No Bake Key Lime Pie Dessert

Consistently, one of the most popular recipes on my website is my Prize Winning Key Lime Pie Recipe. Since my family loves the flavors of lime desserts, I decided to make a quick No Bake Key Lime Pie Dessert for when you just don't feel like baking.

If you need a dessert in a hurry, this is an easy lime dessert recipe that's refreshing, easy to make and easy to serve.

I won a contest with the Florida Keys for my Key Lime Pie recipe, however sometimes you just don't have the time for a baked dessert or the chilling time required. Problem solved! These Key Lime Pie Shooters are quick to make and always a hit!

You can customize these and make them your own.

I like putting the graham cracker mixture on the bottom and just a sprinkle on top for texture and the look. Feel free to layer it if you enjoy the "crust" part of pies. If my daughter had her way, the dessert would be half crumbs and half filling, lol! To each their own. There is no wrong way to do this.

Ingredients needed are graham crackers, butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice (Nellie and Joe's is great when you don't have key limes), sour cream, lime zest (optional) & whipped cream (optional).

Variations

• Traditional Key Lime Pie has whipped cream or meringue on top. I didn't top these with whipped cream this time, but it's totally something you can do. 
• You can make fresh whipped cream in under a minute (heavy cream, powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla) and add a dollop to each or put your cream in a piping bag and give each one a little decorative "flower".
• Garnish with a little lime zest and or a lime triangle.
• Give this No Bake Key Lime Pie Dessert more island flavor by topping with some toasted coconut.
• Swap the key lime juice for lemon or fresh regular lime.
• Swap graham crackers for Biscoff.
• Serve in small bowls, 4 oz mason jars, disposable shooter cups, wine glasses or make one large parfait.
• Make more than one layer of graham crackers and filling.

This easy key lime dessert is perfect for a party dessert, or just for you and your family. These would be super cute for a bridal or baby shower too!

I use Nellie and Joes Key Lime Juice when I make both these No-Cook Key Lime Pie Dessert and traditional Key Lime Pie (since I hardly ever come across fresh key limes). It's perfect! You can find it on Amazon.

Make Ahead

Make the crumbs and the key lime pie filling the day before and assemble the day of. Store crumbs in a mason jar or baggie until ready to use and store key lime pie mixture in a container or piping bag.

Tip

• You can spoon the filling into your preferred cups or you can pipe it in. I find using a piping bag or a large Ziplock bag with one end snipped off is the cleanest, quickest way.

If you are curious about the cooking competition I was in, read a little bit about it here.  If you want to give my Prize Winning Key Lime Pie a try, it is in the same post. It has hundreds of great reviews!

Enjoy this easy Key Lime Dessert!! XO Colleen

Recipe originally posted June, 2018. Updated June, 2025.

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Colleen Kennedy is the author of 3 cookbooks and has appeared on QVC and other shows inspiring home cooks of all levels. She has a popular TikTok channel @ColleensCooking with hundreds of short recipe videos. Colleen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and kids, she started the food blog, Soufflé Bombay in 2009. Read more about her here.

No Bake Key Lime Pie Dessert

Colleen Kennedy

No Bake Key Lime Pie Dessert. 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients (egg free). Easy lime dessert recipe.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 servings

Calories 157 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 graham crackers
• 2 ½ TBS butter melted or room temperature
• 1 TBS brown sugar
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk I like Eagle
• ½ cup plus 1 TBS Key Lime juice I like Nellie and Joes Key Lime Juice, it's just as good as fresh which I rarely can get
• 1 TBS Lime zest
• 1 cup Whipped cream see note
• 2 TBS sour cream

Instructions

 

• Break apart graham crackers and toss them into your food processor.
• Pulse until they become crumbs.
• Add in butter and brown sugar and pulse until combined.
• Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice and half your lime zest, Mix on high for 2 minutes. Add in whipped cream and sour cream and mix until incorporated.
• In your chosen glasses, mason jars, shooter cups or whatever you are using. Spoon in some of the graham cracker crumb mixture. Spoon or pipe in the key lime pie mixture in, top with additional crumbs, zest and a lime triangle.
• See Notes.

Notes

I am a huge advocate of making fresh whipped cream, I mean it literally takes a minute and it is deeeelish! However, for this, use Cool Whip IN the mixture since it's stable. It holds up better and will literally keep well once made in the fridge for days. I use ⅔'s of an 8oz Cool Whip container for this recipe.

If you choose to top these mini desserts with whipped cream, that is where you can use fresh or use up the rest of the cool whip. In my house if it ever enters the house, my husband will gobble it up! It's a childhood thing, lol!

 

As far as calories and servings, this is a loose estimate. It depends on what you serve this in, shooter cups? It will make a few dozen, 4oz or 8oz mason jars? Maybe 8/6. Wine glasses maybe 6. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 16servingsCalories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 116mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 160IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword Key Lime Pie Shooters, Lime desserts, No Bake Key Lime Pie

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