This No Bake White Chocolate Lime Cheesecake is a cross between a Key lime pie and a creamy, no bake cheesecake. The result? Your PERFECT summer dessert.
When I started imagining this No Bake White Chocolate Lime Cheesecake, I wanted it to be a cross between a sweet and tangy Key lime pie and a refreshing, light and creamy no bake cheesecake. I’m happy to report that it came out EXACTLY like I’d envisioned.
Well, okay, perhaps not exactly exactly… In a perfect world, I’d have loved to make my cake using real Key limes, but unfortunately, I was never able to find any: apparently, Key limes are VERY hard to come across in my neck of the woods… if you, however, can easily get your hands on them where you are, then by all means, you should definitely be using them if you plan on giving this baby a go (which you totally should, if you want my advice).
Still, the standard limes still did a really good job at flavoring this cheesecake. An amazing job, even!
Honestly, I’m almost convinced that this bad boy has now officially become my favorite cheesecake in the whole wide world. I mean, it’s hard to name just ONE my favorite… cheescakes are all so freakishly delicious. I remember years ago at some corporate Christmas party, we were discussing our favorite desserts. I’d mentioned that cheesecake, any cheesecake, would definitely take the prize for me, because eating it was more than just a pleasant thing for my taste buds, it was an actual “physical experience”. People were a bit puzzled by such a bold statement, but one of the guests totally got me and said he felt the exact same way about this glorious treat. HA! So at least, I know I’m not the only one. To this day, I still feel that eating cheesecake is a true physical experience, probably better than… ahem well, you know…
So anyway, not to toot my own horn, but I think that to this day, this was one of my top culinary successes, at least as far as desserts are concerned. The cake came out sublime, even better than I’d hoped it would, absolutely perfect. If I was to do it again, I wouldn’t modify a single thing.
The texture of the filling is bang on: firm enough to hold its shape, but still super creamy and melt-in-your-mouth velvety. The tanginess of the lime and cheese coupled with the delicate sweetness of the white chocolate complement each other so well, it’s like they were created to be together. The crust adds this tiny little hint of crunch to the experience, without taking up too much space. It just gives your teeth a little something to keep them busy while your tongue and palate are working on the softer components. And finally, the white chocolate ganache that covers the cake gives the whole adventure a graceful, voluptuous and silky finale.
Honestly, I’m usually a fan of serving cakes at room temperature, but this one would be an exception to that rule. I found it to be particularly amazing straight out of the ice box, making it the perfect dessert for summer. Well, not only because of that, but also because it doesn’t require the use of the oven, and because it tastes so crazy refreshing, too!
It just TASTES like a beautiful, warm and sunny summer day.
And now again, my usual warning…
While this cake may look like it’s a tad complicated to make, it really truly isn’t. It’s just that as usual, I’ve included a lot of pictures, too many perhaps. What can I say? I’d much rather be watching the steps to a recipe than reading them.
I guess the next best thing for me would be shooting videos, but I doubt that’ll ever happen. Videos and I don’t get along all that well. Pictures, however, are my very best friends.
As I’m sure you can very well tell…
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS AND PICTURES
The first thing that you should do is zest and juice enough limes to get at least 1 cup of fresh juice, which represents about 8 to 10 limes (perhaps even more if you’re lucky enough to be using key limes!)
I strongly recommend that you use a microplane zester and a 2 in 1 lime and lemon squeezer. These tools will make your life a whole lot easier!
FOR THE CRUST
Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper. To do that, remove the ring and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Fold the excess paper back under the plate and, while holding it in place with one hand, put the ring back in its position with the other hand. Bring the excess paper back from under the pan but do not cut it off.
Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lime zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
Mix all the ingredients with a large spoon until well combined.
Press firmly at the bottom and about halfway up the side of the prepared pan.
I find that using a flat bottomed object, such as a glass or measuring cup works best for this, but you could also use your fingers if you wanted to.
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
Now that the crust is out of the way, we need to be taking care of the gelatin.
