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cheesecake with lime slices and whipped cream
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4.80 from 20 votes

Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe

Your favorite key lime pie...in cheesecake form! Rich and creamy and filled with key lime flavor, this cheesecake will become a fast favorite!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Resting time8 hours
Total Time9 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Dorothy Kern
Cost: $10

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 2 cups (198g) graham cracker crumbs from about 12 whole graham crackers
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • Pinch of salt
  • 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake:

  • 2 8 ounce packages (453g) cream cheese room temperature
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (241g) sour cream room temperature
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (16g) flour
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) key lime juice fresh or bottled if you can’t get key limes
  • Zest of two key limes or regular limes if you can’t find key limes
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream for garnish
  • Lime curd for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Wrap the bottom of a 9” or 9 1/2” springform pan in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. You will be baking your cheesecake in a water bath and you want to make sure no water gets into the pan from the seam at the bottom.
  • Make the crust: If you’re using whole graham crackers, finely crush them in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.
  • Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork.
  • Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides (about 1”) of your pan. Press hard to compact. Chill until ready to fill.
  • Place a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
  • Make the cheesecake: Beat cream cheese with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Beat in sugar and sour cream until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix in flour, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl during mixing to get any clumps of cream cheese stuck to the sides or bottom. Pour into crust.
  • Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Place pan in the center of your preheated oven. Pour the boiling water carefully in one corner of the pan, until it reaches about a third to halfway up the cheesecake.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven and let it sit for one hour. Remove from oven and let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • When ready to serve, carefully remove ring of the springform pan. Top with whipped cream. Serve with lime curd, if desired. (If your cheesecake happens to crack, frosting it with lime curd will cover any blemishes!)

Video

Notes

  • All ingredients MUST BE room temperature to avoid lumps.
  • Do not skip the water bath step.
  • Do not skip the cooling and chilling steps.
  • Serve with lemon curd and whipped cream.
  • Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 81mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg