Vegan Key Lime Pie | One Of The Best Vegan Pie Recipes You Can Make

This vegan key lime pie is sweet and creamy with the perfect amount of tang. It has a toasted graham cracker crust with a smooth key lime filling. Plus, the whole pie is entirely dairy free and egg free, and the substitutes we'll be using gives the traditional key lime pie an upgraded flavor.

THE BEST VEGAN KEY LIME PIE

There aren't many vegan desserts better than a pie on a graham cracker crust. Atleast I don't think there are.

And this recipe has everything you could want in a pie and MORE!

It has the perfect balance of flavors and textures – the graham cracker vegan pie crust is crisp and buttery, and the filling tastes rich and refreshing.

And what I think sets this vegan key lime pie apart from the non-vegan versions – in the best way possible – is the subtle coconut flavor found in it. It perfectly complements the tanginess of the key lime while amping up the dreamy creaminess of the filling.

Honestly, this pie is so good, it's quickly become one of my favorite vegan dessert recipes.

And, it might just be one of the best pie recipes - vegan or non-vegan - out there.

Also, this recipe doesn't take a lot of time or effort to make. Overall, you're looking at about 15 minutes of active cooking time, and the rest is just letting the pie set while you go about your business.

Not too bad for a pie recipe, right?!

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN KEY LIME PIE

So, we'll be making this egg free & dairy free vegan key lime pie recipe by using common plant-based pantry ingredient.

And, there's a good chance you have most - if not all - of these ingredients at home already.

For the crust, you'll need:

• 1 ½ Cups Vegan Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 6 Tbsp. Vegan Butter, melted

And, for the filling you'll need:

• 1 Cup canned Coconut Milk
• 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
• 4 Tbsp Arrowroot Starch (or tapioca or cornstarch)
• ½ Cup Coconut Cream (you get this from the top of a chilled coconut milk can)
• 1 Cup Lime Juice
• Zest From 2 Limes (Around 1 Tbsp.)
• 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Ok, so those are our ingredients that we will be using to make this delicious recipe.

But, I just want to mention a few things about the ingredients.

So, let's go over them.

Thickening up the  filling

So for this recipe, I used arrowroot starch to thicken up the key lime filling.

But, if you already have tapioca starch or cornstarch on hand, you can use either of those in place of the arrowroot starch and your pie will still be just as thick. 

Limes to use

Now, as you might know, key lime pie is typically made with key limes. And key limes are smaller and more acidic in flavor than regular limes.

That said, don't worry if you can't find any key limes at the store. Regular limes will work just fine too.

Crust Options

Graham cracker crumbs are obviously a big part of making this pie. But, if you can't find graham cracker crumbs, you can make your own by crushing graham crackers in a ziplock bag, food processor, or blender.

Just make sure you don't have any big pieces of graham cracker left after you blend them.

Also, be sure to double-check the ingredients list of your graham crackers.

Many brands flavor theirs with honey, so instead, look for plain graham crackers or ones sweetened with maple syrup or classic brown sugar.

Vegan Dairy Substitutes For The Filling

So for this recipe, I decided to go with coconut milk and coconut cream for the filling to substitute the usual eggs and cream used in key lime pie. 

And coconut milk has a ton of healthy fats so it's the perfect candidate for making the pie as rich and creamy as possible.

And, as a bonus, the coconut flavor pairs amazingly well with the tartness of the limes.

I also used sweetened condensed coconut milk, which is the best vegan substitute for regular condensed milk. Besides being a tremendous vegan sweetener, it also has a deep and mellow flavor that rounds out the taste of the filling.

Now, let's talk about the coconut cream.

You can get the coconut cream from the top of a chilled coconut milk can. To do this, refrigerate the coconut milk can overnight - this will make the coconut fat separate and solidify at the top. 

Then, use a spoon to skim the solidified coconut cream off the top of the can and put it in a bowl.

After the coconut cream is in a bowl, continuously whisk it in a circular motion until it develops a cream-like consistency. 

By the way, you can save the rest of the coconut milk, which is now essentially coconut water, and freeze it to make ice cubes to use for smoothies. 

Vegan Dairy Substitutes For The Crust

So, as you may have noticed, I used vegan butter to hold my pie crust together, but you can use coconut oil in its place as well.

Having said that, there are two kinds of coconut oil to choose from, refined and unrefined (also labeled virgin or pure).

Refined coconut oil has no coconut flavor so it won't alter the flavor of your recipe.

But, unrefined coconut oil will give it a slight coconut flavor. And since we'll already be getting some coconut flavor from the coconut cream and coconut milk, I suggest using refined coconut oil.

But depending on your taste preference, you can use either type of coconut oil for this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN KEY LIME PIE

As I mentioned, the whole vegan pie recipe comes down to three key steps (see what I did there): making the crust, the filling, and letting the pie set.

It'll take you about 15 minutes total to make both the crust and the filling. 

The long part of the recipe is that it takes a minimum of 5 hours to set in the fridge.

Although it will be tempting to eat right away, it is totally worth the wait.

Now, let's make an entire pie from scratch!

Step 1: Making The Crust

First, you'll want to preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Then, in a medium-sized bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted vegan butter until well-combined. 

Now you're all set to press the mixture evenly in an 8" or 9" pie pan. And you can do this with your fingers, the bottom of a measuring cup, or a large spoon.

Then, when your crust is pressed out, you'll want to bake it in the oven for about 7 minutes and let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Making The Filling

Now, to make the filling, you'll want to combine all of the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Also, you'll want to continually stir this mixture to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Now, after about a few minutes of cooking the filling should start to thicken up. And, when it does, you can pour it into your cooled graham cracker crust.

Also, if the filling is not looking super thick at this stage, don't worry, the filling will thicken a lot more as it cools.

Having said that, once you've added the filling to the crust you'll want to let it cool down to room temperature, and then refrigerate it until it sets.

Step 3: Completing The Pie

So, as I just mentioned, you'll want to refrigerate the pie until the filling sets. And it will definitely take several hours for that to happen.

That said, I think for the best vegan key lime pie results, you'll want to refrigerate the pie overnight. At the very least though, refrigerate it at least 5 hours. 

Then, when it's set completely, top it with your choice of vegan whipped cream, and serve!

STORING YOUR VEGAN KEY LIME PIE

If you plan to enjoy your vegan key lime pie throughout the week, you can keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-5 days.

However, if the pie is too big for an airtight container, you can also cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap if the pie is too big for an airtight container. Just take note that it will only keep for about 2-3 days this way.

Freezing Your Pie

That said, if you want to store your vegan key lime pie in the freezer, you'll definitely want to place it in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag before freezing.

Also, if you freeze the pie, you should eat it within 1-2 months for that same freshly made taste. But, if for some reason you don't eat it in that two-month time frame, the pie will still be safe to eat, just expect a slight change in the texture and quality. 

Oh, and by the way, make sure to thaw it in the fridge for a few hours before eating.

Wrapping It All Up

I'm confident saying that if you serve this key lime pie to your friends or family, they won't believe that you didn't buy it from a bakery.

Seriously, it's that good!

Like, you'll want to eat the whole thing, good.  

Anyway, I hope you like this vegan key lime pie recipe as much as I do! 

As always, if you make it, let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

I'd love to hear about it!

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