I’ve always been a huge fan of sheet gelatin and pretty much work exclusively with that. I find it’s much easier to use than its powdered counterpart, and yields much better results, too. It melts easily, consistently and flawlessly, and most importantly, it never clumps up or turns gritty on you.
If you’re not familiar with sheet gelatin, this is what it looks like.
To use it, you must first place it in icy cold water so it becomes soft it soft and pliable. Make sure that the water is really cold because otherwise, your gelatin could melt and dissolve in the water.
Place the 8 sheets in the water one at a time and push them down delicately, so the water has a chance to get between them.
Also too, you want to make sure to move the sheets around a little bit so they don’t end up sticking together, which could cause them to clump up and not re-hydrate properly. Just toss them around for a few seconds until they start to soften up.
See how they almost disappear? Now we can say that the gelatin has officially been dealt with and we can move on to the next steps. Just let your gelatin soak in that water bath until you’re ready to use it.
Oh, if you didn’t have sheet gelatin, you could use 2 tablespoons of powdered gelatin instead, but that you would have to sprinkle over the cup of lime juice so it has a chance to bloom. Now would be a good time to do that, too.
Next items on the agenda would be to whip 1 cup of heavy cream until firm and then melt 1 cup of white chocolate in a small mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 packages of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar and mix on high speed with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add the condensed milk…
Isn’t that drool worthy? I just LOVE watching condensed milk pour and cascade and land in thick ripples of sweet sinfulness…
Add about 3 tablespoons of lime zest to the bowl…
… and resume beating until well combined.
Don’t forget to scrape the sides from time to time, to make sure every last bit gets incorporated.
Pour in the melted white chocolate.
Again with the beautiful ripples… not quite AS pretty as the sweetened condensed milk, but still nice to look at.
Mix that white chocolate in on high speed until fully combined.
And now back to the gelatin.
Warm the cup of lime juice over very low heat or in the microwave until barely just warm to the touch. It’s important that the lime juice doesn’t become hot or it would hurt/destroy the gelatin; lukewarm is what you’re after. Just like a baby’s bottle!
Remove the sheet gelatin from the water bath and squeeze it between your fingers to remove as much water as possible.
This is what your gelatin should look like once it’s been squeezed dry.
Add the gelatin to the warm lime juice all at once and stir until fully dissolved.
If you’re using powdered gelatin, warm the juice and gelatin together and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Again, it’s important that you do not let your liquid get too hot.
Pour the lime juice and gelatin into the cream cheese mixture.
And give this a final spin until all is well incorporated.
Now delicately fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula…
And pour the batter onto the reserved crust.
Spread evenly all the way to the side of the pan. Gently tap the side of your pan and give it a little shake to help the top settle and smooth out.
Place your cake in the fridge until completely set, about 6 hours or better yet, overnight.
FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
To make the white chocolate ganache, combine 1-1/4 cup of finely chopped white chocolate and 1/3 cup of heavy cream in a small mixing bowl, and place them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then, let them rest undisturbed for 30 seconds and finally, stir delicately for 30 seconds. If there are still lumps of unmelted chocolate after that, repeat the process but for 20 seconds this time, and continue doing that until the chocolate is completely melted but not hot, and the ganache is well combined. You really shouldn’t need more than 2 to 3 passes in the microwave.
Pour the white chocolate ganache right over the cheesecake and tilt the pan around in a circular motion to spread the ganache all the way to the egde;
Again, tap the sides and give the pan a little shake like you did before to help make that top really smooth and even.
Put the cake back in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, until the ganache is completely set.
AND NOW, FOR THE FINISHING TOUCH
Make the whipped cream and, in a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of grated lime zest with an equal amount of granulated sugar and mix well;
Equip a pastry bag with a medium sized open star tip (I used an Ateco #2).
To help release the cake real cleanly, it helps to slightly warm up the side of the pan. I find the best way to do this is by delicately heating it with a propane torch or warm cloth. If you choose to use a propane torch, make sure that you maintain a good distance from that pan. You just want to warm it up some, not completely melt the cake.
