Key Lime Pie Ice Cream (So Easy!)
This Key Lime Pie Ice Cream is loaded with all of the familiar flavors of your favorite pie, including the crunchy graham cracker crust! Both key lime juice and zest infuse the ice cream with tangy flavor, while sweetened condensed milk keeps it smooth and creamy.
★★★★★
Mary Beth says –
“Delicious! I will be making this one multiple times this summer.”
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Your Favorite Key Lime Pie, as Ice Cream!
This key lime pie ice cream is incredibly simple to make! There are no ice cream bases to heat and chill, you simply whisk the ingredients together and churn according to your machine’s directions.
After a short time, you’ll have a dreamy, velvety ice cream bursting with key lime flavor. Here’s why else I adore this recipe:
✔ Mindlessly Easy to Make: This ice cream recipe feels a little bit like cheating because it is SO easy to make.
✔ Your Favorite Pie, Minus the Baking: It has all of the flavors of traditional key lime pie (including the graham cracker crumbs!) but it doesn’t require turning the oven on. Desserts like this are a lifesaver in summer!
✔ Super Duper Creamy: Sometimes homemade ice cream can be a bit icy and firm. Not this recipe!
Grab These 6 Ingredients
All of the ingredients with their measurements can be found in the recipe card below, but here’s what you’ll need and why:
- Whole Milk: Makes for a creamier ice cream while also balancing out the richness of the heavy cream.
- Key Lime Juice: Has a more floral, tart flavor than regular lime juice that makes this ice cream stand out from the crowd.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: When churned in an ice cream maker, the heavy cream fluffs up and makes for a super creamy ice cream thanks to all of the air that’s beaten into it.
- Salt: Yep, you need a little salt to enhance the key lime flavor and balance out the sweetness from the condensed milk!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: My secret weapon for making ice cream! It’s already thick and syrupy, which removes the need to cook down the ice cream base before churning. Plus, all the sugar in the sweetened condensed milks helps prevent our ice cream from developing an icy texture.
- Graham Crackers: I prefer crushing mine coarsely with my hands so I chomp down on some bigger pieces. That’s what takes them from standard key lime ice cream to key lime pie ice cream!
Katie’s Tip: I have a go-to method for squeezing limes so they produce the most possible juice. Key limes can be pricey, so you want to get every drop of juice possible out of them!
How to Make Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
This is a very easy recipe, but it does require an ice cream machine. Here’s how the ice cream comes together:
- Whisk together the ice cream base: All of the ingredients go into a big bowl and are stirred together.
- Chill for 4 hours: This step is optional, but I find it helps the ice cream churn up nice and creamy in less time.
- Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions: This is where your ice cream maker comes into play! I’ve linked the model we have and love.
- Add the graham cracker crumbs before freezing: The coarsely chopped graham crackers are folded in last, then the whole batch is popped into the freezer until firm enough to scoop.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Tips for Making Homemade Ice Cream
- Stick to full-fat dairy products: This lime ice cream recipe uses heavy cream and whole milk to get that extra creamy texture. Don’t try to substitute either ingredient for something lower in fat.
- Chill the ice cream maker insert! Make sure you have put the insert for your ice cream maker in the freezer at least 12 hours prior to churning the ice cream, or longer if your manufacturer’s user manual instruct to do so. You need to make sure it is frozen solid so the ice cream base freezes as it churns.
- A pre-chilled ice cream base churns easier: You’ll achieve the smoothest, creamiest ice cream by churning an already chilled base, so I recommend that you chill the ice cream mixture for at least a few hours before you churn it.
No Ice Cream Maker? No Problem!
You can still whip up this delicious key lime pie ice cream recipe without any fancy tools. Here’s how:
- Freeze for 2 hours: If NOT using an ice cream maker, place the ice cream base (i.e. the key lime-milk mixture) in a freezer safe container with plenty of room for stirring. Then, transfer the container with the ice cream base in it to the freezer and freeze for about 2 hours.
- Stir: After 2 hours, remove the pan from the freezer and stir it to break up any frozen chunks. Make sure you scrape along the edges of the pan as well.
