Creamy Vegan Key Lime Pie Recipe — Dairy-Free and Tangy

This easy and delicious Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie is tart, sweet, and topped with a perfectly crumbly graham cracker crust. It’s an ideal dessert to bring to summer gatherings.

🌟 Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Simple to make. With basic ingredients and just two mixing bowls, this comes together quickly—perfect for warm-weather entertaining.
• Refreshing flavor. Bright key lime juice balanced with sweet condensed coconut milk makes a light, tangy dessert for summer.

🥘 Ingredients and Substitutions

• Graham crackers: Any brand works. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free graham crackers.
• Vegan butter: Use your favorite dairy-free butter. Melted coconut oil is a good substitute and adds extra coconut flavor.
• Limes: Key limes or regular Persian limes are fine—key limes are smaller, so you’ll need more of them.
• Sweetened condensed coconut milk: This replaces traditional condensed milk and gives the pie its classic sweetness. You can also make a homemade version by reducing coconut milk with a sweetener until thickened.
• Egg yolks: These help thicken the filling and give it a smooth texture.

See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full details.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted dairy-free butter until evenly moistened.

Step 2: Press the crust firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Use a measuring cup to help compact it. Bake 8–10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

Step 3: Increase oven temperature to 350°F. In a mixer or with a handheld mixer, combine the filling ingredients (reserve the lime zest for last). Whisk on high until smooth, then fold in the zest.

Step 4: Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake 25–30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight. Slice and serve.

👩🏻‍🍳 Chef Tips

• Use fresh lime juice for the brightest flavor.
• Bake until the center is slightly jiggly—residual heat and chilling will finish the set. Some ovens may require only 15–20 minutes.
• Chill at least 6 hours, or freeze 30–60 minutes to make slicing easier.
• Stored in an airtight container, the pie keeps 3–5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.

🥧 Serving

Serve plain or top with dairy-free coconut whipped cream and extra lime zest. This pie pairs well with grilled or light summer mains and salads.

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Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie

Author: Sarah Hill

Yields: 8 Servings

This easy and delicious Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie is tart and sweet, with a perfectly crumbly graham cracker crust—great for gatherings.

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Chilling Time 6 hrs

Total Time 6 hrs 45 mins

See the full post for extra tips and photos

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers (about 12 cookies)
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons dairy-free butter, melted

Filling

• ½ cup key lime or regular lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lime zest
• 15–16 ounces sweetened condensed coconut milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons flour
• Dairy-free whipped cream, optional for topping

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Pulse graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor or blender.
• Combine crumbs with sugar and melted butter until evenly moistened.
• Press into a 9-inch pie dish, up the sides, and compact with a measuring cup.
• Bake 8–10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Increase oven to 350°F.

Filling

• In a mixer, combine lime juice, sweetened condensed coconut milk, egg yolks, and flour. Whisk until smooth.
• Stir in lime zest and pour the filling into the cooled crust.
• Bake 25–30 minutes until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly; do not brown.
• Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Top with coconut whipped topping and extra lime zest if desired. Slice and enjoy.

Sarah’s Tips

• Fresh lime juice gives a brighter, fresher flavor than bottled.
• The filling should be slightly jiggly when removed from the oven; it will firm up in the fridge. Adjust bake time if your oven runs hot.
• Chill fully before slicing. If needed, freeze 30–60 minutes to make cleaner slices.
• Store covered in the fridge for 3–5 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Tools I Use for This Recipe

• Mixing bowls
• Pie dish
• Stand mixer or handheld mixer
• Citrus squeezer

Serving: 1 |
Calories: 421.5 kcal

Nutritional info is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.