Vegan Lime Pie

This creamy Vegan Lime Pie delivers the refreshing flavor of a classic citrus dessert without dairy, eggs, coconut cream, or refined sugar.

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Why You'll Love This Vegan Lime Pie

• Creamy without dairy: Firm tofu creates a smooth, custard-like filling without heavy cream, cream cheese, or sweetened condensed milk.
• Bright, fresh lime flavor: Fresh lime juice provides the tartness, while lime zest adds a more concentrated citrus aroma.
• Naturally sweetened: Medjool dates sweeten both the crust and filling while adding subtle caramel notes.
• No added oil: The walnuts provide enough natural richness to hold the crust together without coconut oil or vegan butter.
• Perfect for making ahead: The pie needs several hours to chill, making it an excellent dessert to prepare the day before a gathering.
• Simple ingredients: You do not need vegan condensed milk, specialty cream cheese, or other hard-to-find ingredients.
• A satisfying combination of textures: The smooth, cool filling contrasts beautifully with the chewy, lightly crisp oat-walnut crust.

Jump to Recipe

The silky tofu filling is naturally sweetened with Medjool dates, brightened with fresh lime juice and zest, and nestled inside a lightly spiced oat-walnut crust. It is sweet, tart, creamy, and just rich enough to feel special.

The hardest part? Waiting for it to chill. Your refrigerator is doing important work here, so give it time.

Health Benefits

Tofu gives the filling its creamy body while providing plant-based protein. It also contains unsaturated fats and may provide calcium, depending on the coagulant the manufacturer uses. Because nutrient levels vary by brand, check the nutrition label if calcium content matters to you. Harvard Health notes that tofu can provide protein and several minerals as part of a balanced eating pattern.

Unlike a traditional graham cracker crust, this crust is made with rolled oats, walnuts, and whole dates. Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its role in supporting healthy blood cholesterol levels when consumed as part of an appropriate diet.

Walnuts provide alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, an essential plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements lists walnuts as a food source of ALA. You may also like our Vegan Apple Crisp, made with walnuts.

Key Ingredients

1. Firm tofu forms the creamy base of the filling. Its mild flavor lets the lime and vanilla stand out, while its density helps the pie firm up enough to slice after chilling.
2. Fresh lime juice supplies the bright, mouth-puckering tartness that defines the pie. The zest contains fragrant citrus oils that provide concentrated lime flavor without adding more liquid.
3. Dates sweeten the tart lime filling and add body. Soaking them in hot water softens their skins and makes them easier to blend into a smooth consistency. I used pitted Medjool dates.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts is in the recipe card below.

Variations and Substitutions

• Use Key limes: Regular Persian limes work beautifully in this recipe. If Key limes are available, you can use them for a slightly more floral, aromatic flavor. You may need approximately 10 to 12 Key limes to produce ½ cup of juice. Then you can call it Vegan Key Lime Pie.
• Make it gluten-free: If you have a gluten sensitivity, use rolled oats labeled and certified gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but regular oats can be exposed to gluten during growing or processing.
• Replace the walnuts: Raw pecans can replace the walnuts for a slightly sweeter, more buttery crust. For a nut-free variation, try raw sunflower seeds. The flavor and texture will be different, but the seeds can provide richness and structure.
• Replace the arrowroot. Use an equal amount of cornstarch in place of the arrowroot powder. The finished filling may have a slightly firmer, more custard-like texture.

How to Make Vegan Lime Pie

1. Step 1: Place the 12 pitted dates for the tofu filling in a bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes, then drain well. This will help them blend smoothly into the tofu.

2. Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). To make the crust, add the oats and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until crumbly.

3. Step 3: Add the 6 unsoaked pitted dates (for the crust), cinnamon, and salt. Process until the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers. If it's too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.

4. Step 4: Press the crust firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then remove it from the oven.

5. Step 5: To make the filling, add the drained tofu, soaked and drained dates, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla, arrowroot, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.

6. Step 6: Pour the filling onto the crust and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 28 to 32 minutes. The edges should look set, but the center can still jiggle slightly.  Then cool and transfer to the refridgerator to chill for at least 6 hours.

Expert Tips

• Drain the tofu and pat it with a clean paper towel. It doesn't need to be bone dry, just not overly wet.
• Zest the limes before juicing. A whole lime is much easier to zest than one that has already been squeezed. Use a fine grater or microplane, and remove only the green outer layer. The white pith underneath can taste bitter.
• Use soft, fresh pitted dates. Fresh Medjool dates should feel soft and sticky. Older, drier dates will need longer soaking time and may require longer blending.
• Blend the tofu lime pie filling longer than you think you need to. A powerful blender helps, but time matters too. Blend until the filling looks glossy and no flecks of date remain.
• After blending and before baking, taste the tofu lime filling mixture. The filling should taste a little more tart and lime-forward than you think it needs to because chilling will soften the flavors. If it's too tart, add 1 more Medjool date. If you want more lime flavor, add more zest rather than more lime juice. That gives you stronger lime flavor without adding unnecessary liquid.
• Chill for at least six hours, but ideally overnight.

Serving Suggestions

This refreshing lime pie is especially delicious after a savory, spicy, or Southwest-inspired meal, such as:

• Vegan Black Bean Tacos for a fun taco night with dessert.
• Our spicy Black Bean Tortilla Soup for a Tex-Mex meal followed by a deliciously sweet slice of vegan lime pie.
• Southwest Salad for a lighter meal with plenty of color and crunch.
• Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup for a simple dinner, followed by a cool, creamy dessert.

Serve the pie directly from the refrigerator with fresh lime zest and thin lime slices.

Vegan Lime Pie FAQs

This creamy Vegan Lime Pie proves that a creamy, satisfying dessert does not need dairy, eggs, coconut oil, or refined sugar. The oat-walnut crust is nutty and lightly sweet, while the tofu filling is smooth, tart, and bursting with fresh lime flavor.

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