And keep an eye out for that paper too. You wouldn’t want to set it on fire! (that MAY have happened to me once or twice…)
And voilà! Here’s what your cake should look like now that it’s been relieved of its outside ring! Is that pretty or what?
But wait, we’re not done. We’re gonna dress up this bad boy to make it look even nicer!
Pipe swirls of whipped cream around the perimeter of the cake as well as in the center and sprinkle some of the sweetened zest over the rosettes…
And then garnish with slices of lime, to make it even prettier. Place your cake on a cake plate or stand and prepare for lift-off!
You are now officially ready to serve, my friend!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g | 8.8oz) graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (100g | 3.5oz) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (120g | 4.2oz) butter, melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tbsp lime zest*
- 1/4 tsp salt (I use Himalayan salt)
- 3- (227g | 8oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g | 3.5oz) granulated sugar
- 1 can (300ml | 397g | 14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240ml | 8oz) whipping cream
- 1 cup (240ml) fresh lime juice*
- 2-3 tbsp lime zest*
- 1 cup (175g | 6.25oz) white chocolate, finely chopped
- 8 sheets gelatin (or 2 tbsp (11g) powdered gelatin)
- 1-1/4 cup (220g | 7.7oz) white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whipping cream
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 1 tbsp grated lime zest*
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Start by zesting, then juicing 8 limes. I strongly recommend that you use a microplane zester and a 2 in 1 lime and lemon sqeezer. These tools will make your life a whole lot easier!
- Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper. To do that, remove the ring and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Fold the excess paper back under the plate and, while holding it in place with one hand, put the ring back in its position with the other hand. Bring the excess paper back from under the pan but do not cut it off.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, salt and about 2 tbsp of the lime zest in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and press firmly at the bottom and about halfway up the side of the prepared pan. Set aside.
- Place the sheet gelatin to soak in a large bowl filled with icy cold water (if using powdered gelatin, sprinkle it over 1 cup of fresh lime juice so it has a chance to bloom).
- Whip the heavy cream until firm peaks form and reserve.
- Melt the white chocolate in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar and mix on high speed with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk and about 3 tablespoons of lime zest and resume beating until well incorporated.
- Pour in the melted white chocolate and mix on high speed until combined.
- Warm the lime juice over very low heat or in the microwave until barely just warm to the touch (and until gelatin is completely melted, if using powdered gelatin). It's important that the lime juice doesn't become hot or it would hurt/destroy the gelatin; lukewarm is what you're after.
- Remove the sheet gelatin from the water bath and squeeze it between your fingers to remove as much water as possible. Add the gelatin to the warm lime juice, stir until fully dissolved and then pour this into the cream cheese mixture. Resume mixing until it's well incorporated, then delicately fold in the whipped cream.
- Pour onto the reserved crust and spread evenly all the way to the side of the pan. Gently tap the side of your pan and give it a little shake to help the top settle and smooth out.
- Place your cake in the fridge until completely set, about 6 hours or better yet, overnight.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the white chocolate and whipping cream and place that in the microwave for 30 seconds. Allow to rest for 30 seconds and then stir for 30 seconds. If there are still lumps of unmelted chocolate, repeat the process but for 20 seconds this time, and continue doing that until the chocolate is completely melted but not hot, and the ganache is well combined.
- Pour this right over the cheesecake and tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread the ganache all the way to the egde; tap the sides and give the pan a little shake like you did before to help make that top really smooth and even.
- Put the cake back in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, until the ganache is set.
- Take the cake out of the pan and place it on a cake plate or stand.
- In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of grated lime zest with an equal amount of granulated sugar and mix well; Decorate the cake with swirls of whipped cream (I used an open star Ateco #2) and sprinkle some of the sweetened zest over the rosettes, then garnish with slices of lime.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
*You will need to zest and juice enough limes to get at least 1 cup of juice, about 8 to 10 total.
My Evil Twin is passionate about food and has a real sweet spot for the indulgent kind...
