Key Lime Pie Recipe (No Bake, Paleo)

Do you have a favorite birthday tradition? One of my family’s unofficial ones is to never bake the same birthday cake twice . . . and I use the term birthday cake loosely. There have been cookie dough ice cream sandwich requests, and creme brulee, and even fudgy brownies. Occasionally we sneak an actual birthday cake in, but not for my oldest son’s birthday this year.

This year, he requested key lime pie.

Now, I’ve made key lime pie popsicles before, but never a pie. And since one of our guests was dairy-free, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. I started with a key lime pie recipe that was declared “not limey” by my littles, so I improvised, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.

That’s why I was absolutely delighted when our guests loved it. Even my (NOT dairy-free) husband told me it tasted just like his favorite restaurant version from college. It’s super easy to make, too, and there’s no baking needed.

Key Lime Pie Recipe

For this key lime pie recipe, you’ll need a food processor, a high powered blender*, a spring form pan.** 

*You can use a food processor instead, but the filling won’t be as smooth.

** I couldn’t find any stainless steel ones locally, but I didn’t worry about it because the pans don’t touch the pie.

• 2/3 cup lime juice (I use about 9-10 large limes)
• 4-6 tablespoons lime zest (depending on how intense you want the lime flavor to be)
• 2 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight (where to buy them)
• 2/3 cup honey (I tried this recipe with pourable organic honey and this thick organic honey. I liked the thick honey the most)
• 1/2 cup expeller-pressed coconut oil, melted – plus a little more for oiling the pan (where to find it)
• 2 tablespoons coconut manna – also sometimes called coconut cream concentrate (this is what I used)
• 1 cup almond flour (this is what I used)
• 8 dates, pitted (where to buy)
• Additional honey or lime zest to taste if desired

The night before you plan to make this pie: Place cashews in a bowl of cool water and allow to soak overnight.

To make the crust: Place dates in warm water and allow to soak for 20 minutes. While the dates are soaking, rub the spring form pan with a little coconut oil and then line it with parchment paper. When the dates have finished soaking, drain the water and place the dates in the food processor along with the almond flour. Process on high for one minute, then sprinkle the contents evenly and press down with your fingertips to form the crust.

To make the filling: Drain and rinse the cashews, then place them in the blender. Remove the zest from the limes using a zester or cheese grater, then squeeze the juice from the limes until you have 2/3 cup. Place juice, 4 tablespoons of zest, 2/3 cup honey, 1/2 cup coconut oil and 2 tablespoons coconut cream concentrate in the blender with the cashews. Blend on high until smooth. Taste and add more lime zest if desired – I used 6 tablespoons in mine, but you may prefer more or less. Pour filling into the spring from pan and smooth with a butter knife or spatula. Place pan in the freezer for at least three hours, then serve. This pie will stay firm when stored in the fridge, but I store mine in the freezer because I like it more when it’s super cold. Enjoy!