Vegan Key Lime Pie
Make the ultimate Vegan Key Lime Pie with zero oven time! This creamy, zesty no-bake pie uses a quick microwave trick for a rich filling without stovetop cooking.
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Make this ultra-creamy Vegan Key Lime Pie for the ultimate summer treat! With a buttery graham cracker crust and a silky, zesty custard, it delivers all the bright, tart flavor of a traditional key lime pie—without turning on your oven or stovetop.
While many vegan key lime pies require cooking cornstarch on the stove, this recipe uses a quick microwave shortcut and silken tofu to keep things 100% heat-free, fast, and light. It takes just minutes to prep in a food processor!
If you love simple, crowd-pleasing plant-based desserts, this is bound to become a go-to favorite alongside my Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie and luscious Dark Chocolate Pie.
In this Post
Watch How to Make This Pie
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Graham cracker crust — Use a store-bought graham cracker crust (many popular brands are Accidentally Vegan) or make a homemade Vegan Graham Cracker Crust with graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted vegan butter.
- Key Limes — Look for bags of fresh key limes in the produce section during spring and summer. You’ll use both the zest and the fresh juice! Substitution: If key limes aren’t available, combine standard lime juice with a splash of fresh lemon juice to mimic that signature aromatic punch.
- Cornstarch — This acts as our heat-free thickening secret weapon! Microwaving it briefly with the key lime juice creates a thick gel that sets the pie filling without needing any stovetop cooking or extra oil.
- Sweetened condensed milk — You can buy coconut cream sweetened condensed milk. Or you can make homemade vegan sweetened condensed milk.
- Vegan cream cheese — Use your favorite tub of vegan cream cheese (like Tofutti’s, Daiya, or Violife) to give the pie a rich, cheesecake-like tangy finish.
- 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.
- Natural Green Color (Optional) — For that classic key lime tint, toss a few fresh spinach leaves into your food processor or blender—they add color without altering the flavor at all! Or, use 1 to 2 drops of organic green food coloring.
Ingredient Spotlight
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.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- 100% Heat-Free & No-Bake: No stove or oven needed! A quick microwave shortcut gelatinizes the cornstarch so you can keep your kitchen cool.
- Ultra-Creamy Texture: Combining silken tofu and vegan cream cheese creates a silky, melt-in-your-mouth filling without needing cups of heavy oil.
- Tangy Key Lime Flavor: Fresh key lime juice and aromatic zest deliver that signature bright, sweet-tart flavor profile in every bite.
- Budget & Reader Friendly: Uses just one can of sweetened condensed milk (plus an optional splash of maple syrup) so you don’t have to break the bank on extra specialty ingredients.
How to Make Vegan Key Lime Pie
Making this pie is shockingly simple, and the best part? Your oven gets the day off! Grab your blender or food processor, and let’s walk through it together step-by-step:
Step 1: Prep the No-Bake Crust
Start by mixing your graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted vegan butter together in a bowl until it feels like wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pie pan (pro tip: use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack it down nice and tight so it doesn’t crumble later!). Pop it in the freezer while we make the filling so it sets nice and firm.
Step 2: Make the Microwave Cornstarch Gel
This is our secret weapon to skip the stovetop! In a small microwave-safe bowl, whisk together your key lime juice, key lime zest, and cornstarch until smooth. Microwave in 30-second bursts, giving it a quick stir between each one. After about a minute or so, it will transform into a thick, glossy gel. Set that aside for just a moment.
Step 3: Blend the Filling
Add your silken tofu, vegan cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk right into your food processor or high-speed blender. Scrape in that warm zesty cornstarch gel you just made. Blend everything on high until it’s completely smooth, silky, and creamy!
- Flavor Check: Give it a quick taste-test with a spoon! If you want it a touch sweeter to balance the lime juice, pour in 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup and pulse to combine.
- Color Tip: Want that signature pastel green look? Throw a small handful of fresh spinach leaves or a drop of organic green food coloring right into the blender before your final pulse!
