Keto Cheesecake (Key Lime)
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/19/2021 - Last updated on 12/29/2023
This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This no-bake Keto Cheesecake Key Lime recipe is an incredibly creamy low-carb cheesecake with a refreshing, tangy lime flavor.
A melt-in-your-mouth dessert made with only a few simple ingredients to impress all your guests and fix all your sweet cravings with no guilt!
Can I Have A Classic Cheesecake On A Keto Diet?
No, you can’t eat a regular cheesecake recipe on your keto journey. In fact, an authentic cheesecake recipe is high in carbs and sugar.
The crust is always made of high-sugar graham crackers, and the cheesecake filling contains sugar and sometimes condensed milk.
However, it’s very easy to make a keto cheesecake at home using basic ingredients to limit the number of net carbs per slice and indulge safely!
How To Make Keto Cheesecake
The best part of this key lime keto cheesecake recipe is that it’s a no-bake keto cheesecake which means a super easy keto dessert recipe that everyone can make!
All you need to make a quick keto cheesecake recipe are a few basic kitchen tools and simple keto-friendly ingredients.
Kitchen Tools
To make a delicious keto cheesecake, you need some tools, nothing fancy, but some must-haves to make a delicious creamy low-carb cheesecake:
- Springform pan – this is a must-have to release your cheesecake easily. A springform pan has a detachable rim attached to the bottom of the pan with a clamp. It means you can remove the rim to release your cheesecake with ease.
- Handheld whisk or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment – this is necessary to beat the cream cheese and whip the whipping cream.
- Parchment paper – very useful to release the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan or a long flat tool that you can slide under the crust.
Ingredients
The ingredients you need to make this key lime cheesecake are mostly basic keto pantry ingredients, keto-friendly dairy, and keto sweeteners. Since it’s a no-bake key lime cheesecake keto recipe, it doesn’t contain eggs.
Cheesecake crust
To make the crust of this quick keto cheesecake no-bake recipe, you need:
- Almond flour – or you can use my keto graham cracker recipe and pulse them in a food processor into a powder.
- Erythritol – don’t add if you are using my graham cracker recipe, or the crust will be too sweet.
- Melted unsalted butter – for the perfect texture.
- Vanilla extract – for taste.
To make the keto cheesecake crust, combine almond flour, erythritol, melted butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. The mixture has a wet sandy texture.
Press this mixture firmly all over the bottom of a 9 inches springform pan covered with lightly oiled parchment paper.
I recommend using a spoon to pack the ingredients firmly into the pan.
Refrigerate while you are making the key lime cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake filling
- Cream cheese – softened full-fat cream cheese. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
- Sour cream
- Heavy cream – this refers to cream with a minimum of 36% fat content. You need full fat cream, no light cream.
- Lime juice – learn how to squeeze a lime without tools
- Gelatin powder
- Powdered erythritol – adjust the amount based on your sweet tooth. Adding more powdered keto sweeteners won’t increase the net carbs. You can also use allulose if you prefer. It has less aftertaste than erythritol.
- Lime zest – make sure you use untreated lime to avoid pesticides.
Heat the lime juice and gelatin in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, until just warm and smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld whisk, beat cream cheese and sour cream until creamy and fluffy.
Then, add lime juice-gelatin mixture, lime zest, powdered erythritol, and beat again until incorporated. Set aside at room temperature.
In another bowl, whisk the heavy cream until it forms a stiff peak.
Fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese bowl until it forms a fluffy, thick batter.
Assembling The Cheesecake
Pour the cheesecake filling onto the springform pan and spread it evenly with a spoon.
Then, bang the pan onto the kitchen countertop to release any trapped air in the filling.
Refrigerating
This is a no-bake cheesecake recipe, which means you must refrigerate your dessert to set the filling.
Wrap the top of the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Serving The Keto Cheesecake
First, carefully release your keto cheesecake from the pan. First, slide a knife all over the edges of the pan.
Then, gently open the pan rim to release the cheesecake.
Finally, use the hanging pieces of parchment paper to transfer the cheesecake onto a serving plate.
You can also run a long, flat knife or spatula under the crust to transfer the cheesecake to a serving board.
This keto low carb key lime cheesecake recipe goes very well with some of the sugar-free ingredients below. You can also use them to fix cracks in the filling.
- Unsweetened coconut – key lime and coconut are delicious! Sprinkle some unsweetened coconut on top of your slice.
- Unsweetened whipped cream
- Coconut yogurt – the keto version is made of 2 ingredients: coconut cream and probiotics.
