Vegan Key Lime Pie

Name: Vegan Key Lime Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 300 g (10 ½ oz) vegan biscuits (cookies) such as gingersnaps, digestives or graham crackers; 100 g (7 Tablespoons) vegan block butter (I use Naturli Vegan Block) (melted); finely grated zest of 2 limes; 250 ml (1 cup) fresh lime juice (about 10-11 large limes); 180 g (¾ cup) coconut cream; 225 g (8 oz) firm silken tofu; 35 g (4 packed Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch); 200 g (1 cup) caster or granulated sugar; pinch of salt

Published: Jun 28, 2022

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Vegan key lime pie - This easy pie is simple to make and tastes amazing; with a creamy texture, crisp biscuit base and a sharp, not-too-sweet flavour.

It is the perfect summer dessert and is bound to be a real crowd pleaser!

Vegan key lime pie on a grey surface wiith lime halves, a bowl of lime zest and a pile of forks.

This vegan key lime pie is intensely limey, with a smooth, creamy texture and crunchy biscuit crust.

It is a fantastic summer dessert - fresh, zingy and refreshing; and it is really quick and easy to make too!

The filling is made in a similar way to lemon curd - I blend the ingredients then heat it in a pan to thicken, pour over the base and chill until set.

I do bake the biscuit base briefly to make it a bit more crisp, though you can skip this step to make this into a no-bake dessert, or buy a pre-made crust.

What Do I Need To Make Vegan Key Lime Pie?:

Limes: You will need around 10-11 large limes. I like my key lime pie to be quite sharp so I use a lot of lime juice! Adding a bit of finely grated zest as well really amps up the lime flavour.

Key limes aren't a thing in the UK so I just use regular limes.

You can use bottled lime juice rather than fresh but I don't think it tastes anywhere near as good.

Silken tofu: Silken tofu is the perfect ingredient for creating a silky smooth, creamy texture without adding loads of fat. You can't taste it at all I promise.

You need to use firm silken tofu, NOT regular tofu. It is most commonly the shelf-stable kind, not the fridge kind. In the UK it can usually be found either in the ‘Asian’ section of the supermarket (by the soy sauce), or next to the tinned beans. I use Mori-Nu or Clearspring. Make sure you drain off the excess liquid (no need to press it though).

Coconut cream: This makes the filling richer and creamier. I buy it in a carton (Blue Dragon brand) but you can also use just the thick white part from a tin of chilled full fat coconut milk. In both cases use just the solid white part rather than the clear liquid.

You could possibly use a thick cashew cream instead, though the filling may not set as well (it is already fairly soft-set) so I recommend sticking with coconut cream if possible.

Cornflour (cornstarch): This is what sets the filling. You could use arrowroot instead but cornflour gives the best texture.

Sugar: I recommend using either caster or granulated white sugar. Brown sugar or coconut sugar will technically work but will turn the filling a funny colour. Do not use sweeteners or liquid sugars instead.

Biscuits (cookies): This vegan key lime pie uses a biscuit base which is just made of crushed up biscuits and melted butter. Gingersnaps taste great with the lime but digestives work really well too.

Vegan butter: A block variety rather than the spreadable kind in a tub is better to help the base set. I use Naturli vegan block or Flora plant butter.

How To Make Vegan Key Lime Pie:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Start by crushing your choice of biscuits for the base, you can do this in a food processor or put them in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin.

Place the crushed biscuits in a bowl and mix in melted vegan butter. It should resemble wet sand.

Step 2, the biscuits with the melted butter mixed in.

Press the mixture firmly into a 25cm round tart tin, spreading it across the base and up the sides. Use the base of a glass to really pack it down.

Bake the base in a preheated oven for 10 minutes then set aside to cool.

To make the filling, place the lime juice, coconut cream, silken tofu, cornflour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a blender and blitz until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and stir in the lime zest. Heat, whisking constantly, until the mixtre comes up to a boil and thickens.

Pour it into the prepared biscuit base and spread it level. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until set.

Just before serving, top with coconut whipped cream and lime zest if you like.

Close up of vegan key lime pie topped with coconut cream.

Top Tips:

All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

Use whatever kind of biscuits (cookies) you like for the base, as long as they are the crunchy kind. Gingersnaps, digestives (Graham crackers), Biscoff, Hobnobs and Oreos would all work.

The pie can easily be made gluten free if you use gluten-free biscuits for the base.

I like my key lime pie to have an intense lime flavour and be nice and sharp. If you want the lime flavour to be a bit more subtle then you can swap some of the lime juice for water/milk/more silken tofu/coconut cream.

Ideally you should make this vegan key lime pie the day before you want to serve it as it needs to chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably longer.

The pie will keep in the fridge for around 4-5 days.

If you want the filling to have more of a green colour, you can add ½ a teaspoon of matcha powder to the blender.

Try topping this key lime pie with whipped coconut cream and a sprinkling of lime zest just before serving.

Can I Freeze It?:

Yes, any leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Allow to defrost overnight or for at least several hours in the fridge before serving.

I do not recommend freezing the coconut cream however.

More Vegan Pie And Tart Recipes:

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4.85 from 13 votes