Looking for an easy, no bake pie? This vegan key lime pie is smooth and creamy, and it only takes 10 minutes to prepare. Perfect for summer!
I really enjoy cooking and baking, but unfortunately baking most of the time for me is off limits because of our semi-nomadic lifestyle. In fact, Fran and I usually alternate a few months of travel to a few months where we base ourselves somewhere for a few months.
While we travel, forget cooking. We mostly stay in hotels and even when we stay in some short-rental apartment, we are too exhausted after a full day of exploring to start cooking something decent. Restaurants it is!
And while you would think that you’d find an oven in any apartment you rent for a few months, that’s not always the case. For example, we are currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia (the country, not the state – do you know where it is?).
And guess what? No oven. In the beginning of the year we spent 4 months in Chiang Mai Thailand, in a super modern condo with pool and gym and coworking space… but no oven. I guess baking is not as common in some parts of the world!
I was convinced that making pies was out of the question, when Pinterest introduced me to the magic world of no bake pies. Aren’t they wonderful?
But why am I in love with this pie? Let me just tell you that it’s:
- gluten free
- dairy free
- vegan
- paleo
- packed with good stuff
- del-li-ciouuus!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS NO BAKE KEY LIME PIE
You’ll need these ingredients for the crust this beautiful vegan key lime pie:
- pecans
- walnuts
- medjool dates, pits removed
- vanilla extract
- himalayan pink sea salt
- ground cinnamon.
Then for the pie filling you’ll need:
- 3-4 avocados
- fresh lime juice
- organic maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- himalayan pink sea salt.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE STEP BY STEP
Don’t let this beautiful no bake key lime pie fool you. It’s actually a very quick recipe to make, a lot quicker than most traditional pies. It’ll only take 10-15 minutes of preparation and a few hours for it to chill, and voilà! Let’s see the process step by step.
To start, add all crust ingredients to a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles a sticky coarse crumb texture.
Pour the crust mixture into an 8” spring-form pan. If you don’t have one, no worries, you can also use a traditional pie pan. Firmly press the mixture with your hands evenly into the bottom of the pan and half way up the sides.
Add the pie filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth, creamy and combined. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.
Pour the pie filling into the prepared pie crust and use a rubber spatula to create a smooth and even surface.
Place the pie in the freezer to firm up for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh lime wheels if desired and serve chilled. This will be the final result.
HOW TO CHOOSE A REAL VEGAN MAPLE SYRUP
Nope, not all maple syrup is vegan. I had no idea but I’m so glad I researched it. While the sap tapped from the trees is 100% vegan, the process to make this sap into actual maple syrup changes based on the producer. The sap is in fact boiled and caramelized, but some producers add a secret ingredient to make the syrup thicker: animal fat!
The worst part is that sometimes it’s not even listed in the label, so it’s hard to understand what maple syrup is vegan and what’s not. To make 100% sure that you are buying a vegan product, only buy certified organic maple syrup, or check that the label says kosher or vegan. These products are premium, so they might cost a bit more, but if it’s important to you make sure you check before buying the syrup!