- Lime zest
- Fresh thin lime slices
Storage Instructions
You can store your no-bake keto cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze individual slices of cheesecake in individually-sealed containers or freezer bags and thaw them in the fridge the day before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, simply use individual silicone molds and fill them in the same order as explained in this recipe.
You can also try my Keto Cheesecake Bites. You can also try my Keto Mug Cheesecake.
No, unfortunately, you can’t make this recipe with dairy-free ingredients.
But if you are craving a dairy-free keto key lime dessert, you can try my no-bake keto key lime pie recipe. It uses avocado, and there is no dairy involved.
You don’t have to, but if you prefer a slightly crispy crust more cake-like, you can bake the crust in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
Alternatively, you can pour the filling in my Almond Flour Crust.
You can definitely make some substitutions to change its taste.
For example, you can replace the lemon zest with freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries and fresh berries and the lime juice with lemon juice.
More Cheesecake Recipes
If you like keto dessert recipes, you’ll love these other low-carb cheesecake options.
Have you made this gluten-free keto key lime cheesecake recipe? Share a comment or feedback below! I love to hear from you,
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Keto Cheesecake (Key Lime)
Ingredients
Cheesecake crust
- 2 cups Almond Flour scoop and level method
- ¼ cup Granulated Sweetener
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Key lime Cheesecake filling
- 5 tablespoons Lime Juice about 3 limes
- 2 teaspoons Gelatin Powder
- 24 ounces Cream Cheese equivalent to 3 packs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Sour Cream
- 2 tablespoons Lime Zest about 3 limes
- 1 cup Heavy Cream minimum 35% fat
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Powdered Erythritol add 1/4 extra cup if not sweet enough for you
Instructions
Cheesecake crust
- Cover the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a large rectangle of lightly-oiled parchment paper. Close the springform ring to trap the paper and keep hanging pieces outside the pan. This makes it easier to release the cheesecake from the pan the next day – watch my pictures in the post above for visual tips. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, melted butter, erythritol, vanilla, and salt. Stir with a spatula to combine and form a sandy mixture.
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly into the bottom of the pan. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Refrigerate while making the filling.
Cheesecake filling
- Heat the lime juice and gelatin in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, until just warm and smooth. Set aside to cool
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sour cream, using a handheld whisk until creamy and fluffy.
- Stop the beater, add in powdered erythritol, lime juice/gelatin mixture, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Keep beating until everything comes together. Taste the filling and add an extra 1/4 cup powdered erythritol if not sweet enough to your liking. Set aside at room temperature.
- In another bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until a stiff peak forms.
- Now fold in the whipped heavy cream into the cream cheese bowl until the mixture is consistent.
- Transfer the cheesecake filling into the springform pan covered with the cheesecake crust.
- Use a spoon to distribute the cheesecake filling evenly all over the pan.
- Bang the pan on the kitchen counter a few times to remove any air bubbles trapped in the filling.
- Cover the pan with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Serving
- The next day, run a knife around the sides of the pan, then gently open the springform ring to release the cheesecake.
- Use the hanging pieces of parchment paper to transfer the cheesecake onto a serving plate, or take a large knife or metal spatula and carefully run it under the bottom of the cheesecake to loosen it.
- Serve each slice with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or sour cream and lime zest.
Storage
- Store leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze slices of cheesecake and thaw in the fridge the day before serving.
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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Disclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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I’m very interested in making this recipe. But I cannot find how much gelatin to use in the recipe. It just says gelatin. It doesn’t say how much could you please tell me how much gelatin to use? Also can I use instant lime gelatin and again how much?
All the details are in the recipe card! It’s 2 teaspoons
Made this recipe twice now. Turned out perfectly both times and super delicious. The second time I made it I did follow the exact recipe just with lemons instead of limes and it was great too! Thank you!
I made this for Mother’s Day. Delicious!!!! The only thing I did different than the recipe is that I cooked the crust at 400*F for 7 minutes so it would hold together and be crunchier. I did have to use more than 3 limes to get the 2Tbsp of zest.
This was absolutely delicious! I would reduce the recipe by a third next time unless I was planning to share the pie (too much for just me!) but I liked how deep the pie slices were. I also decided to use a baked keto crust and that turned out even better as far as the taste I was hoping for.
The only other adjustment I made was to reduce the lime zest by half, as I was concerned the pie might be bitter with 2 tbls of zest. The one tbls was just the right amount for me.
I will 100% be using this recipe again and THANK YOU for creating it! It is super creamy, but held it’s form after being cut. It was a wonderful treat to say the least.
Just wanted to let you know that the image on the Pinterest pim states that this is dairy free. Hopefully you can fix it.
