Substituting vegan ingredients in an attempt to mimic the original is often not as easy as it sounds
Especially with simple recipes like the Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie traditionally is just 3 ingredients poured into a pie shell with whipped cream icing
Simple and delicious, except the main ingredient for the traditional key lime pie was eggs! Yikes!
In my search for the best vegan Key Lime Pie recipe
I discovered that most recipes included things like vegan cream cheese or tofu
And I just didn’t want to introduce those foreign ingredients into one of the simplest recipes out there!
So as usual I had to set out to make my own version and today I present to you
Next Level Vegan Key Lime Pie
NO TOFU! NO NUTS! NO CREAM CHEESE!
Just four basic ingredients that should be fairly easy to find!
*not sponsored by any of these companies
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- Cornstarch
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- Key Lime Juice
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- Vegan Butter
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- Vegan Condensed Milk
Don’t worry I have an alternative recipe below for Non ~ Condensed milk version for the filling as well as a homemade vegan condensed milk recipe
Now Let’s Talk About the Texture!
Vegan custard can be difficult to master since the texture will border on “rubbery” *see notes below about measuring cornstarch
A traditional Key Lime Pie has a very unique texture due to the egg yolks in the recipe
To mimic that texture I was careful about how much thickener to use in my recipe below
*see more notes below about Sweetened Condensed Milk in this recipe
NOTES FOR SUCCESS:
Be sure to have your crusts prepared ahead of time though because this is one fast recipe!
I am using 4.75″ tart molds with removable bottoms
However you can easily adapt this entire recipe to make an 8″ pie instead
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.
Many times people have complained that their custard is like rubber and they don’t know why!
This is from a heavy measure of cornstarch when using volume measuring spoon vs the 100% accurate scale measure in grams.
Canned ~vegan~ Sweetened Condensed Milk is the absolute key to success in this recipe
However I know this may be a difficult ingredient to get
If that is true for you it is quite simple to make your own!
By simmering coconut or soy milk with some sugar until it is thick like the canned version
But wait! I also have a No~ Condensed Milk version for you too! *recipe below
First of all though, I will say I prefer the sweetened condensed milk version much much more
The texture that is achieved from this ingredients is the closest to the original key lime pie recipe that I remember.
Resulting in a thick, gooey filling due to the condensed liquid in the canned milk versus the straight up plant milk version
I am using Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice *not sponsored
Fresh squeezed key lime juice works great too!
For the vegan whipped cream I am using Silk brand heavy whipping cream
Silk®
But if you cannot get this or do not want to buy it I have several homemade vegan whipped cream options for you here on my website
Or, add a ripe avocado to about 1/3 of the can of coconut milk (liquid included) + ½ cup confectioners sugar and then just whiz it all up in a high speed blender or magic bullet
Instant avocado whipped cream that is the perfect compliment to this Key Lime Pie
There is no video for this recipe but if you want to see the making of a similar recipe like this one
Click here for White Chocolate berry Cream Pie Tutorial on YouTube
For more zingy summer recipes click the links below!
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- Key Lime Sheet Cake
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- Lemon Cheesecake
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- Key Lime Cheesecake
No Bake Key Lime Pie Cheesecake
Next Level Key Lime Pie
I am using 4.75" tart molds for individual desserts, but you can use an 8" pie shell with no changes to the recipe below
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- Graham Crackers 3 cups crushed (345g)
- Vegan Butter 8 Tablespoons (113g)
For the Custard:
- Sweetened Condensed Milk 2 ~ 11oz cans (660g)
- OR Homemade recipe listed below 1½ cups (660g)
- Plant Milk 12 Tablespoons (180ml) *I am using soy milk
- Key Lime Juice 1 cup (240ml)
- Water 8 Tablespoons (118ml)
- Vegan Butter 2 Tablespoon (28g)
- Cornstarch 7 Tablespoons (56g)
For the Whipped Topping:
- 1 Recipe Vegan Whipped Cream
- OR 2 Pint SILK brand heavy whipping cream
- *I use ½ cup sugar per 1 pint SILK
Instructions
- If you are using my homemade recipe for vegan whipped cream, read the entire recipe post and prepare that recipe the day before for best results
- Prepare the crust by crushing the cookies in a food processor or by hand to fine crumbs
- Add the melted vegan butter and combine until it resembles wet sand
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom & sides of your tart molds or pie shell
- Freeze while you prepare the custard
