This vegan key lime pie has a delicious coconut crust and a creamy filling that requires no soak time. Perfect for spring and summer potlucks!
Before you even start, I know that key lime pie is totally not is season right now, I know! While everyone else is drowning in pumpkin and apple everything, I’m just reaching for a piece of the long gone summer, trying to hold on to my favorite warm weather dessert.
I’ll admit that I’ve been meaning to make this pie ever since my cousin got married in Florida in August (I know, it’s been a few months. There were tacos to be eaten and stuff to be done!), especially since I hadn’t tried my hand at vegan key lime pie yet. A lot of the recipes I found involved cashew soaking or just freezing the filling, both of which were things I wasn’t really into.
I love cashews in desserts, but for this one, I wanted to ensure that the filling was creamy and dreamy, rather than struggle with getting the cashews blended just right to make them meld into a creamy filling, which often happens when an impatient baker like myself doesn’t let the cashews soak for long enough. Coconut milk was also another option to make a vegan key lime pie, but sometimes I don’t want to buy my millionth can of coconut milk. I just wanted something different!
That’s when it hit me: yogurt! The more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea of using coconut yogurt as the base for the key lime pie filling, especially since it has a built in tartness that this pie would need. I can’t speak to whether or not soy yogurt would work interchangeably with coconut yogurt, but it’s worth a try. Coconut yogurt does still have a good amount of fat in it, but it’s needed to make this pie indulgent without being heavy.
As for the coconut crust, I would highly recommend keeping this instead of the traditional graham cracker crust. Again, I was partially lazy and didn’t want to make a special trip to While Foods for vegan graham crackers (which can be a pain to track down anyway), and I know not everyone has ample access to a store with vegan graham crackers, so I wanted to make the crust easier. Shredded coconut serves as the base, but lends a bit of sweetness to the crust, while still providing a good, solid base for our tart filling.
If you want to get fancy, whip up some coconut whipped cream and dollop it on top of each slice as you serve it. I’m thinking we should throw a wintertime luau complete with Mai Tais and this homemade key lime pie, are you in?
Tips for making this vegan key lime pie
Use unsweetened coconut—To prevent this vegan key lime pie from becoming too sickeningly sweet, you need to use unsweetened shredded coconut. This is easy to find at any grocery store, and is likely in the baking section!
Use freshly squeezed lime juice—I know the bottled lime juice is nice to have on hand, but freshly squeezed lime juice is so much better. If you’re going to bother making this vegan key lime pie, go all the way and use real limes.
Chill before serving—Key lime pie needs to be chilled in the fridge before being served. If you skip this step, the pie won’t hold its shape and your slices will likely turn to mush on your plate. So yeah…chill it!
Use pure maple syrup—Real maple syrup is key here. Don’t buy the artificially flavored stuff, or else your pie will 1) taste gross, and 2) won’t hold together well.
More vegan pie recipes on Heart of a Baker:
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie
- Vegan Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie with Rice Krispies Crust
- Mixed Berry Streusel Pie with Coconut Ginger Whipped Cream
- Brown Sugar Vegan Peach Pie
Vegan Key Lime Pie with Coconut Crust
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
This vegan key lime pie has a delicious coconut crust and a creamy filling that requires no soak time. Perfect for spring and summer potlucks!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 3/4 cups shredded (unsweetened coconut)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 2 1/2 cups coconut yogurt (I used So Delicious variety, but I know Trader Joe’s carries a variety as well)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Juice of 2–3 limes (1/2 cup lime juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a pie plate or tart pan and set aside.
To make the crust:
- In a small bowl, stir together the shredded coconut, maple syrup, vanilla extract and flour. The mixture should stick together, but still be easy enough to press into a pan.
- Press the coconut mixture into the pie or tart pan, pressing the crust evenly into the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until coconut starts to lightly brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
To make the filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut yogurt, cornstarch, maple syrup, vanilla extract and lime juice.
- Pour whisked filling into the coconut crust and bake for 35-40 minutes. The crust should be a deep golden brown and the filling will be somewhat set.
- Allow pie to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before serving.
Keywords: vegan key lime pie, key lime pie recipe
Lindsey | Mabel & the Wooden Spoon says
YES. I could so use a little taste of summer back in my life. I’ve tried my hand at making vegan key lime pies in the past and have used coconut milk and silken tofu. The coconut milk adds so much flavor, which is delicious, but just doesn’t produce a true key lime pie. The tofu is fine, if boring, but doesn’t hold up super well. This, though, this looks like a winner of a recipe.
The Frosted Vegan says
Ah, that’s how I felt too! Glad we are on the same page, enjoy! xoxo
[email protected] says
Coconut yogurt and key lime pie…. that sounds AMAZING!!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Kate!! : )
Kristen says
I actually prefer citrus desserts this time of year because it makes me think of the tropics! This looks amazing!
The Frosted Vegan says
I feel the same way Kristen! It seems like I’m already missing summer, so I’ll take this to remind me of a warmer place : )
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
This looks so delicious!! I’m into pies no matter what time of the year.
