Keto Key Lime Pie
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My keto key lime pie recipe features a buttery crust, creamy key lime filling, and a delicate whip topping. I love how there’s no baking required! 3 grams of net carbs.
When we’re hosting, I’m always on dessert duty. I have a few tried-and-true favorites (hello keto pound cake!), but when I want to impress and make something no one’s expecting, I make this low carb key lime pie.
It isn’t actually too disimilar to a traditional key lime pie. The trick is to swap the condensed milk for a sugar-free alternative (I use my keto condensed milk!) and to use a granulated sweetener. Once assembled, it looks and tastes like the real thing.
I’ve made this recipe for my non-keto friends, and let me tell you, they were none the wiser!
Table of Contents
Why I love this low carb key lime pie
- Perfect texture and flavor. Flaky, buttery pie crust, thick and creamy filling, and whipped cream on top– what’s not to love?!
- A no-bake recipe. All you need are a few kitchen utensils and a dash of patience.
- Customize the lime flavor. Add as much or as little lime as you like, or swap it for other citrus.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into the key lime pie, along with my kitchen notes. The complete list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Crust:
- Keto cookie crumbs. Any mild-tasting low carb cookie will work. I tested using keto shortbread cookies, keto peanut butter cookies, and keto sugar cookies, and they each worked wonderfully.
- Sugar-free sweetener. I used allulose, but monk fruit sweetener will also work.
- Unsalted butter. Melted. To hold the crust together.
For the filling and topping:
- Softened cream cheese. Room temperature and full-fat. I tried using reduced-fat cream cheese and the texture just wasn’t the same, so I prefer full-fat cream cheese.
- Keto sweetened condensed milk. I like to make my own sugar free condensed milk. If you’re not strictly keto, coconut condensed milk or traditional condensed milk will work.
- Lime juice. A must for key lime pie! If you can find bottled key lime juice, get that. If not, use fresh limes instead.
- Heavy cream. To lighten up the filling.
- Topping. I’m using a simple mix of heavy cream, keto powdered sugar, and fresh limes to decorate.
Key limes versus regular limes
Key limes are a special variety of limes found in the Florida Keys. They’re smaller, sweeter, and slightly less tart than regular limes, making them a great addition to lime desserts.
If you can get fresh key limes or bottled key lime juice, definitely do so. If not, regular fresh limes will work just fine.
How to make keto key lime pie
Step 1- Make the crust. In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sweetener, and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, press into place, and refrigerate.
Step 2- Make the filling. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the condensed milk and lime juice, whisking to combine. Add heavy cream and beat until smooth.
Step 3- Chill. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate until firm.
Step 4- Add topping and serve. Once set, make the whipped topping. Beat together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until fluffy. Spread over the top of the pie and decorate with sliced limes.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t skip the chill time. I know overnight seems like a long time, but since we’re not baking this pie, it needs that extra time to firm up and develop flavor. If you’re in a time pinch, 6 hours should be sufficient.
- Use a stand mixer. While optional, I like using a stand mixer to mix the lime filling and the whipped cream. It saves quite a bit of time.
- Add more lime. If you’re craving more tartness, add an extra tablespoon of lime juice and reduce the heavy cream by the same amount. You can also fold in a few tablespoons of lime zest, too.
Recipe variations
- Make it dairy-free. Swap the butter in the crust for coconut oil, use dairy-free cream cheese, coconut condensed milk, and coconut cream in place of heavy cream.
- Swap the citrus. I’ve tested this recipe with lemon and orange, and while the flavor is definitely different, both were delicious!
- Make mini key lime pies. Rather than making one big pie, sometimes I like to layer everything in individual jars. I find they make an easy grab-and-go dessert at parties.
Storage instructions
To store: This key lime pie should be refrigerated, covered in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Place pie slices in a shallow container and freeze for up to 6 months.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
“This keto key lime pie recipe skips out the refined sugar and white flour for alternatives,, which keeps the sugar low and the carbs down.” – Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Keto Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 3/4 cups keto cookie crumbs * See notes
- 1 tablespoon allulose
- 6 tablespoon butter melted
For the filling
- 1 cup cream cheese softened
- 1 cup keto condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon sugar free powdered sugar
- 1 large lime sliced
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your cookie crumbs, sweetener, and melted butter and mix together, until combined. Transfer into a 9-inch pie dish and refrigerate.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese until smooth. Add the condensed milk and lime juice and beat until combined. Add the heavy cream and beat everything together until thick and creamy.
- Transfer the filling onto the chilled pie crust and refrigerate overnight to thicken.
- Once set, prepare the topping. Beat together the heavy cream with the powdered sweetener until light and fluffy. Spread over the top of the pie and add sliced limes, to decorate.
Notes
- Keto cookie options: I’ve tried this with keto shortbread cookies, keto peanut butter cookies, and almond butter cookies.
- Tips: See my recipe tips above for making the best low carb key lime pie.
- Leftovers: Keep covered in the fridge for two weeks or the freezer for 6 months.
Nutrition
More keto pie recipes
- Keto blueberry pie– A buttery crust with just enough blueberries to keep things keto-friendly.
- Keto pecan pie– I swear this tastes even better than the original.
- Keto Boston cream pie– A light and fluffy cake with the most delicious topping.
- Keto cherry pie– While cherries aren’t exactly keto-friendly, I only use a small amount to keep the net carbs low.
- Keto lemon meringue pie– If you use my keto lemon curd, this pie needs just 4 ingredients.
- Or any of these keto desserts
I never comment on recipe blogs, but I have to on this one. My husband this year got doctor’s orders to eat low carb for his health, and boy it’s been tough for him. His very favorite dessert in the whole world is key lime pie, and I was bound and determined to make it possible for him to eat it on his birthday.
I made this recipe, and while it took FOREVER because I made mistakes and baking the shortbread and making condensed milk were time consuming, it was worth every single second I spent to see his face when he got to eat a big ol’ slice of this with zero sugar whipped cream on his special day. He loved it. And so did several family members who don’t generally eat low carb stuff. They all thought it was great.
Thank you for making recipes like this. It really made a difference for one person this year.
Aw, Danie- this comment is so sweet. I’m so glad your husband has a dessert he can enjoy without the sugar. It does take extra prep work- when recipe testing this, I did try out a few shortcuts but found that making the crust and condensed milk from scratch madr ll the difference. I’m so glad others enjoyed it too. Wishing your whole family the best health and hope there’s more recipes here your husband can enjoy. Please email or reach out if you need any assistance!
Do I must to use heavy cream or is it possible without?
Tried it and it was yummy! Thanks!