Epic combination!!!!!! I’ll have to make a paleo friendly version soon!
I look forward to seeing what you come up with, Shel. I have no doubt it’ll be just as epic!
I am a sucker for Lime desserts! This looks fabulous and the step by step is so helpful. Will be making this summer for sure!
Awww, thanks much Kathi, I’m glad you think so. Sometimes, I think I’m a little over the top with my step-by-step pictures, so it feels nice to hear when someone actually finds them useful. Make sure you let me know how the cake turns out if you end up trying it. Can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
Can I use 2×250 g blocks of Philly cheese instead of three blocks if so is there to be an adjustment in the recipe?
So beautiful! I love a no-bake dish and this one seems extravagant and awesome. I LOOOOVE lime. Such beautiful photos as well!
Thank you Allie, that’s really very kind of you to say! 🙂
OMG! What a gorgeous dessert! I know I would love this, because key lime is my favorite.
Thanks Jenn! Ever tried pairing it with white chocolate? It’s insanely good, I swear! Make sure you let me know how you liked it if you end up trying it!
Have this bad boy setting.in the fridge now. What better way to start summer break!
RIGHT ON!!! Hope it’s to your liking, Melissa, and here’s to an amazing summer break! 🙂
It. Was. Perfect. Do you have a place I can send a picture? It was beautiful! Thanks for the keeper recipe!
YAY!!!!! So very happy to hear! Please, please, post your picture on my FB page, I want to see! 🙂
These cheesecakes looks delicious
Question: I just made this wonderful sounding cheesecake for a gathering, which just got canceled!
Would this no bake cheesecake freeze well? I haven’t tried this kind before so I am A little Leary about the gelatin in there. It would be great to freeze it for when the gathering is rescheduled…..however if it would get watery or loose its texture…..I may be forced to eat it (and share with someone of course)
Thanks for your response
Kathy
You’re in luck Kathy! I happen to have a slice in the freezer, which I’d kept specifically to test the cake’s freezability. I just took it out of there and will let you know how it turns out as soon as it’s completely thawed!
Good as new, Kathy! Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and you’ll be fine. You might want to decorate it with fresh lime after it’s been thawed, though…
Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to try it.
Kathy
You are very welcome Kathy! I hope you and your friends love the cake!
Key Lime is my #1 Bestest Favorite Desert and I cannot wait to try this one!! Wow, how I would love to live in your kitchen!!! Please keep them coming!
Hahaha! Thanks Marlene. If you liked the Kahlua cheesecake and are a real fan of Key Lime Pie, you will totally DIE for this one!!! I can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
And fear not, I have EVERY intention of keeping them coming…
Just going over the recipe and gathering ingredients; I have a couple questions if you don’t mind. In the Kahlua chocolate cheesecake I made, I used the powdered gelatin and was not happy using it. Now I want to try my hand with the gelatin sheets. Do they come in different sizes and if so what size do I use and do you have a preferred brand?
Also, does the low-fat cream cheese make an equally tasty cake or should I throw caution to the wind and just go all out for the real-deal?
Oh, one more…bottled real lime juice vs squeezed? I don’t mind squeezing, really!
Gelatin sheets come in 2 sizes, that I know of: sheets and half-sheets. Half-sheets are a waste of time, me thinks, for you rarely use even just ONE sheet, so why bother with half sheets?! I always use full sheets. As for brands, I don’t really really have a favorite per se, but always try and go with gold grade, if a grade is specified on the package. (and now I realize that the link to the gelatin sheets in my recipe was broken; I fixed that!)
Re: using low-fat cream cheese, I suppose it would work, but your cheesecake wouldn’t be nearly as rich and indulgent. I say if you’re going to indulge, go all out! Treat yourself to the real deal! 😉
And lastly, fresh is always best! So by all means, go ahead and squeeze! 🙂
If I am going to go through all this kitchen pleasure, I am going fat-n-fresh! Thanks for the tips on gelatin sheets. 🙂
Haha! Fat-n-fresh. Love it! You are very welcome Marlene! Can’t wait to hear how things went, and how you liked the cake! 🙂
Me, again, !! I am planning on making this lime cheesecake for Easter but would like to use my 4″ springform pans so I can share it with my sisters. I have 4 of them and wondered if this recipe will accommodate using there four?
