No-bake vegan key lime pie made paleo with the help of maple syrup, cashews and coconut cream. Unbelievably creamy, decadent and every bit as delicious as the original! Thanks to Pure Canada Maple for making today’s post possible!
It took me almost 5 years of blogging to post a recipe for healthy key lime pie because the other healthy recipes I tried were just too healthy tasting.
I posted these gluten-free key lime pie bars last month and they call for two cans of sweetened condensed milk. They’re really delicious but I’ll never make them again because these were honestly just as satisfying and are SO much better for you.
This vegan key lime pie recipe is loaded with healthy fats like cashews, coconut cream, and unrefined coconut oil. Those are some strongly flavored ingredients but these pies really taste perfectly key limey and not coconutty or like cashews. And they only have 7 1/2 tablespoons of sweetener (in the form of all-natural maple syrup) in them! That’s less than 2 teaspoons of sweetener per pie.
Want a lemon version? Try my no-bake paleo lemon bars! It’s basically this paleo key lime pie recipe but with lemon and in bar form.
Maple syrup is wonderfully versatile when it comes to baking (as well as cooking). While I love using the darker, more intense Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup for autumnal and wintry treats, I use the lighter and more delicately flavored Grade A Medium Amber (Light Amber would also work, but is more difficult to find than Medium Amber) in more light tasting treats like these paleo key lime pies or this paleo lemon fudge.
When I make something citrusy, I want the lemon or lime to shine through and using one of the lighter varieties allows just that.
It’s also easy to sub maple syrup for other sweeteners! In place of 1 cup (200 grams) of brown or granulated sugar, use 2/3 cup (158 milliliters) of pure maple syrup and reduce the liquid ingredients in the recipe (like water, milk, or juice) by about 1/4 cup (60 milliliters). You’ll also need to lower the baking temperature by 25° F.
I’ve tried subbing maple syrup for granulated sugar in cookie recipes which didn’t have any liquid to reduce. That resulted in cakey, rather than chewy, cookies. So be sure to use a recipe that actually has added liquid in it!
These vegan paleo lemon cookies already use maple syrup so if you’re not comfortable making subs yet, give those a try!
If the recipe calls for liquid sweeteners, it’s a 1-to-1 sub. But use your judgment when doing that. I wouldn’t, for example, sub a cup of 100% maple syrup for a cup of corn syrup in a brittle recipe. Candy recipes can be finicky so I recommend finding cooked candy recipes that already call for maple syrup, like my peanut butter fudge.
The honey in this paleo lemon curd might also be difficult to sub. I haven’t tried it, but I’m not positive it’d work out.
I really hope you’ll give this vegan key lime pie a chance! They’re so, so creamy and just the perfect sweet treat for hot summer days. :)
Thanks again to Pure Canada Maple for sponsoring today’s post! Be sure to check out their recipe section for even more delicious maple recipes.
No-bake Vegan Key Lime Pies (paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12 mini pies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (43 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup (145 grams) roasted salted cashews
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure Canadian maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup (145 grams) roasted salted cashews, soaked for 1 hour1 (there's no sub for the cashews)
- 3/4 cup (168 grams) unrefined coconut oil, very soft or melted (do not use cold coconut oil!)
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) coconut cream (the top, solid part from a can of full-fat coconut milk that's been refrigerated overnight)
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) freshly squeezed lime juice or Key lime juice
- 6 tablespoons (89 milliliters) pure Canadian maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (8 grams) lime zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, or more to taste
For the crust:
For the filling:
Directions
- Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners. Prepare the crust. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the coconut. Stir frequently until nicely toasted. Do not walk away from the pan as the coconut starts to burn very quickly! Pour the coconut into a small bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes. You can skip the toasting step but I think it adds so much flavor to the crust!
- Place all the crust ingredients in a high-powered blender and process at low speed until the mixture starts to clump together. Don't process so long that it becomes pasty. When you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers, it should easily clump together. If it doesn't, add a tiny bit of water and process again until it does.
- Divide the mixture between the liners (17 grams per liner) and use the bottom of a shot glass or your fingers to press the mixture firmly over the bottom of the liners.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
- Wipe out the blender jar using a paper towel and place all the filling ingredients in there. Blend for about 30-60 seconds at high speed until totally smooth.
- Pour about 1/4 cup (50 grams) of filling over each crust.
