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Key Lime Icebox Cake is a no-bake dessert that gives you all the flavor of key lime pie without turning on the oven or rolling out a crust. You layer graham crackers with a tangy cream cheese and easy condensed milk filling, then let the refrigerator do the work overnight. My secret is keeping the lime juice to half a cup, because any more and the filling never quite sets. It travels well to a cookout and can be made a day ahead.
This is about as easy as a key lime dessert gets. There is no stovetop custard, no egg yolks, and no pudding mix. You beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice, fold in whipped topping, and layer it with graham crackers. It has all the tang of our Key Lime Pie, but you skip the crust and the bake entirely.
My husband is an avid key lime pie fan, but he says this one may be his new favorite!
Testing results for key lime icebox cake
- Half a cup of key lime juice, not a full cup. Tested at both amounts. A full cup thinned the filling so much it never set; half a cup gives nice lime flavor and still firms up enough to slice.
- Two full blocks of cream cheese. Two 8-ounce blocks give the filling enough body to hold its shape once chilled. One block left it too soft to cut cleanly.
- Refrigerate, do not freeze, to chill. Freezing sets the filling faster but makes the graham crackers stiff, so they shatter when you cut them. A long chill in the refrigerator softens the crackers into sliceable layers.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
P.S. If you want another (almost) no-bake citrus dessert, our Lemon Icebox Pie uses the same make-ahead, chill-and-slice approach. I do pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes to set the eggs, so it’s not completely no-bake. But it is DELICIOUS!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Cream cheese. Use two 8-ounce blocks of full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened on the counter first so it beats smoothly without lumps.
Key lime juice. Bottled key lime juice like Nellie & Joe’s is what I buy if I’m not squeezing my own. You can find it in most grocery stores. However, as with most recipes featuring citrus, you’re going to get the best flavor, freshness, and brightness by squeezing your own. It does take a lot of key limes though. This electric juicer is hands-off and one of my favorite kitchen tools!
Whipped topping. You need two 8-ounce containers of thawed whipped topping, one folded into the filling and one spread over the top.
Graham crackers. Honey graham crackers make the base, about 21 full crackers, or a sleeve and a half. Break some to fit the corners so each layer is fully covered.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make key lime icebox cake
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice.
- Fold in one container of whipped topping until no streaks remain.
- Layer graham crackers and filling in the dish: crackers, half the filling, crackers, the rest of the filling, then a final layer of crackers.
- Spread the second container of whipped topping over the top and smooth it.
- Cover and chill until the crackers soften and the filling sets, then garnish with key lime zest.
Why you chill it, not freeze it
An icebox cake sets in the refrigerator, not the oven, and that long chill is important. As the filling rests against the graham crackers, the crackers slowly absorb moisture and soften into tender, cake-like layers. That’s what turns a stack of crackers and cream into something you can slice.
It’s tempting to speed things up in the freezer, but that’s one shortcut I would skip here. Freezing firms the filling fast, but it keeps the graham crackers stiff, so they shatter instead of slicing cleanly. Six hours in the refrigerator is the minimum, and overnight gives you the softest layers.
Variations
- Homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip. Whip 4 cups of heavy whipping cream with 1 cup of powdered sugar until stiff, then divide it in half for the filling and the top. Our Homemade Whipped Cream walks through getting it to stiff peaks.
- Gluten-free. Swap in gluten-free graham crackers. The filling has no flour, so the rest of the recipe stays the same.
Make-ahead and storage
Make ahead. This dessert needs the overnight chill anyway, so it’s perfect for making in advance. Assemble it the day before you want to serve it and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready.
Storage. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap the dish tightly in both plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. (Freezing AFTER the key lime icebox cake has set and the crackers have softened is fine!)
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Key Lime Icebox Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bricks (8-ounce) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup key lime juice
- 2 containers (8-ounce) whipped topping, thawed and divided
- 21 graham crackers
- key lime zest, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Beat 2 bricks (8-ounce) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milkuntil combined, then add 1/2 cup key lime juice.
- Fold in 1 (8-ounce) container of the whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with a single layer of graham crackers, breaking a few apart to cover the entire base.
- Spoon about half of the key lime filling over the graham cracker layer and smooth it evenly.
- Add a second layer of graham crackers, then spread the rest of the filling over the top.
- Add a final layer of graham crackers and spread the remaining container of whipped topping over the top. Smooth it evenly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours, or overnight for the best texture.
- Garnish with key lime zest, if desired, and serve chilled.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Yes. Regular lime juice works and gives a slightly less floral, more straightforward lime flavor.
The most common cause is too much juice. More than half a cup thins the cream cheese base, so it stays loose. Make sure you use two full blocks of cream cheese, measure the juice carefully, and give it the full chill time.
A 9×13-inch dish gives you 12 slices with three cracker layers. You can use an 8×8-inch dish for thicker layers and fewer servings, but you’ll have filling left over, so scale the crackers and filling down a bit.
Do not add more juice, since that keeps the filling from setting. Instead, stir key lime zest into the filling.
Keep it chilled until you’re ready to serve. It’s fine out for a couple of hours at a gathering, but in warm weather, the layers soften quickly, so return leftovers to the refrigerator.
