This easy and delicious Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie recipe is perfect for those with dietary restrictions or those who simply prefer a dairy-free dessert. The key lime filling is tart and sweet, and the graham cracker crust is perfectly crumbly. This is the perfect dessert to serve at your next gathering!
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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy recipe. This recipe only uses simple ingredients and comes together in just two mixing bowls making it a perfect summer dessert.
- Great for allergies. This dairy-free take on the traditional key lime pie makes it great for those with a dairy allergy or intolerance. It can also easily be made gluten-free, meaning everyone can enjoy it!
- Refreshing. The tartness of the key lime juice and the sweetness of the condensed coconut milk make this pie a refreshing dessert option for summer. For another refreshing summer dessert, try my rustic cherry galette.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
- Graham crackers. Any brand of graham crackers will work. If you want this recipe to be gluten-free make a gluten-free graham cracker crust.
- Vegan butter. Use any brand of vegan butter for the crust. Melted coconut oil is a great substitute for melted butter and will give this pie an even bigger coconut flavor.
- Limes. I have made this recipe with both true key limes and traditional Persian limes, which you will find in every store. Either will work, however, key limes are much smaller in size so you will need more of them.
- Sweetened condensed coconut milk. This is what gives this pie, its classic key lime pie flavor. It adds a sweetness to this pie. You can find this in the grocery store next to the traditional condensed milk cans. You can make your own by heating coconut milk or coconut cream on the stove with maple syrup or another sweetener until it thickens.
- Egg yolks. Egg yolks mohelp to thicken the filling of the key lime pie. I have not tested this recipe with an egg substitute so this is a non-vegan version.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. To a large bowl, add the graham crackers, sugar and butter and mix them together.
Step 2: Pour the crust into the pie pan and use your fingers to spread it evenly on the bottom and up the side of the pie dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Step 3: Turn the oven up to 350 degrees F. Add all of the filling ingredients, aside from lime zest to the bowl of a stand mixer or use a bowl and a handheld mixer. Whisk on high speed to combine then stir in the zest.
Step 4: Pour mixture into the crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set on the outside but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Then place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight. Slice and enjoy!
💭Recipe FAQS
Key limes are traditionally however, they are not always available in every grocery store. Whole Foods typically has key limes but if you can't find them, you can use regular limes instead as I did for this recipe. Key limes are slightly more acidic but either way the pie will taste great.
I have not tested this recipe with any egg substitute but if you wish to make it vegan, you can try using a flax egg, chia egg or vegan egg replacer.
Yes, you can make the pie in advance. The pie has to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight so I recommend making this the day before you plan on serving it or first thing that morning.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- I recommend fresh lime juice over bottled juice as it tastes better and is fresher.
- Bake the key lime pie filling until it is jiggly (like jello) in the center. It will continue to set in the fridge. You may have to adjust the baking time to just 15-20 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs.
- Let the pie completely set and cool before slicing and serving. Chilling it for at least 6 hours in the fridge is recommended. You can also freeze the pie for 30 minutes to 1 hour to make it easier to slice.
- This pie will last 3-5 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze the pie for up to 2 months.
🥧Serving
Serve the pie on its own or top it with a coconut whipped cream. The pie makes for a great dessert after enjoying Grilled St. Louis Ribs, Zucchini Salad with Feta and Warm Potato Salad for dinner.
More Dessert Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
🍳Recipe
Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Citrus Squeezer
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers, about 12 cookies
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons dairy-free butter, melted
Filling
- ½ cup key lime or regular lime juice
- 2 tablespoons lime zest
- 15-16 ounces sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons flour
- Dairy-free whipped cream, optional for topping
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- To crush the graham crackers, add them to a food processor or blender and pulse until they are crushed to fine crumbs.
- Add the graham crackers to a bowl with the sugar and butter and mix them together.
- Pour the crust into the pie dish and use your fingers to spread it evenly on the bottom and up the side of the pie dish. A measuring cup will help to flatten out the crust and push it into the edges.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
- Turn the oven up to 350 degrees F.
Filling
- Add all of the ingredients, aside from lime zest to the bowl of a stand mixer or use a bowl and a handheld mixer. Whisk to combine.
- Stir in the lime zest and then pour the filling over the crust.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set on the outside but still slightly jiggly in the middle, don't let it brown.
- Remove from the oven and let the pie cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Then place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight.
- Top the pie with coconut whipped topping and more lime zest, if desired before serving. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I recommend fresh lime juice over bottled juice as it tastes better and is fresher.
- Bake the key lime pie filling until it is jiggly (like jello) in the center. It will continue to set in the fridge. You may have to adjust the baking time to just 15-20 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs.
- Let the pie completely set and cool before slicing and serving. Chilling it for at least 6 hours in the fridge is recommended. You can also freeze the pie for 30 minutes to 1 hour to make it easier to slice.
- This pie will last 3-5 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze the pie for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Casey Partee says
When I tried to bake the pie, it didn’t set without browning on top. Then, when I put it in the fridge for over 6 hours and the freezer for 1 hour, it still came out soupy even with the burned top. It still tastes good, but I’m disappointed that it didn’t turn out.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Casey, I'm so sorry about this! Does your oven tend to run hot? This could cause it to brown. It should still be quite jiggly like jello when it comes out of the oven. If you want to try making it again, I would try baking it for 15-20 minutes. I believe my oven doesn't run very hot. However, I've never run into the issue of it not setting in the fridge and freezer for that long.
I will add some notes to the recipe.
Nina K says
so delicious and good very easy to make too highly recommend make the night before for best results
Sarah Holt says
So happy you enjoyed them Nina!