Vegan Key Lime Pie (No Bake, No Cashews)

This vegan key lime pie recipe is not like your traditional key lime pie. It uses a high volume of fresh lime juice and zest to create a delicious lime curd filling, similar to the lemon curd in vegan lemon meringue pie.

The result is an ultra flavorful bright and zesty filling that is complimented by sweetened coconut cream and a gingery cookie crust. It's one of those pie recipes that's just perfect for summer!

slice of vegan key lime pie with gingernut crust and coconut cream topping.

What to expect from this recipe

Made with just 8 main ingredients
Eggless and dairy-free
Easy no-bake pie crust that comes together in a food processor
Tangy lime curd filling made using fresh limes

Key limes vs regular limes

Traditional key lime pie uses "key limes" also known as Mexican limes, which have a punchier flavor than regular limes. They're not always easily found around the world, so don't sweat, regular limes will work perfectly for this recipe. In fact, this vegan key lime pie recipe uses a decent amount of both fresh lime juice and zest giving it a really tangy punchy flavor.

metal tray of ingredients for making vegan key lime tart.

Ingredients overview

Fresh limes: The main ingredient for this recipe is fresh lime juice and zest. I do not recommend using bottled lime juice, you'll want the fresh stuff.
Coconut milk: This dairy-free key lime pie is made with coconut milk instead of condensed milk.
Soy milk: You can use any plant-based milk of your choice for this recipe.
Caster sugar/superfine sugar
Cornstarch/cornflour: This is the thickening agent for the lime curd filling.
Matcha powder: This ingredient is completely optional, but it adds a pop of green color to your lime custard. You can also use wheatgrass powder, moringa powder, spinach powder.
Vegan cookies: I like to use gingernut cookies as the ginger flavor compliments the lime so well. You can use any vegan cookies of your choice, digestive, biscoff, or graham crackers will work well.
Vegan butter: This is added to the cookies to create a base for the lime tart.
Sea salt: This is optional but helps to balance the sweetness.

How to make this recipe (with step-by-step images)

(Full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post)

The crust for this vegan lime pie is incredibly easy to make and requires no baking! Simply add the dry ingredients (cookies and sea salt) to a food processor and blitz them to a fine crumb consistency. Then add in the vegan butter and blend again to form a dough consistency.

biscuit base blended in a food processor.

Next press the cookie crust into the base and sides of a greased tart tin with a removable base. I recommend also lining the base with some parchment paper to make it easier to remove once set.

You can use a cup measure or flat bottomed glass to smooth out the surface of the crust.

pressing cookie crust into a pie tin with a cup measure.

Step 2: Lime curd filling

To make the lime filling for your vegan tart simply dissolve the sugar in the fresh lime juice over low heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and soy milk to form a paste (also known as a cornstarch slurry).

Next, add all of the ingredients to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the curd thickens. Make sure you're constantly whisking the mixture to prevent it from burning to the bottom of the saucepan.

Allow the lime curd to cool very slightly for 5 minutes before pouring it into the pie crust. Then chill for a few hours until completely set.

pouring lime filling into a cookie crust for key lime pie.

Step 3: Coconut cream topping

For the whipped coconut topping simply whisk together some coconut milk and a sweetener of your choice.

flat lay of vegan key lime pie with coconut cream and lime zest on top.

Alternative toppings for vegan key lime pie

Whipped oat cream or soy cream: If you're not a fan of coconut you can use an alternative plant-based whipping cream to top your key lime tart.
Meringue topping: If you want a fancy topping you can also use vegan Italian meringue which you can then blowtorch for a toasted flavor and look.

Storage instructions

Store this vegan key lime tart in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Frequently asked questions

Can key lime pie be left at room temperature?

As long as you’re keeping it at a pleasant room temperature, you can keep this vegan lime pie out of the fridge for a couple of hours on the day of serving it.

Can this pie be frozen?

You can freeze the tart and filling. I do not recommend freezing the coconut cream topping, this can be added before serving.

Can this recipe be made nut-free?

You can easily adapt this recipe as nut-free by using cookies that do not contain nuts. Also, make sure you opt for nut-free plant-based milk.

Is this vegan key lime pie gluten-free?

The cookies in this recipe are not gluten-free, but you can easily adapt this lime pie by using gluten-free cookies.

Can I make the crust without a food processor?

If you do not have a food processor you can place the cookies in a ziplock bag and bash them into a crumb consistency using a rolling pin - and blow off some steam at the same time 🙂 You'll then need to melt the vegan butter and stir it through the crushed biscuits before pressing it into the tart tin.

vegan key lime pie with gingernut crust and coconut cream topping.

More vegan pies and tarts

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