Key Lime Pie with Tofu and Coconut
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This vegan key lime pie is the perfect lightened-up summer treat. It has a creamy, tofu-based filling and a toasted pumpkin seed crust. No-bake and sweetened naturally with dates and maple syrup, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make.
One of my specialties is making vegan sweets. I love coming up with creative ways to turn classics into delicious, plant-based alternatives. My whole wheat blueberry buckle and vegan zucchini bread pancakes are two other vegan recipes I’ve created recently that I know you’ll love.
This vegan key lime pie was fun (and delicious!) to make as it’s a no-bake cream pie that is lucious, even though there is no cream in sight.
Key ingredients
- Dates: For sweetness and structure, dates are the perfect main ingredient for this pie’s crust. No need to soak them, just remove the pit and make sure to really pack them down in the measuring cup to ensure you end up with the correct amount.
- Oats: Instead of flour or graham crackers, oats act as a gluten-free binder, keeping the crust in one piece.
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Adds a nice nuttiness to the crust. Make sure you buy hulled pumpkin seeds. If they are not already toasted, you can do this yourself by heating them in a dry skillet for about 5-10 minutes or until they’re fragrant and popping.
- Coconut Oil: Helps the crust harden in the fridge and makes it easy to remove from the pie plate. Make sure to melt it completely before adding.
- Extra Firm Tofu: If you’ve never made a dessert with tofu before, this may seem like an odd ingredient. It’s a great way to achieve silky smooth cheesecake and pie fillings. Make sure you buy extra firm, not firm or silken. These will not set properly in the fridge.
- Coconut Cream: For richness and creaminess. Coconut cream is the solid white part in a can of full-fat coconut milk. I find it is easiest to remove the cream when the can has been chilled for a couple of hours.
- Lime Juice + Zest: So while this may be a key lime pie recipe, key limes can be quite difficult to find. Don’t worry, regular limes will work just fine in this recipe. However, if you can get ahold of some key limes, feel free to use them!
Tips for Success
- Chilling the pie for at least 6 hours is very important. If possible, we recommend that you make it a day in advance so it has time to set completely in the fridge. Due to the nature of coconut cream, the filling will also become quite soft pretty quickly. To avoid any mess, make sure to serve this vegan key lime pie right away once you take it out of the fridge.
- While a high-powered food processor is ideal for this recipe, a high-speed blender can be used instead. For the crust, just make sure you scrape down the sides between every few seconds of blending.
- For a quick dairy-free whipped cream topping, add about 1 ½ cups of chilled coconut cream to a blender with a ½ cup of powdered sugar. Blend until smooth and then refrigerate for another hour before serving. Maple syrup can also be substituted but the cream will be slightly thinner.
Key Lime Pie with Tofu and Coconut
This vegan key lime pie is the perfect lightened-up summer treat. It has a creamy tofu-based filling and a toasted pumpkin-seed crust. No-bake and sweetened naturally with dates and maple syrup, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make.
Ingredients
The Crust
- 1 cup packed pitted dates
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup hulled pumpkin seeds (toasted)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- Pinch of salt
The Filling
- 1 block extra-firm tofu (drained)
- 1 cup coconut cream (from a chilled can of full fat, unsweetened coconut milk – see notes)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tablespoons lime zest
- Coconut whipped cream (for serving)
Instructions
- To make the crust, add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend to combine. Press into a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. Set aside and wipe out the bowl of the food processor.1 cup packed pitted dates, 1 cup rolled oats, ¼ cup hulled pumpkin seeds, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, Pinch of salt
- For the filling, start by wrapping the tofu block in a clean kitchen towel and squeezing out as much moisture as possible. It’s ok if it crumbles apart.1 block extra-firm tofu
- Scrape the chilled coconut cream off the top of the can and heat in the microwave or over the stove until completely melted and slightly warm. Add to the food processor along with the dried tofu, maple syrup, lime juice, coconut oil, and lime zest. Blend until very smooth, about 3-4 minutes.1 cup coconut cream, ½ cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 tablespoons lime zest
- Pour the filling over the crust and smooth with a spatula. Chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours, ideally overnight or until completely set. Serve chilled with whipped cream or vanilla yogurt and more lime zest if desired.Coconut whipped cream
Video
Notes
Coconut cream is the solid white part in a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk. It’s easiest to remove the cream when the can has been chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours so plan ahead. Also, keep in mind that different brands of coconut milk will contain varying amounts of cream. You may need up to 2 cans.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice (of 8), Calories: 358kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 38g (13%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 22g (34%), Saturated Fat: 17g (106%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 35mg (2%), Potassium: 408mg (12%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 25g (28%), Vitamin A: 31IU (1%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 60mg (6%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Sounds great! What size should the springform pan be?
This is best made in a 9-inch springform pan!
This key lime pie is absolutely divine! Will definitely make again!