This Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie with a simple almond flour spiced crust is a summertime dessert favorite! It's extra creamy and perfectly sweetened with the right amount of tart.
If you love citrus desserts like these Keto Lemon Bars and this Glazed Sugar-Free Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake, you will LOVE this Dairy-Free Key Lime Pie!
It's easy to make and has a creamy custard filling with a simple graham cracker-style crust and a perfect sweet/tart ratio!
Key limes are a bit smaller, pack more punch than regular lime juice, and are the star ingredient. However, key limes can be harder to find, so this recipe will work with any limes you can find!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, key lime pie is usually made with sweetened condensed milk. However, this recipe is made with coconut cream, making it dairy-free!
If you're not dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter in the crust and replace the coconut cream with heavy whipping cream.
While the filling is naturally gluten-free, key lime pie is traditionally made with a graham cracker crust, which contains gluten. However, this recipe uses a simple spiced almond flour crust that mimics a graham cracker crust, making it totally gluten-free!
Ingredients
Here are the simple filling ingredients:
- Lime Juice & Zest - Please use real limes, not the reconstituted stuff, for the best taste!
- Powdered Sugar - Use a low-carb powdered sweetener for a keto key lime pie.
- Eggs- Thickener and for texture.
- Coconut Cream - Makes it rich and creamy. If you're not dairy-free, feel free to use heavy whipping cream. Place a can of full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours to make coconut cream. Then, scoop out the coagulated cream. I only recommend Thai Kitchen, Sprouts, and Native Forest brands because other brands may not separate well or leave an aftertaste.
- Coconut Flour - Thickener.
- Pure Vanilla - If you can, use pure vanilla and not the imitation variety.
Top Tip
To make a dairy-free key lime pie, you can't simply substitute the condensed milk with coconut cream because you will be left with a soupy mess! While this recipe uses coconut cream to make it smooth and creamy, it relies on eggs and a small amount of coconut flour to firm up.
And here are the simple gluten-free graham cracker-style crust ingredients:
- Almond Flour - Base of recipe, low-carb and gluten-free flour.
- Butter or Non-Dairy Butter - Binds the crust and adds flavor.
- Sea Salt - Enhances the taste.
- Powdered Sweetener - Use a sugar-free sweetener for a low-carb key lime pie.
- Ground Cinnamon - For a classic graham cracker flavor.
Crust instructions
Here are the instructions to make a simple gluten-free graham cracker-style crust made with almond flour:
Step #1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step #2: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
This includes almond flour, cinnamon, powdered sweetener, and salt.
Step #3: Stir some melted butter into the dry ingredients and press into a lightly greased pie pan.
The mixture will be crumbly. However, if it's too crumbly to stick together, add more butter as needed.
Step #4: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is firm and golden.
Filling instructions
Step #1: Add freshly squeezed lime juice, lime zest, powdered sweetener, and coconut cream to a blender or food processor - starting with the lowest amount of lime juice and sweetener.
Step #2: Blend and taste. Limes can vary a lot, so taste the filling and add more lime juice and sweetener as needed.
Step #3: Once you have the tartness and sweetener how you like, add the coconut flour, eggs, and egg yolk then mix well.
Step #4: Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for around 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is still slightly wobbly.
Top Tip
Custards crack from overbaking. When baking this dairy-free pie, you'll want to pull it out of the oven while the center is still slightly wobbly. It will finish setting as it cools.
How to serve
Allow it to cool to room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator to finish setting up. This will take approximately an hour.
For best results, serve within 24 hours.
If you slightly over-bake your pie and there are a few cracks (like me!), just cover it with some Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Cream or this dairy-free Vitamix Ice Cream Recipe from Clean Eating Kitchen, and enjoy!!
Or, if you're looking for more citrus desserts, you might also like this Keto Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake from Beauty And The Foodie or this Keto Key Lime Pie Martini from My Life Cookbook!
Storage
- Store: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Freeze: To freeze the dairy-free pie, divide it into slices, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 1 month.
