Key Lime Cheesecake

This key lime cheesecake is so easy to make, yet it looks impressive. This no bake recipe features a macadamia nut crust with an ombre cheesecake filling. I am sharing this recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake as part of a sponsored post for the Melbourne Beach Villa Retreat in Florida.

I’ve been sharing key lime recipes all week and I left the best for last. This Key Lime Cheesecake is the best because not only was it creamy and delicious, but also because I made it while staying at an oceanfront villa in Melbourne Beach, Florida. I am super excited to show you the house, so I will start with there and finish with the recipe.

When my sisters, my mom and I started planning our once-in-a-lifetime vacation, we decided to look into renting a beach house since there would be so many of us on the trip. We found this wonderful oceanfront villa and after looking at the pictures, we knew this was the one we wanted to rent.

When we arrived at the townhouse we took a quick tour, squealing in delight at how gorgeous it all was and how we couldn’t believe we were going to be spending the next several nights there.

We knew from the pictures that it was going to be fabulous, but it was even more beautiful than we thought it would be.

The two-story spacious beach house has three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms spread over 2,900+ square feet.

The master bathroom featured a dual shower and whirlpool overlooking the beach. Each bedroom has a balcony and there is a screened in porch off of the family room. Plus, there is a guest house complete with another bed, kitchen, and bathroom.

As if that isn’t all fantastic enough, the townhouse has a private pool and hot tub with a walkway to the beach and a deck overlooking the ocean.

You can find more pictures here and rental information here.

The private beach was beyond gorgeous with white sand, clear blue-green water and tropical foliage along the beach’s edge. We started our mornings watching the sunrise while drinking cups of coffee, followed by a walk along the beach. We found shells as big as our fists, star fish and pieces of coral.

After breakfast, we spent a couple of hours sitting on the beach and swimming in the ocean. We saw crabs, fish, and dolphins in the water. After eating lunch, we went out to our private pool for a few hours of pure bliss. One evening we watched a breathtaking sunset over the Indian River at the Sebastian Inlet while dolphins splashed in the water in front of us. Another day we were delighted by a large group of manatee in the shallow cove at the Sebastian Inlet State Park (which is less than one mile from the beach house)!

As a food blogger, one of the things I was most excited about was the kitchen! I loved this kitchen as soon as I saw the pictures and I couldn’t wait to use it. We ate most of our meals at the large dining room table of the beach house and prepared our food in this kitchen. From the stainless steel appliances to the granite countertops, this kitchen was wonderful. It was stocked with all of the equipment and dishes we needed for our meals, desserts, and snacks. We ate everything from southwestern burritos to egg sandwiches for breakfast and chicken quesadillasto stir fry for dinner. Our desserts consisted of iced coffees, smoothies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies with ice cream and of course…key lime cheesecake.

I planned ahead for this dessert and made a test cheesecake at home. I knew that I wanted to make a special treat for us to share, but it had to be super easy because I was on vacation. I picked up the ingredients and the springform pan from one of the local grocery stores and made the cheesecake while everyone was getting ready to go out for the evening. I put in the fridge overnight and we enjoyed it the next day.

How To Make Key Lime Cheesecake

First, grind the macadamia nuts and mix them with the graham cracker crumbs.

Stir in the melted butter.

Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the crust in the freezer to harden and set.

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugar and the key lime juice. Stir in the whipped topping or whipped cream until smooth.

Divide the cheesecake batter between the bowls and dye the cheesecake three shades of green. Remove the springform pan from the freezer and spread the darkest shade of green cheesecake into the bottom of the pan.

Top with the middle shade and then the lightest shade of green cheesecake mixture. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

Before serving, remove the springform pan and pipe swirls of whipped topping or whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake.

Sprinkle the no bake cheesecake with key lime zest.

Cut into slices and enjoy! This key lime cheesecake is so easy to make, yet it looks impressive. The flavors and colors of this no bake recipe are perfect for summer or for amazing beach vacations.

You can find more information about how you can visit this little piece of paradise at the Oceanfront Beach Villa in Melbourne Beach, Florida here: http://bit.ly/melbournebeachvilla or via email at mybeachfrontretreat@gmail.com Let them know you saw the house on The Gunny Sack, but HURRY because the calendar fills up quickly.

For more pictures of the house, check out this mobile album: http://moblalbum.com/ntskcvcm9g3m