Gluten-Free Key Lime Pie (Best Recipe!)

key lime pie topped with whipped cream and limes.

Meaningful Eats

Gluten-Free Key Lime Pie (Best Recipe!)

8 servings

This gluten-free key lime pie is a family favorite—we often have it for birthdays! It’s perfectly sweet with a bit of zing and a buttery, crisp graham cracker crust.

For the best flavor, I recommend using Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice, which is available at most grocery stores. You can also use the juice of 20 key limes, but I actually prefer the bottled juice.

Adding a tablespoon of gluten-free flour helps create the best graham cracker crust by making it sturdier and less crumbly.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

6 ounces (170g) gluten-free graham crackers
¼ cup (53g) brown sugar
1 tablespoon gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
4 tablespoons (56g) butter melted

Key Lime Filling

4 ounces (113g) cream cheese at room temperature
2 (14-ounce) cans (794g) sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup (180ml) key lime juice
1½ tablespoons lime zest about the zest of 2 regular limes or 4 key limes

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lime zest about the zest of ½ regular lime
8-10 thin lime slices for garnish, optional

Instructions

For the graham cracker crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they turn into crumbs. Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium mixing bowl.
Add the brown sugar and gluten-free flour to the graham cracker crumbs and mix until well-combined. Add the melted butter and stir until fully combined and all of the crumbs are moistened.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling. Leave the oven on.

For the key lime filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice and lime zest, then mix again until fully combined and silky. Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

For the whipped cream topping:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie. Garnish with lime zest and slices, if desired.

Notes

Gluten-Free: A little gluten-free flour added to the crushed gluten-free graham crackers makes for the best crust!

Dairy-Free: Unfortunately this pie cannot be made dairy-free.

Nut-Free: This pie is naturally nut-free.

Key Limes: I love Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice in this recipe. It's available at most grocery stores! You can also use the juice of 20 key limes.

To Make-Ahead: This pie is best the day it's made since the crust will soften the longer it is stored with the filling. You can make the crust 1-2 days ahead. Let the crust cool, then cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

To Store: Wrap the pie with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It will store even better without the whipped cream since the topping can lose texture over time.

To Freeze: It's best to freeze this pie before adding the topping. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then top with fresh whipped cream.

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