Amazing Key Lime Cheesecake
A delicious and simple ultra-creamy key lime cheesecake recipe that is certain to wow anyone who has a slice! Plus, read below for a life-changing tip on baking a no-crack cheesecake without a water bath.
Make this. Make this key lime cheesecake soon.
Today, if possible. But I suppose tomorrow will do as well.
As a lover of cheesecake in all it’s flavors and forms, this key lime cheesecake has completely stolen my heart.
It’s downright incredible.
Light and creamy and perfectly tangy, it solidifies the fact that while chocolate is my soulmate and first dessert of choice, there are a handful of non-chocolate desserts (this cheesecake and another creamy lime pie, in particular), that are so delicious, little ol’ dark chocolate should maybe start to look over its shoulder a bit more often.
On a sidenote, if you’ve ever been frustrated by making a cheesecake only to have it crack in the oven, you aren’t alone.
It’s widely known that the following two tips can help quite a bit with the cracking issue:
1) don’t overmix the batter especially after the eggs have been added (incorporating lots of air contributes to lots of cracks and we can’t be having that) and
2) use a water bath.
Except, I personally hate baking cheesecakes in water baths.
I’ve had way too many soggy, wet crusts thanks to putting my precious cheesecake in a water bath and having the water leak through the 40 layers of meticulously crimped foil.
How that happens, I don’t know, but it annoys me to no end, so I gave up on water baths a long time ago, and decided to live with a few cracks here and there, especially since many cheesecakes I love have toppings to cover any imperfections.
I know there are some clever methods online to combat water bath issues, but since I’ve declared myself anti-water bath and am too stubborn to change my mind, today, I have an even better way.
All credit goes to my friend, Mel, who sent me this recipe.
Her method is probably the most revolutionary thing to happen to cheesecakes this decade.
And it’s so simple, you don’t have to worry about lining pans with foil, making sure you have a pan big enough to set the cheesecake in, worrying about water infiltrating your masterpiece, etc.
I’ve used this more-steam-than-water-bath technique a couple times now and sure enough, no cracking. No cracking whatsoever. I’m sold.
So get to it! Make this luscious key lime cheesecake and delight in absolute cheesecake perfection – both looks and taste.
P.S. This is the 9-inch springform pan I have and love (bought it on Amazon in 2008 and it’s still going strong, many cheesecakes later).
One Year Ago: Grilled Asian Chicken with Peanut Noodles and Cucumber Sambal
Two Years Ago: Buttermilk Biscuits
Three Years Ago: Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies
Key Lime Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 14 rectangle graham crackers, crushed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, melted
Filling:
- 3 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Zest from 1 lime, about 1-2 teaspoons
- ½ cup key lime juice OR 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 large eggs
Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (29 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Limes or additional lime zest for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Position the oven racks so one is just above the middle position and the other is in the bottom third of the oven. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly coated in sandy in texture. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1/2-inch or so up the sides of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), whip the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch and lime zest together until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the lime juice (or lemon + lime juice) and mix until combined. Add the eggs and mix until just combined (over mixing can cause the cheesecake to crack while baking thanks to all the extra air beat into the filling).
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust and spread evenly. Place a metal 9X13-inch or similar-sized pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in 2-3 cups of boiling water. Immediately place the cheesecake on the upper rack and bake for 50-65 minutes until the cheesecake is set around the edges. A slight jiggle in the center of the cheesecake is fine.
- Turn the oven off and prop the oven door open about 4 inches. Keep the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.
- When ready to serve, whip together the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy. Either spread the whipped cream evenly over the cheesecake or pipe it around the edges with a large star piping tip or just dollop a spoonful on each individual piece. Garnish with lime slices or lime zest, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my friend Mel B. who always sends me the most amazing recipes
255 Comments on “Amazing Key Lime Cheesecake”
Delicious! I have made this for my husband’s birthday for a few years now. It is his absolute favorite desert! It turns out great every time with no modifications. Thank you for sharing.
Any tips for replacing cream cheese with yogurt or a softer cheese?
I haven’t tried that, sorry!
The best cheesecake ever
Just enough tang and sweetness for a delicious dessert
I’ve made this recipe 6 times now over the last two years and it’s perfect every time. Thank you.
Great recipe ! I was looking to make a key lime cheesecake for my dads birthday and this worked out perfectly. I had a few modifications:
I added zest from 3 small limes ( we like intense lime flavor) The texture and creaminess of the cheesecake was not compromised.
I also used 2 store bought graham cracker crusts and the recipe was able to split between the two quite well. They also baked in 65 min so timing didn’t change for two smaller pies.
I appreciate the idea of using a pan with water in the oven instead of a Bain Marie which wouldn’t work for two pies.
I had zero cracks and very creamy moist cheesecake!
This was the tastiest cheesecake I’ve ever made, and will make many many more times.
I have never made a cheesecake but a friend asked for a key lime cheesecake for her birthday. This being Labor Day weekend decided to try this recipe ahead of time and sent it to a party my daughter had yesterday. I followed your instructions completely except did not include zest – I was concerned about the texture. For the key lime juice I bought it off of Amazon. The cheesecake was beautiful – no cracks. In tasting it, my husband and I both thought the key lime taste was weak – helped a bit when we squeezed a little if the lime over our piece. My daughter said mixed reviews. Her and a friend both really liked it but others thought it needed way more key lime flavor. So my question is – have you ever tried any of the Amazon key lime juices and if yes – which do you prefer or am I better off with your alternative if key limes snd lemon? I do want to make this again and am so happy I was able to make a cheesecake
Hi Brenda, I think using fresh juice is key. I haven’t tried using bottled lime juice in this recipe.
An update to my review. Made this again but this time used the alternate if fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh squeezed limes. OMG what a difference!! The friend that asked for it totally loved it as did her co-workers. I managed to snag a small piece to sample – great key lime flavor!! This has just become one of my favorites. Save your money snd do t bother with the bottled key lime juice on Amazon. It just doesn’t have the potency.
I made this exactly like the recipe (using the lime and lemon juice option). And it turned out perfect. This cheesecake was easy and super delicious. Everyone loved it.