Step 4: Pour and Chill
Pour your thick, velvety filling into your chilled graham cracker crust and smooth out the top with a spatula. Transfer the pie to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight if you’re prepping ahead). As it chills, that cornstarch gel and tofu will lock everything into place so you get clean, beautiful slices.
Step 5: Slice and Serve!
When you’re ready to serve, top the pie with dollops of vegan whipped cream, extra lime zest, or fresh berries, and dig in!
How to Juice Key Limes
Key limes are much smaller and seedier than standard limes, which means they take a little extra love to zest and juice. Here are my favorite tips to make the job quick and easy:
To Zest Key Limes:
- Wash & Dry: Give your limes a thorough wash and dry them completely before zesting.
- Avoid the Pith: Zest only the thin green outer skin. Stop as soon as you reach the white layer underneath, which can add bitter notes to your filling.
- Best Tool (Microplane): Hold a microplane or fine zester over a small bowl, gently sliding the lime across the grates while rotating it. It takes about 4 minutes to zest six key limes!
- No Zester? Use the finest side of a box grater, or slice very thin strips of green peel with a sharp knife and mince them finely.
To Juice Key Limes:
- The Microwave Trick: Microwave your key limes for 15 to 20 seconds before cutting. Warming them up softens the membranes and releases way more juice!
- Slice Horizontally: Cut through the equator (the round middle) rather than stem-to-stem.
- De-Seed: Pop out any visible surface seeds with the tip of your knife.
- Squeeze: Use a handheld citrus press, a wooden reamer, or squeeze them firmly between your fingers into a measuring cup. (Pro tip: Pass the juice through a fine-mesh strainer to catch any hidden seeds!)
Serving Suggestions
Serve this tasty summer pie as is, or add any of these as toppings:
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Fresh Raspberries
- Strawberry Puree
- Vegan Chocolate Syrup
- Blueberry Sauce
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.
Marly’s Tips
Use these tips and tricks for making this healthy key lime pie recipe perfect every time:
- Don’t Rush the Microwave Gel: Whisk the cornstarch into the lime juice thoroughly before heating. Microwave in 30-second bursts until it turns thick and glossy so your filling sets completely firm.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Simply swap standard graham crackers for your favorite gluten-free graham crackers in the crust—the rest of the filling is naturally gluten-free!
- Glitz it Up: Throw a few fresh spinach leaves into the blender for a natural pastel-green tint without adding artificial dyes or altering the flavor.
- Give it Time to Chill: Let the pie rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight) so the cornstarch gel and tofu lock everything together for clean, photo-worthy slices!
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Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie
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Ingredients
No-Bake Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons vegan butter melted
Key Lime Pie Filling
- 2 tablespoons key lime zest , divided
- ½ cup key lime juice
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups vegan sweetened condensed milk (See notes)
- 8 oz container vegan cream cheese
- 10 oz container silken tofu
- 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
- Mix crumbs, melted fat, and brown sugar. Press into base and up the sides of 9-inch springform pan. Press it firmly into the pan, using the back of a measuring cup to press it tightly, to prevent crumbling when you cut slices. Chill in the fridge or freezer. while you assemble filling.
For the Key Lime Pie Filling:
- Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of key lime zest, juice, maple syrup, and cornstarch in a microwave safe bow. Stir to combine. Then microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between each, to achieve a thick gel-like substance. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining pie filling ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the zesty cornstarch mixture and pulse again.
- Assess your filling. Is it sweet enough? If not, add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup. If you want it to be greener, add a few spinach leaves and pulse again (or 1 drop of green food coloring).
- Pour the pie filling into the chilled pie crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight. It will firm up as it chills.
- Serve with dairy-free cream whipped topping and the remaining lemon zest sprinkles.
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
Video
Nutrition
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.
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:
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.
Frequently-Asked Questions
Can I use regular lime juice instead of key limes?
Yes! Standard Persian limes work great. To mimic the distinct floral punch of key limes, combine $\frac{1}{3}$ cup standard lime juice with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
Can I freeze this pie?
Absolutely. Freeze the un-topped pie tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for a few hours or slice directly from frozen for an ice-cream-pie texture!
