’d love to see it. Now for the pie — I have a story about that — one of these days I’ll tell it. Have a great evening.
Awe, now I want to know the story 🙂
Thank you so much, Marisa!