How's everyone doing with the crazy situation we're all in right now? Hopefully, you're not feeling too overwhelmed and down, but if you are, I've got the perfect citrus dessert to brighten you up! This vegan key lime pie is so creamy, dreamy, and tangy! With a crunchy graham cracker crust on the bottom and topped with rich coconut whipped cream, this plant-based dessert won't have you missing the traditional key lime pie!
How to substitute the eggs and condensed milk
The filling in a traditional key lime pie, a classic American dessert from Florida, is made using sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and key lime juice. Some recipes also call for sour cream for a creamier texture. In this vegan no-bake version, we combine Nature's Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk with key lime juice, cashews, and agar powder!
Traditionally, this pie is topped with meringue or whipped cream, but we're topping this vegan key lime pie with some of Nature's Charm coconut whipping cream!
How to make vegan key lime pie
Key lime pie's got to have a graham cracker crust! In a bowl with graham cracker crumbs, add a pinch of salt and some melted coconut oil. Mix together until combined and press it into a pie plate or 9-inch tart pan. Bake it in a preheated oven for 12 minutes at 325°F/160°C and let it cool completely.
Although the filling comes together in a blender, we first need to cook the agar. In a small pan or pot, add the agar powder and key lime juice. Heat it on medium until it reaches a boil and let it simmer for 3 minutes and let it cool slightly.
In a high powered blender, add the agar mixture, soaked cashews, lime zest, and Nature's Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk. Blend until smooth and pour it over the cooled graham cracker crust. Put it in the fridge to let it cool overnight!
If you use a tart pan as I did, you'll end up with some extra filling - enough to fill a ramekin. Just pour it into a ramekin or bowl and chill it in the fridge with the tart. You can eat it with some leftover graham crackers like a dip, or you can use it as a spread on cookies!
How to get perfect vegan whipped cream
Many people know that coconut cream makes for a great vegan substitute for whipped cream. But there are a few tips to getting it to be the perfect texture!
First, make sure your can of coconut whipping cream is chilled. It's best if you put it in the fridge a day in advance. I like to chill mine for a full 24 hours to ensure it's chilled to the center.
Second, make sure your bowl is chilled too! This, you can just stick it in the freezer for half an hour before you make the whipped cream.
Put the chilled, firm whipping cream into the chilled bowl and whip using an electric hand mixer for about 3 minutes. You can sweeten your cream with some powdered sugar if you like. I personally think the key lime pie is plenty sweet and flavorful on its own, you don't need to add any sweetener to the cream. But to each his own.
Can I use regular limes to make vegan key lime pie?
Yes! I didn't come across key limes at my local grocery store so I substituted with regular limes and it came out delicious! You can also use lemons instead of limes to make a lemon pie!
When I first started recipe testing for this vegan key lime pie, I tried baking it as you would a classic key lime pie, but it turned out to be a complete disaster! The filling was too runny and the graham cracker crust soaked it up while baking and expanded!
That's when I decided a no-bake method would be best. Using agar powder really helps to give it a pudding-like texture that's soft and creamy yet solid enough to slice!
I didn't expect to love this vegan key lime pie as much as I did! It's so delicious, I had a hard time stopping after one slice! If you need a sunny, citrusy plant-based dessert to brighten your day, this is the one for you!
Want more vegan desserts? Try my coconut macaroons or banana pudding!
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Vegan Key Lime Pie (No-Bake Recipe)
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1⅔ cup / 165g vegan graham cracker crumbs
- 7 tablespoons / 105ml coconut oil, melted
- pinch of salt
Key Lime Filling
- 2 cans / 640g Nature's Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk
- ⅓ cup / 50g raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
- ¾ cup / 180ml key lime juice
- 1 tablespoon / 15ml key lime zest
- 1 teaspoon / 5ml agar powder
Whipped Cream
- 1 can / 400ml Nature's Charm coconut whipping cream
Garnish
- key lime zest
- key lime slices
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C.
- In a bowl, add vegan graham cracker crumbs, salt, and melted coconut oil. Mix together until combined and press it into a pie plate or 9-inch tart pan. Bake it for 12 minutes and let it cool completely.
Key Lime Filling
- In a small pan or pot, add the agar powder and key lime juice. Heat it on medium until it reaches a boil and let it simmer for 3 minutes and let it cool slightly.
- In a high powered blender, add the agar mixture, soaked cashews, lime zest, and sweetened condensed coconut milk. Blend until smooth and pour it over the cooled graham cracker crust. Put it in the fridge to let it cool overnight.
Whipped Cream
- Put the chilled whipping cream into a bowl and whip using an electric hand mixer for about 3 minutes.
