Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe

If you've been looking for a great key lime cheesecake recipe that is sure to impress, this is it! It's cool, refreshing and velvetty soft. Once you've tried this keylime cheesecake, you may never eat key lime pie again!

So, here's what you'll need:

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup of melted butter

For The Filling:

3 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of sour cream
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup of key lime juice (about 12 to 15 key limes)
1 tablespoon of key lime rind
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Okay, let's get started...

Gather together everything you need...and don't forget the eggs...I seem to have left them out of the picture!?!

Extract the juice of enough key limes to equal 1/3 of a cup (you can use a bottled key lime juice if you don't have access to fresh key limes). Zest enough key limes to equal 1 tablespoon of zest (zest is just the green part of the skin. Don't use the white part, it is bitter) or you can use regular lime zest (again, if you don't have access to key limes). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 10 inch springform pan.

In a medium size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix well.

Pat the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan an about 1/2 inch up the side. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sour cream and flour. When mixture is smooth....

Add the eggs, one at a time. Mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Add the key lime juice and the zest. Mix well.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 250 degrees F (don't remove the cheesecake from the oven). Continue baking for another 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and remove the outer ring of the springform pan.

Garnish with fresh whipped cream and key lime zest. You can use cool whip but fresh is so easy to make and tastes so much better!

To make fresh whipped cream:

2 cups of whipping cream
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla

In a large bowl, whip all of the ingredients together until stiff peaks form. This will only take a few minutes. Be careful not to over beat it the cream will turn to butter!

I hope you enjoy this key lime cheesecake recipe!