The Frosted Vegan says
Agreed Jessica!
juliaroastedroot says
Move the heck over, pumpkin! Gimme a slice of lime-y deliciousness! I’ve been meaning to make a vegan key lime pie for a while, but like you, I was feeling kinda blah about the cashew soaking. This is such a fool-proof (read:Julia-friendly) recipe that I must try it asap! And I LOVE the coconut crust!
The Frosted Vegan says
Haha, ‘Julia friendly’! I’m just not patient enough sometimes, I just want pie in my face RIGHT NOW.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Oh wow, this looks awesome! That filling is calling to me!!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thanks Katrina, it’s so so good!
mywifemakes says
I just came across your blog and I’m completely in love with it! And look at that key lime pie!! Yum! Gonna show my husband your blog because I’m trying to turn him vegan, and I think all your yummy stuff may help me in convincing him. Haha.
Amrita @ mywifemakes
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Amrita, welcome, I’m glad you found me! Best of luck with your hubby, my fiance is slowly starting to like vegan versions of different foods, so hope yours does the same as well! : )
Linda and Alex @ Veganosity says
Hi Abby, I just found your blog and I love it! I’m grew up just north of Milwaukee so I already like you. 🙂 My son loves key lime pie, and I’ve made a key lime cheesecake with cashews, but I really like the idea of using coconut yogurt. I can’t wait to try this!
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi there! Hooray, so glad you find me! I am loving Milwaukee so anytime you want to chat about the Cream City, I’m here : ) I hope you try it and love it as much as I did!
Richa {VeganRicha.com} says
oooh it looks so creamy and perfect! great Idea Abby.
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you! : )
I Wilkerson says
I saw the tweet and you inspired me. In fact I think I may be bringing a key lime pie with my apple for Thanksgiving!
The Frosted Vegan says
Hooray! It’s unexpected, so what a nice change from the usual desserts : )
Sophie33 says
I made your delicious vegan pie & loved it immensely! It was superb, my hubby Peter agreed with me! x
Elizabeth says
My daughter made this and loved it! I made it tonight and it was a huge hit! This recipe will be a keeper for sure! And it was SOOO easy! I can’t beliebe there is no oil except to grease the pan. Yummm!
The Frosted Vegan says
This makes me SO happy to hear! Thank you for sharing Elizabeth! Enjoy the leftovers 🙂
sarah says
I can only find the coconut yogurt in small containers. Do they have a large container of or did you buy the small containers? If you bought the small ones, how many did you buy?
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Sarah! I actually found a large container at Trader Joe’s, but if you can only find small containers I would say that one is probably equal to about a cup. I hope that helps!
Lauren S says
I know it’s not vegan, but does anyone know if this will work with Greek yogurt? I’m wondering if the Greek yogurt will still have a good texture after being baked?
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Lauren, I don’t know if anyone has tried it, so let me know if you do!
Lauren says
Will do!
Margaret says
Hi, I tried this recipe and followed it exactly. Sorry but the filling did NOT get firm enough to me more than a loose pudding.
Heart of a Baker says
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that! Mine held up pretty firm, so I am going to re test and report back with the results!
Marisa says
May I ask a stupid question.? If this is a vvegan recipe howncan you use coconut yogurt.. Just curious. Thx
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Marisa! Coconut yogurt is vegan, made from coconut milk, so there is no dairy in it!
Christel says
Do you think it could work using soy yoghurt? I could not find any coconut yoghurt where I live (Switzerland).
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Christel! It should work fine with soy, go for it!
Lindsy says
Did you use a glass baking dish? My did not get firm and mostly just stayed liquidy. I am wondering if it makes any difference that I used a baking pan.
Renee says
I just made this last weekend and it was a huge hit! I found that the coconut crust when applying it in the tart pan was a bit difficult to stick together completely at first but I kept working at it for a couple minutes and it all fell into place. My mom loved it so much that she immediately asked me for the recipe and asked for extra slices to bring to her friend’s house. She also couldn’t believe it was vegan and had NO refined sugar. I also used 7 actual key limes and added a bit of the zest into the filling, but honestly, I am sure it is just as delicious with regular limes.
Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Veronica says
We’ll shoot. The filling was delicious as I was making it. Accidently bought almond yoghurt but not enough, so mixed it with additional coconut yoghurt to round out to correct amounts. Added zest of 1 lime, and popped it in the oven to bake. After an hour, it’s still not set, but my crust is burnt. I’m sure it’ll taste delicious once it’s cooled, but it’ll be soupy. Wonder what happened? I also baked in a glass pie dish.
Kayla says
What kind of pie dish did you use? I have a glass one and a ceramic one…i think 9”?
Heart of a Baker says
You can use either, as long as it’s around 9 inches!
Gina says
This looks yummy! So making this. How do you think this filling would work in a bar cookie…possibly a crumb bar cookie? Shortbread base with possibly some coconut mixed in..save some to sprinkle on top before baking ?
Andrea says
WOW! This was incredible. I used a King Arthur gluten free flour mix, which worked great. I have a key lime tree in my yard, and this will be my go-to recipe. THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Heart of a Baker says
So happy to hear you loved it!