This easy no bake key lime pie recipe is a family favorite! All you need is cool whip, sweetened condensed milk, a couple of limes, and a pie crust and you're good to go. It's one of those perfect, no-fail dessert recipes that you'll keep for years to come!

What is Cool Whip Key Lime Pie?
So we've all seen the recipe blog memes about how no one really cares about the story -- But hear me out on this one -- it's fun!
I grew up on Captiva Island at a resort called South Seas Plantation. Thankfully, it's now been renamed South Seas Island Resort.
My Dad was the general manager and my Mom ran the recreation department. It's where they met, where they were married, where my first home was and where I grew up!
Even my Mom's brother, my Uncle Bro, worked there. He was the executive chef of the banquet department. And because of this, he was always coming up with genius ways to feed a ton of people.
When i was just a teeny tiny baby, it was the 15 year anniversary of the resort and my Uncle Bro was tasked to come up with something HUGE to celebrate.
Since the island is basically tropical paradise, he decided to keep it tropical and created a record breaking 15 foot key lime pie!
Since it was bigger than any walk-in they had, the even had to build a special refrigerated room to set the cake.
And since they couldn't build a giant oven to make traditional key lime pie, he came up with a no-bake version that's beyond easy to make!
It was truly a sight to be seen. It's still one of the coolest things that my family has ever done!
So let's get to making it!
Ingredients - what you need
- a pre-made Graham Cracker Pie Crust
- a tub of Cool Whip
- a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- some Fresh Limes (regular, key limes, or bottled key lime juice!)
Key Lime Juice versus regular lime juice
Unless you're in Florida, it's probably pretty tough to find key limes.
But to be honest, it really doesn't matter!
The flavor of the juice is pretty much the same. AndI bet if you did a blind taste testing, you couldn't even tell the difference.
With that being said, you can make this recipe three ways. One with key lime juice, two with regular lime juice, and three with the bottled key lime juice.
Although the bottled key lime juice is pretty good, I still recommend sticking to the real fresh stuff as it just tastes better!
How to make No Bake Key Lime Pie
Making this easy no bake key lime pie is beyond simple!
All you have to do is whisk together lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.
Next, fold in a tub of cool whip.
And although the recipe calls for ½-3/4 cup of key lime juice, I always taste it after I fold in the cool whip.
Why? Because sometimes the limes aren't as sour and you might need to add some more juice to get the flavor right.
So yes, you'll definitely want to taste it and make adjustments before the next step.
After that, it's time to pour the mixture into the crust and evenly spread out the surface.
Decorate the top if you'd like, then stick the pie in the freezer for at least one hour or up to 3 days until you're ready to serve!
How to Decorate it
When it comes to decorating desserts, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very good at it.
That's why I always stick to the simplest methods.
One of my favorite ways is to simply just zest some lime over the top and add a few slices of fresh lime.
If I'm feeling fancy, I'll add decorative dabs of whipped cream and little chunks of lime around the border.
And if I have a bunch of limes leftover, I'll slice them super thin and arrange them in a crescent moon shape along the side.
All of these decorations are super easy and I'm positive you can do them!
How to store it - Fridge or Freezer?
I recommend storing this no bake key lime pie in the freezer.
If you do decide to store it in here, simply cover it tightly with plastic wrap or the plastic lid that comes with the store-bought crust. This way, it will last at least a week! ...Although it'll probably get eaten before then!
You could also stick it in the fridge tightly covered. It'll still be delicious but it will only last 2-3 days
It will have a slightly different texture so it's totally up to you!
What to pair it with
If you're making this for a cookout, try pairing it with this Crack Corn Dip and this Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad.
Or you could make these Instant Pot Ribs and this Smoked Mac and Cheese!
If you want more inspiration for easy desserts , try this vegan flourless chocolate cake, easy strawberry dump cake (perfect quarantine recipe because it’s all pantry staples!), this strawberry tres leches cake or this easy banana foster dutch baby!
Save it for later
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Recipe
Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
- ½-3/4 cup lime juice
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 8 oz tub cool whip
- 1 store-bought graham cracker pie crust
Instructions
- Whisk together lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.
- Fold in a tub of whipped cream and taste. If it needs more tang, add some more lime juice until it tastes perfect.
- Pour the mixture into the pie crust and decorate the top if you’d like.
- Cover and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving.
Stephanie
Yummy. Easy and delicious. My new recipe for a favorite dessert
Kelsey Ogburn
This is my favorite summertime dessert, it’s like a margarita in a pie!