Vegan Key Lime Pie

Make this creamy Vegan Key Lime Pie with a buttery graham cracker crust and you’ll enjoy the delights of your efforts. A dairy-free key lime pie recipe is not only a possibility, it’s easy because this no-bake pie takes only minutes to prepare.

A slice of vegan key lime pie sits on a plate. It has whipped cream and lime slices on the pie. The rest of the pie is in the background.

Love vegan pies? Be sure to try this Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie, Vegan Strawberry Pie, or this Dark Chocolate Pie. They’re all fantastic and perfect for easy summer desserts.

I love summertime pies. For example, this vegan berry pie is a go-to favorite! Of course, I wanted to make a key lime pie vegan. After a few attempts, I created a winner!

When you’re looking for a no-bake pie, this is the best vegan key lime pie recipe around! It’s such a treat and I love the happy faces when it’s served. It’s a moment I get to enjoy as well because not only is it easy to make (with only 6 ingredients), but it’s the perfect balance between sweet and tart. I love it!

Key Ingredients for Key Lime Pie

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Graham cracker crust — Use a store-bought graham cracker crust (which are Accidentally Vegan) or make a homemade Vegan Graham Cracker Crust. Of course, I prefer homemade.
  • Key limes — You can find bags of little key limes in the produce section of most grocery stores in the spring and summer. You’ll need both the zest and the juice. See more on substitutions below.
  • Sweetened condensed milk — You can buy coconut cream sweetened condensed milk. Or you can make homemade vegan sweetened condensed milk.
  • Vegan cream cheese — I use either Tofutti’s or Daiya vegan cream cheese.
  • Silken tofu — Here’s more on buying tofu at the grocery store. You can usually find silken tofu in the produce section or at healthy food stores.
  • Coconut oil — I use refined coconut oil to create a firmer custard. Refined coconut has a more neutral flavor, but if you like coconut combined with lime, then use unrefined coconut oil.

Ingredient Spotlight

A bowl full of key limes sits on a table lined with cloth. There are several limes around the bowl, some of them cut open to reveal the flesh of the fruit.

What are Key Limes?

Key limes are a hybrid fruit and they’re smaller than the average lime and more aromatic. You find them in the summer in the produce section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find key limes, use lime juice combined with a bit of lemon juice. That creates a distinctive key lime flavor.

A slice of key lime pie sits on a plate with a fork in front of it with some of the pie on it. The rest of the pie is in the background.

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • BEST CRUST — A buttery graham cracker crust is the perfect foundation for this easy pie
  • TANGY — The zest of key limes makes for a tantalizingly tangy custard
  • COLORFUL — Adding a few spinach leaves or food coloring adds a burst of green color!
A key lime pie has several slices cut out, revealing the crust and filling. There's whipped cream and lime slices on top of the pie.

How to Juice Key Limes

Key limes are not your typical citrus fruit. They’re much smaller than standard limes and even lemons. Here are some favorite tips for zesting and juicing key limes.

To finely grate or zest key limes:

  1. Wash the limes.
  2. Only zest the outside part of the lime, the white skin underneath is bitter and not suited for pies.
  3. Microplane: It takes about 4 minutes to zest 6 key limes. Hold a microplane in one hand and the lime in the other and gently press the lime across the microplane, turning the lime as you go.
  4. Grater: Use a grater with fine holes and press the lime against it, turning the lime to zest only the outer layer.
  5. Knife: You can use a knife but it takes a bit longer. Hold the lime down on a cutting board and cut off thin strips of the peel. Dice the lime strips into fine pieces.

To juice key limes:

  1. It takes around 18 key limes to create 1/2 cup of juice. You can supplement with some lime juice.
  2. Microwave the key limes for 20 seconds to soften them.
  3. Cut a key lime in half (cutting through the rounder side rather than stem to stem).
  4. Remove any obvious seeds.
  5. Press it onto a juicer to soften it (or use a fork).
    A hand holds a key lime on a glass zester. There are fresh key limes around it along with several key limes that have already been juiced.
  6. Then press the lime between your fingers to get all the juice.
Looking down on a whole key lime pie with whipped cream dollops and lime slices around the edges.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this tasty summer pie as is, or add any of these as toppings:

Storage Tips

Store the entire pie or individual slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. The pie can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Serve the pie frozen by allowing it to thaw for a few minutes.

Looking down on a key lime pie with whipped cream dollops around the edges and lime slices.

Marly’s Tips

Use these tips and tricks for making this healthy key lime pie recipe perfect every time:

  • Transform this into a coconut key lime pie by using a can of coconut cream instead of the cream cheese.
  • Make a vegan gluten-free key lime pie by using gluten-free graham crackers for the crust.
  • Make a sugar-free key lime pie by substituting zero-calorie sweeteners.
  • Create a raw key lime pie by using the raw crust in this Raw Vegan Cheesecake.

Vegan Summer Desserts

There are so many delicious no-bake recipes ready for your summer dessert table. One favorite is this plant-based creme brulee recipe. It’s so easy, creamy, and delicious!

If you love this dairy-free key lime pie, here are even more easy vegan summer dessert recipes to try:

Looking down on a vegan key lime pie with whipped cream on top and lime slices.

Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie

You'll love the tangy, sweet flavors and creamy texture of this easy dairy-free key lime pie. This no-bake pie is made without eggs or dairy, making it a great dessert for everyone!
4.75 from 12 votes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 9
Calories: 292kcal

Ingredients

Key Lime Pie Filling

  • 2 tablespoons key lime zest
  • cup key lime juice
  • 11 oz can vegan sweetened condensed milk See notes for substitution
  • 8 oz container vegan cream cheese
  • 10 oz container silken tofu
  • ½ cup refined coconut oil
  • optional color: Add 1 to 2 drops organic green food coloring or add several fresh spinach leaves and process (use a high speed blender in order to blend the spinach leaves adequately).

Toppings

  • Topping: Dairy-free Whipped Topping and Raspberries

Instructions

  • Prepare the pie crust and bake at 350°F/175°C for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
    A hand presses the crust into a pie pan.

For the Key Lime Pie Filling:

  • Combine the pie filling ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse until combined.
    Looking down into a food processor bowl with ingredients like vegan cream cheese, silken tofu, sweetened condensed milk, and key lime zest.
  • Pour the pie filling into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight. It will firm up as it chills.
    Key lime filling is being poured into a graham cracker crust.
  • Serve with dairy-free cream whipped topping and fresh raspberries.

Serving the Pie:

  • Top the pie with dollops of coconut whipped cream and key lime slices.

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

The nutritional estimate does not include toppings.
You can substitute lime zest in place of key lime zest.
You can substitute or supplement lime juice for the key lime juice.
Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

This was a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. See our full disclosure for more information.

30 Responses to Vegan Key Lime Pie

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyLaurine Reply

    2 stars
    The flavour of this pie was excellent, but even after 5 hours my pie would not set up. I froze it, which was ok, but as soon as it started to thaw it turned into a soupy mess again.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Laurine. Did you use coconut oil? It’s usually firms up when refrigerated. I’m glad you liked the flavor!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMeghan Reply

    5 stars
    I loved this delicately sweet pie with the perfect tangy flavor!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyAlison Reply

    I am confused as I read some of the comments. People asking about agar agar flakes and vegetarian jello? I don’t see these ingredients in the recipe or in the blog post. I made it exactly like the recipe says and put it in the fridge but now am wondering if it is going to set?

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Alison, the recipe was adapted recently to remove the complicated ingredients and keep the recipe easy to make and still delicious!

Rate / Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.