Variations and substitutions
For a sugar-free keto key lime pie, replace the powdered sugar with a low-carb powdered sweetener:
- For the crust, I use an erythritol-based keto powdered sweetener. I use an erythritol-based sweetener because otherwise, the crust will turn out too soft and won't have the crunch we are looking for
- For the filling, any keto powdered sweetener should work. I usually use Powdered Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend since that's what I use for the crust. Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose is also a good option because it leaves absolutely no aftertaste and dissolves beautifully. Just know that using a monk fruit/allulose sweetener may take longer to cook.
💭 Tips
- Start with the lower amounts of sweetener and lime juice, taste the pie, and add more as needed. Lime juice can vary a lot in taste, so tasting and adding more as you go will ensure the perfect sweet/tart ratio every time.
- While not required, I highly recommend blending in a food processor or blender. This will ensure a creamy pie that cooks evenly.
- Please, please use fresh limes and not the reconstituted stuff; it's just not the same!
- For the coconut cream, place a can of full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours, then scoop out the coagulated cream. I only recommend Thai Kitchen, Sprouts, and Native Forest brands because other brands may not separate well or have a funny aftertaste.
If you're looking for more dairy-free recipes, I think you'll LOVE ❤️ these Paleo Cheesecake Bites With A Chocolate Swirl and Paleo Alfredo Sauce recipes!
If you’ve tried this Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Key Lime Pie Recipe or any other recipe on the blog, please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Dairy Free Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 ½ Cups Blanched Almond Flour - finely ground
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- ⅓ Cup Powdered Sweetener - can add up to ½ cup if desired
- 6 Tbsp. Non-Dairy Butter - melted + more as needed
Key Lime Pie Filling:
- ⅓ - ½ Cup Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Lime Zest - about 2 limes
- ⅓ - ½ Cup Powdered Sweetener
- ¼ Cup Coconut Cream - see notes below, or heavy whipping cream if you're not dairy-free
- 1 ½ tablespoon Coconut Flour
- 5 Large Eggs
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- ½ tsp. Pure Vanilla
- Coconut Whipped Cream - for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, sea salt, and powdered sweetener in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter. Mix until combined.
- Press the crust into a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan, going about 1 ½ inches up the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is firm and golden. Set aside to completely cool.
- Prepare the filling: In the jar of a blender or food processor, combine the lime zest, coconut cream, and the lower amounts of fresh lime juice and powdered sweetener. Briefly blend. Then, taste and add more lime juice and sweetener as needed. Remember, the taste will slightly mellow after baking.
- Add the coconut flour, eggs, egg yolk, and pure vanilla. Blend until well combined.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is still slightly wobbly. *Note - Keep an eye on the crust. If it starts looking overly browned, cover it with a crust protector. To make one out of foil, fold an extra-large piece of foil lengthwise twice, wrap it around the crust, and secure it with a paper clip.
- Cool for around 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to finish setting up. This takes approximately 1 hour.
- Serve with coconut whipped cream.
- Store covered in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Add Your Own Notes
Video
Notes
- See how easy this recipe is to make on my YouTube channel! Watch the full video here: Full Key Lime Pie Video* Note - Since filming, I slightly updated the crust to make it a bit crunchier.
- Nutrition facts are calculated using the keto options and use ⅓ cup lime juice and ⅓ cup powdered swerve sweetener
- Start with the lower amounts of sweetener and lime juice then taste the pie and add more as needed. Lime juice can vary a lot in taste, so tasting and adding more as you go will ensure the perfect sweet/tart ratio every time.
- Please, please use fresh limes and not the reconstituted stuff, it's just not the same!
- For the coconut cream, place a can of full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours then scoop out the coagulated cream. I only recommend Thai Kitchen, Sprouts, and Native Forest brands because other brands may not separate well or have a funny aftertaste.
- Baking times will need to be adjusted if you're not using a 9-inch pan. The smaller the pan, the longer the baking time. Pans are measured across the top from inside rim to inside rim.
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
glarry says
Do you think I could use regular flour instead of coconut flour (I just don’t have that ingredient on hand)?
Cassidy says
Hi, glarry!
