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5 from 12 votes

No Bake Key Lime Pie With Pretzel Crust

This creamy and zesty Key Lime Pie bursts with fresh citrus flavor with a crushed and buttery pretzel crust. This refrigerated dessert is perfect for summertime celebrations and holidays!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chill in the Refrigerator3 hours
Total Time3 hours 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 500kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust ** See Notes for Graham Cracker Crust to make this completely no-bake.

  • cups Pretzels crushes
  • 13 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • ¼ cup Brown sugar packed

Key Lime Filling

  • 8 ounces Cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup Whipping cream
  • 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk 14 ounce can
  • ½ cup Key Lime Juice
  • Zest from 2 limes

Topping

  • 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
  • Lime zest optional

Instructions

Pretzel Crust ** No bake Graham Cracker crust directions in Notes

    Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease pie dish.

    • Crush pretzels until fine in a food processor or by hand using a sealed zip-lock bag and rolling pin or mallet.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, melt butter in microwave. Use low heat so the butter doesn't splatter.
    • Fold pretzels and brown sugar into the melted butter.
    • Transfer to pie dish. Press using a measuring cup or glass pushing the base of the crust to follow up the side of the pie dish.
    • Bake 10 minutes. Cool before filling.

    Key Lime Filling

    • Whip cream to stiff peaks and set aside.
    • In another bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest and mix well.
    • Fold in the whipped cream.
    • Pour into the chilled crust and set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

    Topping

    • Whip the cream and powdered sugar together until medium stiff peaks form. You can decorate the top by using a piping bag and star tip or just spread the topping across the top with a spatula. Sprinkle fresh lime zest on top.
    • Serve and watch the delighted faces.

    Notes

    VARIATIONS:
    • You can make a Graham cracker crust instead of using pretzels if you wish. For added convenience, you could even use store-bought graham cracker crust! 
    • If you can’t find key limes, use regular limes instead. 
    • If you don’t have lime juice or lime zest then you can use lemon juice or lemon zest instead. Obviously, if you use lemon juice and zest then this dessert is going to be more like a no-bake lemon pie instead of a key lime pie. 
    • Make mini key lime pies instead of one large pie by using mini pie dishes, or foil pie liners. This is a cute idea for parties or when wanting to store individual portions for later enjoyment. 
    • The pretzel crust can easily be used for other no-bake pie desserts. 
    • Use gluten-free pretzels for a gluten-free dessert.
    TIPS:
    • If you have other foods in the refrigerator that give off strong odors (such as garlic), I suggest wrapping the key lime pie with plastic wrap to prevent the pie filling from absorbing any of those odors. The same applies to leftovers stored in the fridge. 
    • The lime juice adds a subtle flavor and provides the right amount of acidity to help the key lime pie filling hold shape and not turn runny. For intensified flavor, add in extra lime juice and lime zest, tasting as you do so. 
    • This key lime pie is totally addictive whether served chilled or slightly frozen. If you do freeze your key lime pie, allow it to thaw for 10-15 minutes before adding the topping and fresh decoration. 
    • Since the cream cheese filling is not baked, it’s really important to refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight so that the soft filling holds shape better. 
    • Using a food processor will help you achieve fine pretzel crumbs which really helps with the crust holding shape.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1309IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 1mg