- Refrigerate for about 4 hours or until firm. If you're in a hurry, place the pan in the freezer.
- Refrigerate the pies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you freeze them for a while, they'll need about 70-80 minutes at room temperature to defrost or about 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the refrigerator. Once properly defrosted, they should be totally creamy.
Notes
- Place the cashews in a small pot, pan or mug and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 1 hour. Drain the water.
- While I'm sure the crust can be made in a food processor, I'm not sure about the filling. It definitely wouldn't be as smooth (using a high-power blender, it's totally smooth) and it may not work at all. If you try it anyway, let us know how it goes!
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116 comments on “No-bake Vegan Key Lime Pie (paleo)” — Add one!
2 comments are awaiting moderation!
Could I make this in a pie plate instead.
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! I haven’t tried it but I think the crust would be difficult to cut. I wouldn’t recommend it.
I made this using some extra lime juice and it turned out amazing! I blended it in my food processor for 2 minutes and it turned out very smooth! love this recipe and cant wait to make this again!
Whoops! Sorry I just replied to your other comment. Did you use the liners? Did it work well? Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m happy you liked them. :)
Do you have to use cupcake liners or will they work without them?
The crust will most likely stick to the pan but I haven’t tried it.
Is there any way to sub the coconut oil in these? My husband’s birthday is in two days, and he LOVES key lime pie…but we’re not eating added oil right now (or dairy, or meat).
I am so sorry I just now saw your comment! This week has been crazy. Unfortunately there’s no way to sub the 3/4 cup of coconut oil in the filling. Sorry about that (and sorry again for the slow reply!). I hope your husband had a nice birthday!
I was shocked at how amazing these are. They are definitely just as good as the “real thing!”
Woohoo! So happy to hear that you also think that they taste like the real thing. Thanks for your feedback! :)
This is amazing! I just made it and am waiting for it to finish setting up but the flavor of the filling is spot on. I personally used less maple syrup and more key lime juice (I love really tart stuff) and it suited me perfectly!
Oooh… you like it super tart! I wish I did, too. :) So happy you liked it! Thanks for your comment. :)
These are amazing! And they look just like the picture. I’m always nervous to try something new with guests, but these really delivered. I topped with a little whipped coconut cream.
So sorry for my slow reply! I’m happy to hear that they came out well and like the pictures. :) Thanks for your feedback!
I am not one who usually leaves comments despite being one who relies on them heavily, but these mini pies were so extremely delicious that I had to write. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was easy to follow, and the results were exactly as expected.
I have just one question. Is there anything that can be done with the leftover coconut in the can?
Thanks, again! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Well thank you for taking the time to leave feedback! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the pies. I always just toss the leftover coconut milk into a smoothie or use it as a milk replacement in things like mashed potatoes. And sorry for the slow reply! I just came home from the hospital after giving birth. :)
Congrats on your now 10-month old! and I agree with everyone, these tarts are so wonderful! I’ve served them to six different people who could have eaten the ‘real thing’ but who each loved this version and want me to make more right away! Aside from the hour it took me to zest and make juice out of a bag of key limes, I’m looking forward to them, too :-).
Thank you! :) And I’m very happy to hear that the pies were a big hit with people who can eat the regular kind. I’m with you on the zesting and juicing thing. I so wish that the bottled juice were as good as fresh! It’d sure save a lot of time. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Would love to try these for the paleo cafe I work for. I would like to try it in a 7″ pan. Does it hold its shape keeping only in the fridge?
Thank you
Francie
Unfortunately so! They need to be kept chilled or frozen.
Made these today. So glad I found your recipes. They are great! Thank you.
I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
Salted or unsalted cashews?
I used salted.
Thanks! I’m glad bc my boyfriend bought salted without waiting for a text response. I like to try new recipes completely as is.
That’s a very good quality! I wish everyone were like that instead of making insane subs the first time round. ;) Hope you’ll enjoy the pies!
I want to make these but someone in the family hates maple. Is there a substitute I could use? Honey or something?
Normally that’d be an ok sub but you’d be able to taste it in these and I think it wouldn’t be good. You could try agave. And sorry for the slow reply! I’m in the process of moving and haven’t had internet since Sunday.
Can I use 228g only of coconut cream instead of coconut oil + coconut cream? Will the cheesecake firm the same just in the fridge? Thanks Erin!
