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Key Lime Pie Parfaits

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make.

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make. #BrunchWeek TheRedheadBaker.com

Welcome to the fourth annual #BrunchWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We are so excited to have you join us this year as we celebrate brunch and prepare for Mother's Day. Thirty-seven bloggers from around the country will showcase their best brunch dishes, from cocktails to cakes, breakfast breads, tarts, and quiche — there is something for everyone!

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My fiance has been asking me to make key lime pie (or at least something key lime flavored) for quite some time. He loves key lime, but me, not so much. I knew he couldn't eat a whole pie on his own before it went bad, and I hate wasting food like that.

When I was researching parfait flavor ideas for BrunchWeek, I came across a key lime parfait. I could finally make his key lime treat!

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make. #BrunchWeek TheRedheadBaker.com

Key limes are similar to regular limes, but smaller, and slightly sweeter. I have never seen key limes for sale in grocery stores near me, but a few specialty stores do carry key lime juice. I used the juice for the custard, You can use freshly squeezed juice from regular limes for this recipe, too. I used regular limes for the grated zest garnish. I received a Better Zester from our BrunchWeek sponsor, Kitchen IQ, and I love this zester. The metal is has a food-safe nonstick coating, no more trying to get tiny bits of zest out of the blades. It also has a plastic cover, so you grate into the cover, which has measurement hash marks, so no more guessing if you've grated the right amount. When you pull the storage container off to get your measured zest, it has a squeegee that makes sure you remove all of the zest from the grater.

I used regular sweetened condensed milk in this recipe, but if you'd like to make it a little healthier, you can use non-fat condensed milk. Don't confuse it with evaporated milk, the two are different, and not interchangeable. The custard seemed rather loose and not-custard-like when first mixed, but I chilled it a bit before layered with the crumbs, and it thickened up nicely.

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make. #BrunchWeek TheRedheadBaker.com

I used a combo of graham cracker crumbs and shortbread crumbs in this crust, but you can use straight graham cracker crumbs, or include ground macadamia nuts, if you like. You just need a total of 1 ½ cups of whatever combination of crumbs you prefer. For the shortbread cookies, I used Girl Scout cookies, but there are a few options for plain shortbread cookies in grocery stores.

In spite of my claims earlier in this post that I'm not a key lime fan, this parfait may have changed my mind. Obviously, I wasn't going to blog about a recipe I didn't taste. I intended to only have a taste of the parfait, so I could accurately describe it to you, but I ended up eating an entire parfait myself! The key lime flavor in the custard is milder than that of the traditional pie. I absolutely loved it.

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make. #BrunchWeek TheRedheadBaker.com

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make. #BrunchWeek TheRedheadBaker.com

Key Lime Pie Parfaits #BrunchWeek

Yield: 4 servings

Chill a large mixing bowl and whisk in the refrigerator to make whipping the cream easier.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 to 4 full sheets
  • ¾ cup shortbread cookie crumbs, about 15 small round cookies
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup key lime juice
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
  • 3 tablespoon Dixie Crystals confectioners sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract
  • Freshly grated lime zest and/or thinly sliced lime, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and the shortbread cookie crumbs. Set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream with the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract until medium firm peaks form. Reserve ½ cup for topping the parfaits.
  4. Fold the remaining cream into the condensed milk mixture until fully incorporated.
  5. Place 2 tablespoon of the crumb mixture in each of 4 parfait glasses or stemless wine glasses.
  6. Place ¼ cup of the key lime custard in each of the glasses. Repeat with another layer of crumbs, then more custard, more crumbs, and more custard. Top with a quarter of the reserved whipped cream, and garnish with a pinch of freshly grated lime zest.

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Adapted from Cooking Light

Key lime pie parfaits — all the flavor of the pie without the work! This no-bake layered dessert is quick and easy to make. #BrunchWeek TheRedheadBaker.com

Discover more #BrunchWeek recipes

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BrunchWeek Desserts:

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Vidalia Onion Committee, Sage Fruits, Nielsen-Massey, KitchenIQ, and Le Creuset for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own. The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up only. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Eight winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #BrunchWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

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Judy

Thursday 13th of June 2019

I made these for a church luncheon and the ladies went crazy over it, in other words they loved it.

Coleen

Friday 14th of June 2019

Fantastic! Comments like these make my day!

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Tricia M

Sunday 1st of October 2017

This is so good. I made it before starting dinner and it came out perfect. Wish I can post a picture.

Coleen

Sunday 1st of October 2017

Hi Tricia -- I'm so glad you liked it! You can post a picture on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/redheadbaker/, if you'd like! I'd love to see it.

Judy

Saturday 8th of April 2017

I'd like to make these into dessert shooters:). Do you think these could be made a day in advance?

Coleen

Saturday 8th of April 2017

Hi Judy, you can try. My only concern would be that the cookie crumbs would get soggy.

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