- Top the pie with as little or as much whipped cream, and garnish with some key lime zest and/or key lime slices.
Notes
- To make this truly no-bake, you can use a storebought graham cracker crust, or you can make a raw crust using nuts and dates!
- If you use a tart pan as I did, you'll end up with some extra filling - enough to fill a ramekin. Just pour it into a ramekin or bowl and chill it in the fridge with the tart. You can eat it with some leftover graham crackers like a dip, or you can use it as a spread on cookies!
- Tips to making good whipped cream: 1) Make sure your can of coconut whipping cream is chilled. It's best if you put it in the fridge a day in advance. 2) Make sure your bowl is chilled too! This, you can just stick it in the freezer for half an hour before you make the whipped cream.
SAVE THE RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER!
Disclosure – Thank you to Nature’s Charm for sponsoring this post! I love both their products and brand values, and I’m so excited to be working with them!
Joy of spanish cooking says
Looks fantastic!
Ai says
Thanks so much!!
Lucy says
I made this but my custard never firmed up enough to cut it without it leaking all over the place. The custard seems to have a very light set; not quite soupy, but not firm enough to hold the shape when I cut it. The flavor is wonderful. I just wish it would have firmed up properly.
I didn't have coconut oil so I subbed sunflower oil in the crust. Do you think that contributed to the pie not setting properly?
Can I put the pie in the oven after the fact and bake it to firm it up? I'm sure it's a stupid question but I'm just wondering if there's a way to fix it.
Ai says
Hi Lucy!
Sorry it didn't set properly. The crust shouldn't contribute to the filling not setting properly. Just to make sure, you drained the soaked cashews before adding it to the blender, right? Maybe there's a difference in agar powder, or the agar mixture didn't simmer long enough? It is meant to be a soft set, but it should hold its shape when cut... If you make it again, perhaps try doubling the amount of agar powder or cook it for longer. I wouldn't bake it to firm it up. Not a stupid question at all! I tried baking it when I was developing the recipe 😉
Thank you for trying my recipe and leaving a comment! Let me know if you do try it again 🙂
Lucy says
Hi Ai,
Thank you for your response. I'll definitely try this recipe again. I'm not sure where I went wrong with the custard setting, and even though the pie didn't set properly - the flavor was perfect!
Thank you for this recipe!
Ai says
Thank you Lucy! I love this pie so I hope it works out!! 😉
Catherine Bibow-Finucane says
Ok, it hasn't actually set yet, but it was all I could do to not eat all the filling before I poured it into the pie shell! It tastes amazing! Firming-up in the fridge at this moment.
Ai says
Oh I know exactly how you feel! I always leave a little in the bowl so I can "taste test" (snack). Hope you liked it!
Ashton says
Hi! I want to make this for a friend with a dairy allergy. So she can eat egg! Should I just sub 3 or so egg yolk in place of the agar & cashew? Excited to try your version! Thank you!
Ai says
Hi Ashton! This is a no-bake key lime pie recipe so if you add in eggs, you'll have to bake the pie. I'm not sure how long it'll take to bake or at what temperature.
Jacqueline says
I used 1/4c zest without making it taste more like lime than coconut.
There is no way 1t of agar will firm up that volume of liquid. You def need 1T for a soft set so I assume 1t is a typo. Otherwise, good pie that tastes more like a pina colada. 😁
Ai says
Glad you liked the pie! I actually did use 1t of agar for a soft set... but I've received a couple messages saying the pie didn't set for them, so maybe Japanese agar is stronger than other countries'? I'll have to remake it now that I've moved to Canada, and see if the agar here makes any difference.
Casey says
Delicious flavor, but never set up. I doubled the Agar and even boiled a little longer after reading reviews. Still only set to a pudding. Very delicious though.
Ai says
I'm so sorry it didn't set up Casey. I think the agar powder I used in Japan when I developed the recipe must have been stronger than the agar powder in other areas of the world. I still need to re-make this recipe and update this post. Thank you so much for your comment!
Jill G says
I am curious what the cashews add to the dessert? I need to also make a nut free dessert and thos would be perfect if the cashews aren't appart of the creaminess or thickening of the filling.
I read the reviews and desided to used 1Tbl of Agar Agar and it is the right piping consistency for the dessert cups. It wouldn't work if I was making it into a pie.
Deliciousness! I wouldn't know it was GF & DF. I decidednto use marshmallow cream and toast it for presentation and to add a bit more sweetness to the tartness of the filling.
Thank you for your recipe.
Erin says
I am wondering if I can use cornstarch instead?
Ai Willis says
Hi Erin! Although I've never tried it, I don't think the texture will be right with cornstarch.