What do you suggest?
Hmmm… I’m not sure, Marlene. To be honest, I’ve never worked with such small cake pans before, so I have no concept of how much batter would be required to fill one up. I doubt that you would have enough for all 4 though… Perhaps it would be safer to do at least 1 and a half recipe?
Thanks for brainstorming this with me. I think I am going to give it whirl using 4-4 inch pans ( want to share with neighbors ) and then put the rest in a 8″ pan. I am guessing there are bout 11 cups of incredients in the recipe so thinking I might just pull this off! I will certainly let you know how this works out! It is more work; but what the heck my kitchen is going to be a mess anyway!
Hahaha! You got that one right, Marlene. You’re not gonna be making a bigger mess, that’s for sure. Keep me posted as to how things went, I can’t wait to hear all about your experience!
Oh my!! Did this taste d-e-v-I-n-e!! Fabulous! I definitely will be making this again! I made 4-4″ and 1-6″ cake so I could share in my delights! The 4″ pans hold maybe 3/4cup after crust and then the rest into the 6″ spring form pan! The use of the gelatin sheets if definitely the way to go. I used powdered gelatin the last time and not nearly as easy to dissolve as the sheets!!!
Thank you my “eveitwin” for this winning cheesecake!!!
I’m SO happy to hear that your project turned out this great, Marlene, and that you really liked the cake, too! And I totally agree with you re: the gelatin sheets. Since I started working with them, I’ve completely abandoned the powdered stuff.
I’m pretty excited to try this cheesecake. I have never used gelatin sheets before. I like your step by step. Can the water have ice cubes in it to soak? And how do you know what if the lime juice is too hot before adding the gelatin sheets?
The ice cubes can’t hurt but they are not necessary… and the lime juice needs to be just warm enough to melt the gelatin. Just warm, not hot. You should be able to stick your finger in and leave it there comfortably without ever really feeling the need to remove it because it’s getting too hot. How’s that for exact science? Haha! 😉
Thank you so much! That is a big help!!
Well done. The step by step is excellent. And I can’t think of anything to improve it.
Here in California we have a variety of seedless lime called Bearss which, if used for this recipe, would make it a bearsslime cheesecake😉
How do you get the parchment paper out from underneath the cake?
You can just peel the parchment paper right off.
Hi
I tried to make no bake key lime juice cheesecake before with soft cream cheese only 27 grams of fat per 100 grams without gelatine and unfortunately my cheesecake didn’t set properly. Now I would like to try your recipe with gelatine but still I don’t have any fatter cream cheese. Do you think this amount of fat will be enough? Also I would like to ask abou gelatine, do you think Dr. Oetker will be fine? This will be my first time with leaf gelatine so I am not sure which one choose.
Anyway great recipe and your step by step instruction it’s really helpful. I will be more than grateful for your advise.
The amount of fat in your cream cheese has nothing to do with the cake’s ability to set, so that shouldn’t be a problem at all. The gelatin is an important factor, however. I’m not familiar with Dr. Oetker’s, but I really don’t see why it wouldn’t work… Just be sure that you use full leaves, though, or double the amount if using half-leaves. Also too, I always say, when it comes to gelatin, that when in doubt, you’re always better off using a little more, than adding less. So if it makes you feel more secure, don’t hesitate to throw in a extra leaf or two! Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your response. Yes, this helps a lot. I am going to use your recipe this weekend and I will let you know how it goes.
Thank you for your great recipe! I made your cheesecake and it’s marvellous. I love it!
Real happy to hear, Klara! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can you do it without relating and condensed milk
Do you think this recipe could be made as mini cheesecake cupcakes?
Is golden yellow sugar the same as light brown sugar? 🙂