- Freeze again: Return to the freezer and freeze for 30-40 minutes. Repeat the stirring and freezing until the key lime ice cream mixture is thick and frozen.
More Easy Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
Ice cream is one of my family’s favorite frozen desserts, and I usually experiment with new flavor combos and mix-ins throughout the warmer months. Some of our all-time favorite ice cream recipes are:
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Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
This key lime pie ice cream is made with a super simple no-cook base that can go straight from mixing bowl to ice cream maker in no time!
Ingredients
For the Key Lime Ice Cream
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Key Lime Juice
- Zest of 1 Lime
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- Dash of Salt
- 1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 6 Graham Crackers (1 1/2 cookie sheets), coarsely crushed, divided
Ice Cream Garnishes
- Graham Cracker Pieces
- Key Lime Wedges or Lime Zest
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine milk, lime juice, heavy cream, salt, and sweetened condensed milk; whisk to combine.
- Cover the bowl with the ice cream base with a lid or plastic wrap. Then, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for 4 hours, or up to overnight. Not required, but recommended.
- After chilling, pour the key lime ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker, and churn the ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions.
- After churning, stir 1/3 cup graham crackers into ice cream. Then, spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container, and cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.
- Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon graham crackers.
- Garnish with lime wedges.
Notes
Key limes: Freshly squeezed key lime juice is best, but you can use a quality bottled key lime juice if needed. Or, use regular lime juice!
Storage: If stored in an airtight container, it will last about 1 to 2 months. (Here are the ice cream containers we always use.) Because this recipe is preservative-free, the homemade ice cream is more prone to developing freezer burn if stored long term. Pressing a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the ice cream before putting the lid on the container will help preserve freshness and prevent ice crystal formation on the surface of the ice cream.
adapted from Cooking Light
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Try Making This Ice Cream!
The next time a key lime pie craving hits, try making this simple homemade ice cream instead.
Did You Try This Recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and a review below—your feedback helps others and makes my day.
Share Your Creations!
If you took a photo, tag me on Instagram @goodlifeeats and use #goodlifeeatsrecipes—I’d love to see your sundaes and frozen treats!
This was originally a guest post written by Jamie of My Baking Addiction.
cara says
This ice cream is wonderful! My entire family loved it!
Sara says
this stuff is phenomenal!!!!! amazing!!!!!
thanks so much for this!
Andrea says
I just made this ice cream! Iam in L-O-V-E!
Stacey says
I just got my KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker attachment and can’t wait to make this recipe! I am so glad to find the recipe doesn’t call for the use of any eggs.
Jenn says
I just made key lime pie ice cream too. It really is a winner!
Dress and Dish says
Wow. I am always impressed with people that make homemade ice cream. This looks divine!
Vanessa says
Key lime pie is one of my favorite flavors of ice cream! This looks SO good.
Sasha says
I loveloveLOVE your presentation and photography, I have only just started food blogging myself and my photography is more than shocking! If i ever take photos like these I would be elated 🙂 the recipe sounds stupidly yummy too, i love anything citrusy and im sure this is lovely and refreshing. now to hound the mother to buy an ice cream machine…
mai says
Absolutely love this. Looks so amazing!
jess white says
Yummy! i love lime in the summer, it is soo refreshing, and this ice cream looks lovely!!!
Amy says
Just made this recipe for Father’s Day and it was a hit! I added some lime zest right into it and I used the fat-free sweetened condensed milk. It still tasted rich and delicious, but I managed to cut back a little bit of the calories. This one is going into our regular recipe rotation- thanks so much!
Alison @ Ingredients Inc. says
love this one!
Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates says
I absolutely have to make some of this!!
Marie says
Just made this tonight and decided to make it my dinner! I love the consistency of it right at the end of the churning cycle. I can’t wait to share this with others this summer.
Sourkraut says
Yum! I whipped this up using some fresh lime juice and it turned out wonderfully. You inspired me to come up with some key lime pie ice cream cupcakes once I saw this recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Amy | She Wears Many Hats says
One of my favorite ice cream combos! YUM!