I really don’t think so. Refrigerated coconut oil is a lot firmer than chilled coconut cream and I’m thinking after chilling, it’d be like almost melted ice cream. It’s just a guess though! But I really do no recommend trying it. ;)
Have you ever made this as a pie instead of as tarts? I’d like to create a medium sized pie in a spring-form pan. Do you think the recipe is enough to accommodate? Thanks.
I’m not so sure about the crust – if it’d be enough or if it’d do well as a pie crust. I’m thinking if you press it over the bottom and up the sides, fill it, freeze (or freeze partially) and then cut, it’d do well. It’s just a guess, though! The filling should be enough. I’d love to hear how it comes out!
Why do the cashews need to be roasted and if doing yourself how long at what temp oven? I made another vegan cheesecake with unroasted cashews for the filling and it tasted perfect.
I tested the recipe with raw and then roasted cashews and thought the pies were much better with roasted. I’ve made other vegan cheesecake recipes where I tested both, and sometimes raw wins. In this one, I much preferred roasted. Here’s how you can roast cashews.
Made these and shared them with a few friends. They loved it as much as I do. Thank you for a great recipe.
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy that you and your friends enjoyed them. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Just made them! They are so delicious. Little bites of creamy, zesty goodness. Next time I want to make them in a mini muffin pan so we have little Key Lime Bites! Thank you for the recipe! I love knowing my family and I are eating treats with healthy fats and no refined sugar.
Yay! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them. I love your idea of key lime bites. Although maybe I’m too impatient to create all those mini crusts. ;) Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
Tried these tasty little gems today. Oh my! So decadent! Tastes like the real deal! I did in fact use a food processor for the filling. I have a top of the line Kitchen-aid food processor and it got it 100% smooth and delicious! Thank you for the yummy recipe!
Oh, that’s great! I really wasn’t sure if these would work in a food processor so that’s good to know. I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment. :)
Wanted to know the calorie content of these?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
I made these for the first time today, they are still cooling so I can’t say how they turned out yet or if I liked them… I think I will! However, I wanted to give the feedback that this took WAY longer than 20 minutes to make – especially when the first step is to soak the cashews for an hour. Plus making the crust in my blender took forever, the mostly dry ingredients didn’t make its way to the blades on its own and I had to keep stopping the blender to stir. All in all it probably took me 1.5-1.75 hours. Can’t wait to taste them to see if all this hard work was worth it!
I hope you do! And oh my goodness. That sounds like a pain! I’m sorry. The active hands-on time was actually less than 20 minutes for me but I put down 20 to be conservative. So I’m wondering… what kind of blender did you use? By the way, I changed the Ready In time to 80 to reflect the soaking time. :) Thanks for your comment!
Looks yummy! Going to try this for my daughters 7th bday tomorrow! I already have organic maple syrup from Costco has anyone tried it with a darker maple syrup? The lighter one sounds great maybe I’ll try that next time:)
I hope she’ll enjoy the pies and that she has a great birthday! I haven’t tried these with the darker kind of syrup. I’d love to hear how they come out!
Could I add cocao to the base?
And will standard limes be ok if I can’t get key limes?
I haven’t tried it but I bet you could! Standard limes are great. They’re what I used. :)
Thanks Erin
Merry Christmas
Hey, just wondering, can these be frozen?
Hi there! They freeze wonderfully. Hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
Dang, these look so good! Key lime pie has always been a favorite of mine and I’m loving the sound of this paleo version!
Thank you! :)
Sounds great but I’m confused about the cashews. Dry roasted unsalted? Buy raw and roast yourself?
I used dry roasted and salted but since you soak the cashews, a lot of the salt comes off. So you can choose salted or unsalted. You can also buy them raw and roast them yourself. :)
Do you soak the cashews for the crust also?
Nope! Enjoy. :)
I love key lime everything! These look so darn good and the maple syrup is pretty genius!
Same here! And thank you. :)
I always joke with people that because I’m Canadian I have maple syrup running through my veins. Canada has exceptional maple syrup. My folks grew up in Quebec, and we spent a lot of time there as kids visiting our grandparents. Everyone had this maple syrup in their pantries. When I grew up my Dad would always make sure my own pantry was stocked with this maple syrup. It’s the best there is. It’s my favourite to this day. The quality is stellar.
I love that you used maple syrup for this recipe. Key lime pie is so iconic and I’m totally digging you did a no bake version for summer. Not only is it gorgeous, but I bet it tastes out of this world. I’m always so impressed with your recipes. You always put so much thought into healthier ingredients. The care you put into recipe development shines through.