I've never tried using regular flour instead of coconut flour so I can't say, sorry! I will say that coconut flour is extremely absorbent though, so you will probably need to add more than what's called for. Also, I think maybe arrowroot, cornstarch, or tapioca may work since they are natural thickeners - I'm just unsure of the amount.
If you try it please let me know how it turned out!
XO,
Cassidy
Britni says
Made this for myself for thanksgiving since I can’t have gluten or dairy. I promise I didn’t eat the whole thing but I could have! It was delicious! I over-baked it by a smidge but I couldn’t tell: the texture was still silky and creamy. I used actual key limes for authenticity’s sake and wish I’d done regular limes because it lacked tartness in spite of adding extra lime juice and zest. I taste-tested the batter beforehand and had added so much extra juice and zest I ended up calling it and just baking it, hoping that after baked it would have more of a zing. It didn’t but that’s not the recipe’s fault. Throwing it out there for anyone tempted to try substituting. I think it’s still worth trying with key limes but maybe I’d use regular lime zest or a mix of the two. Otherwise, the texture and sweetness was perfect (ended up adding the extra sugar… I used regular powdered Sugar as a splurge) and I couldn’t really taste too much coconut which I was concerned would be overpowering. I could taste it but just a hint which was quite pleasant. Thanks for a great recipe, I’ll make it in the future but will do better next time!
Cassidy says
Oh YAY thank you, I'm so happy you liked it!!! And thank you for letting me know that you didn't like using key limes as much as regular limes 👍
XO,
Cassidy
Kay says
I love this recipe! I honestly had "diet food" expectations, but when I took the first bite, it was instantly one of my favorite desserts. My husband also loves it, which is saying a LOT because he normally doesn't like anything citrus based!
Cassidy Stauffer says
Oh, YAY Kay!!!
I'm so happy you and your husband liked it so much! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know 😍
-Cassidy
Staci Lapi says
Hey Cassidy, it’s been a while sense I used this recipe. I thought it used agave for the sweetener instead of a powder. Did you change that’s? If so can you remind me of how much agave I would use?
Cassidy Stauffer says
Sadly, when I posted my Keto Key Lime Pie version I accidentally deleted the original version. Luckily, I had shared a few of my original recipes on Tasty Kitchen! Here is the link to my original recipe that uses honey or agave: https://tastykitchen.com/recipes/special-dietary-needs/dairy-free/dairy-free-key-lime-pie/
Enjoy your key lime pie!
-Cassidy
Millie Barnes says
Perfect recipe! I am a Chef who offers a Meal Delivery Service. I found this recipe and loved it! Came out perfect, was the perfect amount of lime flavor and not too sweet!
Beyond-Paleo.com
Chrystal says
I can't believe this key lime pie is keto! Incredible!
Debbie says
Thanks for the awesome recipe ! Just made it, and the only think I changed was I added a little more sugar, because the filling was a little too tart, but that's just a matter of preference. Also was wondering if you used lime zest from the key limes. or did you use zest from regular limes ? I've never used key limes before, and was thinking that maybe their zest is more potent than regular limes are. I'll try cutting back on the lime zest next time. We're so excited to have this recipe, and it will be used often !
Cassidy says
YAY Debbie, I'm so happy liked it!!! Yes, I did use regular limes so if you used key limes that's probably why yours was so tart - sorry bout that! I'll make a note in the recipe saying I used regular limes 🙂
Kelly says
I made this for my family for Easter and it was fabulous! No one else there other than myself has problems with wheat and dairy, but everyone loved it. Well, they would have preferred a normal crust, but they all could not believe that the pie was dairy and sugar free. YUM! Highly recommended!
Cassidy says
YAY! I'm so happy you and your family liked it!!!! Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know 🙂
CassidyS says
withoutadornment- You can definitely taste the lime but I didn't think it was too strong or overwhelming. If you prefer just a hint of lime you can always reduce the lime juice by 1 or 2 tablespoons. Hope you like it 🙂
withoutadornment says
This looks really good! I love how you made it dairy free. How lime-y did it end up tasting?
r.mcnatt says
mmmmmmmmmm! Looks Yummy!