Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Dessert Shooters (On Gingersnap Crusts!)

Tart, single-serving-sized key lime pie treats served in disposable shot glasses!

I took a long weekend last Friday.  I had a list of things I wanted to do… needed to do.  the kinds of things you keep a mental list of, filed under To Do… Eventually.

I had a whole free day and I was going to cross every one of them off.  There was the mountain of clothes that moved into the house with me but have never been touched that I’ve been meaning to sort through for the Goodwill.  I had the best intentions of organizing the “office” with its shelves and tables that are beginning to buckle under the weight of my 26,283 photography props, and of course I was going to clear out the nearly impassable stairs to the attic that are littered with random pieces of clothing and shoes and even more photography props that I just needed to get out of sight.

Instead, these happened.

And while I may have eaten them seated comfortably atop a pile of unsorted clothes, I have no regrets.

Zach actually helped me make these — he made the crusts (but refused to try the filling because he’s afraid of limes, or something), so maybe we can chalk that up to well-spent quality time.

Rather than use a traditional graham cracker crust, I notched it up with a crust made of gingersnaps for an extra slightly-spiced bite.  I’ll be sticking with this crust rather than the traditional from now on, but if you don’t like gingersnaps I included instructions in the recipe to substitute graham crackers instead.

Key Lime-flavored desserts have quickly been climbing the list of my favorite flavors.  I love the refreshing tartness, the subtle sweetness, and the crumbly crust.  Naturally, I assumed I would love it just as much in a creamy cheesecake base, and it worked out perfectly.

A homemade whipped cream adds a touch of airy sweetness to the key lime base — seriously, skip the store-bought toppings and make your own, it’s worth every second of whipping to stiff peaks.

Refreshingly tart, slightly spiced, and with a lighter-than-air whipped topping, these little treats are the perfect summertime party snack, (or perfect alternative to cleaning your house).

Hopefully your weekend was more productive than mine, but just as tasty.

Enjoy!

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Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Dessert Shooters (On Gingersnap Crusts!)

Prep Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 30 dessert shooters

Ingredients

Crust

• 2/3 cup gingersnap crumbs* about 13 cookies pulsed in a food-processor
• 1 Tbsp butter melted

Key Lime Cheesecake Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Key Lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Whipped Cream Topping**

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Lime zest/gingersnap crumbs for sprinkling over shooters -- optional

Instructions

Crust

1. Set out 32 2-oz disposable shot glasses.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, use a knife to stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter until combined.
3. Press 1 1/2-2 tsp of crumb mixture into the bottom of each shot glass.
4. Prepare your filling.

Filling

1. In a Kitchen-Aid/stand mixer (or using a hand-mixer), beat cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.
3. Gradually stir in key lime juice, stirring on low-speed until combined. Be sure to pause occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. In a separate (clean) bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold/slowly stir whipped cream into key lime mixture until completely combined.
6. Pour the mixture into a large ziploc bag and snip off one of the bottom corners. Pipe the filling on top of the gingersnap crusts in the shot glasses, filling each shot glass 3/4 of the way full.
7. Before serving, prepare your whipped cream topping.

Whipped cream

1. In a medium-large sized bowl, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
2. Whisk on high-speed (preferably with an electric mixer, otherwise your arm will get very tired very fast) until stiff peaks form.
3. Dollop or pipe whipped cream on top of each shooter.
4. Garnish with lemon zest and/or gingersnap crumbs, if desired.

Recipe Notes

*If you don't like gingersnaps, you can substitute with an equal amount of graham cracker crumbs and increase butter to 2 Tbsp
**Make whipped cream the day you plan on serving

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