Oh, funny! I will change that thank you
Tastes great except I cut down on cream cheese to 2& a half & added Ratio keto vanilla yogurt. I then cut the allulose (instead of erithitol) to only one half cup.
OMG!!!!! this pie is the bomb…..my favorite pie is the Key lime merengue….and make this recipe because the other one is to sweet and it just amazing….has so much flavor and so easy to make…not to expert on the keto diet but been following you and make so many of your recipes and every single one came so amazing
Left in refrigerator over night 12 hours total. The flavor was great but it was too soft and once at room temperature it started to loose its shape. What would be a good binder to keep cheesecake firm?
Hey, Christy.
I read your comment before I made the recipe today. I appreciated knowing it might have trouble setting up or staying firm. I learned a trick for stabilizing whipped cream that is going to go inside eclairs – you use some unflavored gelatin powder and add it to the cream before whipping it. Normally you would “bloom” gelatin by sprinkling it over water, but I just bloomed it for this recipe by sprinkling the gelatin powder over the key lime juice (note: the recipe calls for regular lime juice but I used bottled key lime juice instead). Once the gelatin had softened for a couple minutes, I put the juice and gelatin directly into the cream cheese mixture, then whipped the cream separately and folded it in. (Though I imagine you could just as easily bloom the gelatin powder by sprinkling it over the cream and waiting for a few minutes, then whipping them together). I think it’s going to work no matter which method you use to add the gelatin to the recipe. This technique helps whipped cream hold its shape and firmness, and keeps it from “weeping” (separating) and making the eclair crusts (or creampuff crusts) soggy. It keeps its shape for about 3 days using the gelatin trick. I also think using gelatin in the recipe will likely cut down on the amount of time needed to chill the cheesecake, because it only takes about 3 or 4 hours to chill completely – the gelatin should firm it up sufficiently that it need not stand in the fridge overnight. Good luck!
Thanks! Making it today!
Great article
Thank you for the info Amy!! I’m about to start making this recipe right now (though, in silicone muffin cups, as I can’t find my stinkin’ springform! I bet I took it to a potluck & never brought it home – UGH!!), but I think they’ll be great. Hmm.. maybe I’ll try a few in silicone, and a few in ramekins. They’re just for the family & me, so it doesn’t have to be pretty. LOL.
I’ll report back!! Haha!!
C ~
Bonjour!
This is your 4th recipie that I am doing….I really like them as pretty much easy to make even for a non cook like me! my husband who is a trained chef has been doing the cooking for the last 27 years as i am hate cooking!
As i am starting on the Keto wellbeing I need to get involve with cooking, what i would fine much easier, if I may make a constructive critisism, would be to have the weights in Gramsfor us Europeen and maybe cup too in brackets with the recipe steps. As I am a beginner cook, i find myself going up and down on the computer to check the ingredient mesurements for each steps. I love your step by steps picture and video as it is of great help if you are not too sure. I have now made your cheesecake, Courgette Paleo Choco bread, cheese crakers, cauliflower soup and making for tonight the Courgette Fritters. many thanks for all your lovely ideas and food advice. Regards, Elisabeth
That’s amazing merci beaucoup ! To convert any recipe in grams, click the metric button before the list of ingredients, A bientot pour une nouvelle recette, Carine
I made this last night. The flavor is wonderful. The cheesecake filling did not firm up enough after a good 12 hours in the frig. I followed the directions exactly. Any thoughts on this? I was wondering if maybe I folded the stiff whipped cream too much into the rest of the mixture. Any suggestions?
The only issue can be that your heavy cream wasn’t stiff enough. Otherwise it should hold pretty well
I am planning on making this recipe for a party this weekend but seeing in the comments that people are having trouble with the recipe firming up. Ingredients look delicious and I want to make it but don’t want a collapsed cheesecake. I see your comment about need the cream to firm up. Could you elaborate and possibly update your instructions to avoid this issue?
What’s important is to find cream with the right level of thickness. It is proportional to the fat content, heavy cream is at least 35% fat.
Make sure you pick the right high-fat heavy cream, and you’ll be fine. Don’t replace it with light cream or whipping cream.
Alternatively, you can try adding a touch of gelatin but it shouldn’t be needed with the right type of cream.
I made it this Sunday, and used standard lemon, so I had to add lemon flavour. Rellay nice tasting although my whipped cream was not firm/stiff enough, but nobody complained….
Filling calls for vanilla yet no mention when to add. ??
Thanks for spotting this! I updated the recipe now, you add the vanilla with the lime zests. Enjoy the cheesecake and let me know how it goes XOXO Carine