Best No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Freeze Time: 6

Total Time: 6 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 517kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Easy homemade ice cream that tastes exactly like the perfect slice creamy, sweet, and tart key lime pie--without an ice cream maker!

Print Recipe

Equipment

2 mixing bowls
1 oven-safe and freezer-safe container like a loaf pan
1 cutting board
1 knife
1 microplane or zester
1 citrus juicer optional
1 stand mixer or hand mixer or food processor
1 ice cream scooper

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs or eight graham crackers
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
12 key limes
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If using whole graham crackers, crush them into fine crumbs and combine with melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger until uniform.
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Spread the graham cracker mixture into oven-safe dish and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
While the crust bakes, zest seven of the key limes then cut and juice all of the key limes. Mix the lime zest and juice with sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt until uniform and set aside.
12 key limes, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Using stand mixer with whisk attachment fitted or hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff, fluffy peaks form. Fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream until uniform and smooth.
2 cups heavy cream
Break up the cooled graham cracker crust and remove half of it from the dish. Spread out the remaining crust to cover most of the bottom of the dish then pour in the ice cream mixture and top it with the remaining graham cracker crust, gently pressing the crust crumbs into the ice cream mixture.
Place ice cream in the freezer for eight hours or overnight. After four hours, the ice cream will be soft-serve consistency and after six hours the ice cream will be firm enough to scoop but eight hours is fully frozen.

Notes

Preparation

You can make the graham cracker crust up to three days ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Modifications

Graham Crackers or pre-made crumbs can work here depending on what's available to you and your preference. A pre-baked graham cracker crust can also work but you won't be able to add the spices with this option. They all work the same once you crush the graham crackers.

Use plant-based sweetened condensed milk, cream--like coconut cream--and butter, as well as dairy-free and eggless graham crackers to make this vegetarian recipe vegan.

Storage

This ice cream can last in the freezer for up to six months, but the texture may become more icy after around one month.

Nutrition