Description
This No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream is a dream! All the flavors of key lime pie in ice cream form, all made without any fancy ice cream equipment. The method is quick and easy but the flavor is incredible. Tangy, creamy, refreshing, and sweet. All the things you know and love about key lime pie!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (See NOTE)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 (15-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- Zest of 3 limes (roughly 2 tablespoons)
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (this was 4 juicy limes for me)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Optional garnishes: additional lime zest and graham crackers
Instructions
- Place the graham cracker crumbs in a bowl.
- Melt the butter and then stir into the graham cracker crumbs. Stir well to combine and then set aside to cool while you prep the other ingredients.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla, and salt. Mix until creamy and well combined – the lime juice may look separated at first. Keep mixing! It will all smooth out.
- Stir in roughly half of the whipped cream, gently folding it in so as not to deflate the cream.
- Stir in the remaining whipped cream and stir until everything is just combined.
- Fold in the graham cracker crumbs. I try not to overmix them in so that there are swirls of crumbs throughout the ice cream.
- Spread the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch baking dish, smooth out the top, and cover with plastic wrap.
- Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours – longer is better.
- To serve, allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly. Scoop into bowls or cones and garnish with a sprinkling of lime zest and graham cracker crumbs (optional step!).
Notes
- You can buy graham cracker crumbs or easily make them yourself by placing whole graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulsing them until fine crumbs form. For 1 cup of crumbs, it’s usually 5 or 6 whole crackers.
- This recipe can be made with either regular lime juice/zest or key lime juice/zest. I’ve made it both ways – they are equally delicious. I do think working with regular limes is easier because they are larger and have more zest/juice per lime. If using key limes, I recommend going by the measured quantities in the recipe (2 tablespoons of zest and ¾ cup of juice) – the actual amount of key limes this requires will be more than what is listed in the recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (inactive freezing time)
- Category: ice cream