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slice of key lime cheesecake with a key lime next to it on a small plate

Key Lime Cheesecake

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5 from 3 reviews

The perfect combination of tangy and sweet this key lime cheesecake is a spin-off of a key lime pie. This cheesecake starts with a gorgeous graham cracker crust, filled with a thick, creamy, tangy key lime cheesecake filling, then finished with fresh whipped cream and key lime zest! This cheesecake will be a new family favorite!

  • Total Time: 7 Hours 40 Minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust 

  • 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

Cheesecake

  • 16oz Cream Cheese, very soft at room temp.
  • 150 grams (3/4 cup) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 oz (2Tablespoons) Heavy Cream
  • 2 oz (4 Tablespoons) Sour Cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Key Lime Zest
  • 2 oz (4 Tablespoons) Fresh KeyLime Juice
  • 3 Large Eggs, at room temp.
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk, at room temp.

Topping 

  • 1 cup Whipped Cream Homemade or Store-bought
  • Zest of 1 Key Lime

Instructions

Crust 

  1. Grease a 6-inch springform pan set aside. Preheat oven to 325F/162C. In a food processor, crush the graham crackers till they become a fine crumbs. In a large bowl add the graham crackers and brown sugar mixing to combine then add the melted butter and press into the bottom and slightly up upsides of the prepared pan. Place in the oven to bake for 5 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Let cool while you make the filling. 

Cheesecake

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat cream cheese for 2 minutes on medium to high speed. Add granulated sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest mixing until fully combined. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until just combined, do not over mix. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.
  2. Pour into prepared pan. Create a water bath by placing the 6-inch pan in a 9-inch cake pan- place the cake pan in the roasting pan (and fill the roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don’t have to wrap everything with foil.
  3. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit, if you use an internal thermometer the internal temperature should be 145F/63C. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of the roasting pan and let cool on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour. Finally, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. 

Topping

  1. Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and use an offset spatula to gently loosen the crust from the side of the pan, then release the springform pan. 
  2.  Top with fresh whipped cream, I used my homemade recipe and piped with a Wilton 1M tip. Use a zester to sprinkle more lime zest on top. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Notes

*You can double the recipe for a 9-inch cheesecake, just add on 30 ish more minutes baking time, you want the cheesecake to still jiggle in the center but be set on the edge*

  • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
  • Prep Time: 25 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 75 Minutes
  • Category: Desert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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