I couldn’t agree with you more! Canadian maple syrup is the way to go. :) And I would love to visit Quebec one day! Thank you so much for your super thoughtful comment. It made my day!
Québec is the best! I took my students there in 2015 – in the middle of the winter season! We got to go to a cabin à sucre and see their maple groves, they even let the kids try to make their own maple butter! I’m making these tonight, for Easter tomorrow – can’t wait!
What a fun experience that must have been! I’ve been wanting to try making maple butter (I’ve never even tasted it but it sounds SO good!). I hope you’ll enjoy the pies and that you have a great Easter! I’d love to hear how the pies come out.
Key lime desserts are the way to my younger son’s heart. And I love that this is sweetened with maple syrup. All of that adds up to “I need to make this!”
I hope you’ll make them and that your son will enjoy them! :)
These are the perfect summer dessert! We love key lime pie at my house!
Thanks, Ashlyn!
Absolutely delicious and so perfect for summer! They look so cute, loving how you decorated the tops!
xo
Thanks so much! :)
These look amazing! I am seriously going to make them this weekend! I can’t wait!!!!!
Yay! Let me know how they come out! :)
These sound so refreshing and tasty! Using maple syrup was a great idea too!
It was SO perfect in these pies! The lighter kind really lets the lime shine through. :)
The perfect refreshing healthy dessert for the summer. Love the flavor!
Thanks a bunch! :)
These look – and sound – absolutely amazing!
Thank you, Laura!
You make healthy food look dammmmmn GOOD!
And, maple syrup for the WIN!
Haha. Thank you! :)
Love the healthier version! I’ve had some “healthy pies” before but none of them look as good as this. Key lime is so good but I always feel bad about making them because they’re not super good for us. Now I won’t have to feel guilty!
Aww, thanks! And yes – I hope you get the chance to make these. Such a delicious guilt-free treat. :)
I love key lime desserts…and no bake. And now you made it even healthier for me to indulge :)
I’m all about no-bake right now, too! Way too hot to turn on the oven.
I adore key lime pie but I can’t always justify the sweetened condensed milk. Your healthy version sounds like a justifiable indulgence!
Same here! It’s SO good but sweetened condensed milk? Ugh.
I’ve been avoiding key lime pie for the same reason… It seems like you need SO much sugar to make it not taste healthy. Your vegan version with cashews is brilliant, and I LOVE your tip about the lighter Grade A Medium Amber for citrus sweets. I’ve been scared to use maple syrup in citrus treats because I didn’t want to overpower those tangy flavors, but now I’m itching to try that lighter maple syrup in a recipe! Thanks for that trick Erin! :)
I hope you’ll try it out! You really can’t taste it in these pies. I LOVE the taste of maple syrup but in these pies, all I wanted was limey goodness and Grade A Medium Amber made that possible. :) Thanks for your comment!
I love that these are sweetened with maple syrup (my favorite sweetener) AND that they are no-bake. Perfect summertime treat!
It’s my favorite sweetener, too. :D
Allergic to cashews, can I use sunflower seeds instead?
I really don’t think that’d work. I think the flavor would overpower the lime and that the texture wouldn’t be right at all. Sorry about that!
Someone in our family eats GF,DF. I bet she would love these.
I bet you would, too! ;)
Love the flavors of key lime in desserts, so refreshing and I love the fact you used coconut cream to make these creamy pies!
Coconut cream does wonderful things! :)
I love mini pies like this.
OMG Erin! Your healthy treats are amazing! I am in love with Key Lime Pie and I can;t wait to make these!
Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
These look like perfect little bites of summer!
Totally agree! ;)
I love when healthy treats don’t taste healthy :) These look awesome!
Thank you!
These are so adorable!! I love real maple!!
The only way to go! ;)
I totally agree with the “too healthy tasting” in a lot of healthy desserts. You look like you have a winner here and I must make these for my vegan friend!
I hope you’ll both love them!
Considering I am Canadian, I LOVE that you used Canadian Maple Syrup in these!! Key lime is my favorite summer flavor, so I can’t wait to try these! Pinned!
Yay! Hope you’ll love them as much as I do. :)
Using maple syrup to sweeten these is such a clever idea! Your photography is gorgeous too!
Thanks a bunch, Amy! :)