- For the custard combine the water with the cornstarch & whisk smooth
- Next combine all the ingredients including the cornstarch slurry, (but not the vegan butter) together in a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil while whisking constantly
- Once the custard boils and is visibly getting thicker, add the vegan butter and whisk smooth
- Remove from the heat and pour the custard into your prepared crust(s)
- Refrigerate until set then top with vegan whipped cream
Notes
Key Lime Pie must be kept refrigerated at all times and will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
You can freeze the key lime pies without the whipped cream for up to 1 month wrapped well to prevent freezer burn
No Condensed Milk Version Recipe
No Condensed Milk Version~ Key Lime Pie
Follow the recipes in the first recipe above for the crust & the whipped cream
Ingredients
For the No Condensed Milk Key Lime Custard:
- Full Fat Canned Coconut Milk 2 Cups (474ml)
- Key Lime Juice 1 cup (240ml)
- Granulated Sugar 1 cup (200g)
- Cornstarch 7 Tablespoons (56g)
- Vegan Butter 4 Tablespoon (54g)
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch with the sugar & whisk to incorporate through
- Next combine all the ingredients except the vegan butter together in a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil while whisking constantly
- Once the custard boils and is visibly getting thicker, add the vegan butter and whisk smooth
- Remove from the heat and pour the custard into your prepared crust(s)
Notes
Key lime pie must be kept refrigerated at all times and will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
Freeze without the whipped cream wrapped well for up to 1 month
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 2- 14ounce cans full fat coconut milk
- OR Soy Milk works great 28fl oz.
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (135g)
Instructions
- Combine the plant milk with the sugar in a heavy bottom sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat stirring often
- Once it boils reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45-60 minutes stirring occasionally and watch it closely so it doesn't burn or boil over
- By the time 45 minutes approaches it should have reduced down to close to 2 or 2¼ cup total volume and starting to get very thick
- It will thicken more as it cools.
- Cool completely then use it in your recipes
Notes
Homemade sweetened condensed milk must be kept refrigerated & will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in a clean airtight container.
Freeze for up to 4 months
This. Was. Amazing.
I made 6 individual tarts for a dinner with friends. They all loved it, and the whole “vegan thing” was very well received! (They’re good people, and always love what I make).
Two things to note:
1. I misread the “two cups” as “two cans” of condensed coconut milk. And my two cans were 11 ounces each. My bad, but it was still good!
2. This tarts pack a seriously citrus/tart wallop UNLESS you also make the whipped topping. You know how sometimes you can forgo the topping to a custardy tart? You…shouldn’t do that with this one. BUT – the combo of the two things is phen-om-in-al!!!!
Highly recommend this dessert. Oh, and Silk Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative for the win!
awesome! thank you for the feedback! I am so glad it still worked out with the 2 cans!
Fantastic! I’m doing that thing I hate in comments – I haven’t made the recipe yet 🙃 but am commenting! I have always had success with every one of your recipes I have made so I know this will be great. I have a couple of key lime trees in my yard and I can get the condensed milk at Walmart-I’m ready to go ! BTW, totally agree about weighing ingredients. Thanks for all your great recipes and wonderful videos. 😊
LOL! Thanks for the comment, let me know how it goes!
Made this the other night and OMG!!! So good!!!! I did add a tiny bit more lime for an extra bite. Pairs well with vegan whipped cream!!! OMG!! I also used Bischoff cookies for the base. Can’t wait to make it again!!
Forgot to give it 5 stars
THANK YOU!
Hoping to make this for a mixed group of vegans and non in a bar format. Would this recipe work in a 9×13 or would you scale up?
I would probably 3X the recipe! 9″ x 13″ is quite a large pan!
Be sure to have the parchment paper flapping over in excess so you can get the entire bar out easily for cutting into portions (unless you plan to serve them direct from the pan?)
Thank you – I’ll give it a shot and let you know how it goes! Happy to have discovered your site as vegan baking is new to me, and there are lots of things here that look great for sharing.
Hi Gretchen! So just to confirm, the crust doesn’t require any baking, you just freeze it?
Super excited to try this! Thank you!
That’s correct! Some people like to bake the crust for like 10 minutes, it will help with it’s integrity upon storage (meaning it will be less likely to collapse after a day or too like the un-baked one has a tendency to do!) But in the interest of making this a NO BAKE dessert, I don’t often bake the crust