Key Lime Pie Mousse Cups

If you’re a fan of key lime pie, you’ll love these Key Lime Pie Mousse Cups! They’re creamy, tangy, and perfectly sweet with that irresistible graham cracker crunch. Best of all? No oven required.

This easy dessert is perfect for spring and summer gatherings, or when you just want a refreshing treat that doesn’t weigh you down. With just a few simple ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep, you can whip up a batch of these mousse cups that look impressive and taste even better.

Why You’ll Love These Mousse Cups:

• No baking is required– It is great for hot days or quick prep.
• Individual portions – Perfect for parties or family get-togethers.
• Bright, citrusy flavour – Made with fresh lime juice.
• Easy to make ahead – Chill them until you’re ready to serve.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

For the crust:

• Graham cracker crumbs: Give a bit of texture to the parfait and give cheesecake vibes.
• Sugar: Sweeten it up.
• Melted Butter: Gives moisture to the crumbs.

For the Mousse:

• Cream Cheese: Gives a bit of tang and cheesecake-like flavour.
• Whipping cream: makes it into a mousse-like texture.
• Fresh key lime juice (or regular lime juice): gives the lime flavour. Use fresh over bottled for the best flavour, but could use bottled.
• Vanilla: adds flavour.
• Salt: enhances the flavours.

Optional Toppings:

• Whipped Cream: extra whipped cream gives it an extra special touch and extra layers to add more dimension to the parfait.
• Lime zest and/or lime slices: I like to add a touch of lime zest on top for extra flavour and a sliced lime for garnish. Makes it look fancy too for presentation.
• Crushed graham crackers: for presentation.

Jars for Serving

I used these 8-oz jars for serving. They’re easy to store in the fridge and come with lids! You could also do mini 4-oz jars which are perfect for parties!

The 8 oz jars will give you 4 larger servings while the 4oz will give you 8 smaller servings.

You will need to repeat the layers for 8 oz servings but just one layer of each will do for a mini jar.

Instructions

Make the crust: In a small bowl, combine 2/3 cup of graham cracker crumbs, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir until the texture resembles wet sand. Spoon a couple of tablespoons into the bottom of each cup or jar, pressing down gently to form a crust layer.

Make the mousse: In a medium to large bowl, beat 4 oz of cream cheese until smooth. Add 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until fully combined and silky.

Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lime mixture until smooth and fluffy.

Assemble: Spoon or pipe the mousse over the graham cracker crust in each cup. Smooth the tops.

This recipe makes four 8-oz jars or eight mini 4-oz jars. If you’re making 8-oz jars, you can repeat layers of graham cracker crumbs and mousse and optional whipped cream like I did in the photos. However, if you want to make mini jars, just one layer of each will do!

Chill: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until set.

Make the Whipped Cream Topping (optional): Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon sugar (or pure maple syrup to make it a bit healthier), and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes.
Medium peaks fall between soft and stiff peaks—they hold their shape better than soft peaks but aren’t as firm as stiff peaks. This consistency is ideal for topping and piping desserts.

Garnish & serve: Just before serving, top with whipped cream, lime zest and/or sliced limes, and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.

This mousse is incredibly light thanks to the whipped cream, but still rich and creamy from the cream cheese. Paired with the buttery graham crust, it hits all the right notes—smooth, crunchy, tangy, and sweet.

Tips & Variations

• You can prepare the mousse a day in advance and garnish just before serving.
• Don’t have key limes? Regular limes work just fine.
• Make it extra festive with mini jars for party-ready bites.

Storage

Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. These cups are best served chilled straight from the fridge.

Have you tried these Key Lime Pie Mousse Cups?

Tag me on Instagram @tidbitsbytaylor or leave a comment below—I’d love to see your creations!

Did you make this recipe?

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