Why did my filling turn out runny?
This usually happens if the cornstarch slurry wasn’t microwaved long enough to fully gelatinize into a thick gel, or if the pie wasn’t chilled long enough before slicing.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
29 Responses to Vegan Key Lime Pie
Rate / Comment
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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.
Hi Laurine. Did you use coconut oil? It’s usually firms up when refrigerated. I’m glad you liked the flavor!
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?
Hi Alison, the recipe was adapted recently to remove the complicated ingredients and keep the recipe easy to make and still delicious!
Will this pie freeze well?
Hi Lizzie. I have frozen this pie and it was delicious! Thanks for your note, I’ll add something about this to the post.
Wayyy too tart. I could hardly eat it. I’d use less limes and more sugar.
Hi Meghan. Thanks for your comment. Sweetness is such a personal thing. We really love the tart, lightly sweet flavor of this pie. If you want more sweetness, you could drizzle a little bit of agave nectar over the top of each slice. Hope that helps!
I substituted corn starch for the agar agar (since I couldn’t find it) it’s also vegan- I think my limes weren’t quite ripe enough as it came it a tad too tart, but otherwise, the texture was wonderfl.
I must have done something wrong. Mine came out so bitter I couldn’t eat it. : (
Did you use key limes?
Do youwant the jello to be runny? In the directions it just says cooled, so not solid? And I plan to use gelatin which i know isn’t vegan but as a substitue it says online that it is a 1:1 ratio.
Hi Mariah! Thanks for your visit. I refrigerate the vegetarian jello in this recipe, which means it firms up. This is a good question and I will add it to the recipe notes. I can’t speak to gelatin because I never use it, since it’s not vegetarian. I really love working with agar agar and you can find it at health food stores and Asian markets as well.
Where I live the only healthfood store got closed down a few years ago, and next is in seattle 4hr away.
Oh, that is a long drive. I feel your pain. We didn’t use to have many health food stores and the ones we had were not very good. Kinda nut and twiggy! But now we have several. I will keep my fingers crossed for you that some return to your town. In the meantime, you can buy agar agar online. That’s the brand I use. It is pricey, but it lasts a long time. I know this won’t arrive in time for tomorrow’s dinner, but thought I’d give you that resource for next time. Hugs!!
I can’t wait. I’m going to make this tomorrow. I found key limes today for the first time in years!
Key limes are a great find!
What is the fat content ? Since you are using coconut oil , what is the cholesterol level in the pie?
Hi Mian. This recipe does not have any animal products in it which means it is cholesterol-free. Here’s a video by Dr. Gregor talking about cholesterol and plant-based diets: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/optimal-cholesterol-level/
I bet basil leaves instead of spinach leaves would be even better
Hi Wendy! Well, the thing I like about spinach leaves is it adds a little color without impacting the flavor of the pie. The basil would definitely add some flavor. I can’t decide if I would like that or not, but it would definitely be fun to try it! Let me know how it goes!
I love key lime pie,but where do l get the agar flakes and vegan produce?
You can buy agar agar flakes at most health food stores. I bought mine at Natural Grocers and it can be found in the Asian section. The other products, like the vegan cream cheese and vegan yogurt, can be purchased at health food stores, but I also find it in the health food section of our grocery store.
I Ike your recipes gives me some new ideas.Thanks.
Ideas = awesome! <3
Is there a substitute for tofu, it’s not that I don’t like it, but recently found out I am allergic to soy, as well as dairy and wheat. I use a lot of vegan substitutes like Daiya cream cheese and So Delicious dairy free coconut milk yogurt. I would buy more Silk if it wasn’t mostly soy products.
Hi Arianne. Sorry to hear about your soy allergy. This recipe might be difficult to make soy-free. If I were going to try it, I would probably add a cup of soaked and drained cashews and coconut milk yogurt. Blend that with everything else until it’s very smooth. I can’t guarantee that will set as firmly as the one above, but it should taste pretty good. Let me know how it goes!
I love Key Lime Pie and what a dream to be able to make it Vegan!
I’m with you! Hope you love it like we do!