These Key Lime Pie Bars are a creamy and refreshing way to use up those limes. Easy to make in just a few minutes and no baking required. This recipe is egg-free and dairy-free.
Before I dive into this recipe, I wanted to thank everyone who completed the survey I posted this past weekend. I truly appreciate your support and feedback! Your opinion is very valuable to me and it will help shape the course of my new journey. So THANK YOU VERY MUCH! If some of you missed my life changing post where I tell you about the most difficult decision I had to make in my life, please click here to read about it.
So now, onto my delicious and refreshing Key Lime Pie Bars...
Summer has just ended, but it goes on 365 days of the year here in Hawaii and limes are everywhere.
My neighbor hand picked these beautiful limes from his tree and left me with the challenge to make something sweet for him. After giving it some thought, I decided there was no better way to use them then to make a delicious Key Lime Pie.
I wanted this pie to be unique and different from the traditional key lime pies we know of. So first, I decided to make it in a square pan and second, I wanted to make a version that does not need any eggs to thicken the custard.
The result... I made these Paleo Key Lime Pie Bars to be egg free, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free and refined sugar free. Perfect for anyone who loves Key Lime Pie, but hates to gain weight and feel guilty after eating sugary desserts.
The combination of the cool, creamy and tart lime filling sitting atop a sweet crust is unbelievable. You can imagine how fresh the limes tasted and how each bite literally melted in my mouth.
The crust is made of simply 3 ingredients: almond, pecans and dates. The nuts give the crust a crunchy texture, while the dates complements this pie perfectly with it's sweet taste.
These are really easy to make and you won't need to spend hours slaving away in your kitchen.
This Key Lime Pie also just gets better and better with time. To me, making this pie and letting it sit in the fridge for 2 days before serving is the key to perfection. The tartness of the lime juice gets a little more mild and begins to blend in with the sweet crust and this is exactly why you don't need to add loads of sugar to this recipe.
Are you hungry yet? Go ahead and give this recipe a try. This might just be your next favorite dessert.
Recipe
Key Lime Pie Bars (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free)
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup almond
- ½ cup pecans
- ½ cup Medjool dates, about 6 large dates
Filling:
- ½ cup fresh lime juice, about 2-3 limes
- 2 ½ teaspoons unflavored grass-fed gelatin, or agar agar
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- 4 tablespoons raw honey, or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, optional
Instructions
Crust:
- Line a 7x5-inch baking pan with parchment paper, covering all four sides of the pan.
- Using a food processor, grind almonds and pecans into course meal and set aside in a bowl.
- Remove pit from dates and process into a creamy paste using a food processor.
- Pulse the almond/pecan meal with the date paste until everything is combined.
- Evenly distributed the mixture onto the bottom of the pan, pressing down with the palm of your hands.
Filling:
- Juice the limes into a large bowl and sprinkle top with the gelatin powder.
- Bring the coconut milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently so it does not burn.
- Pour the boiling milk into the bowl with the lime juice and gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved, then whisk in the coconut butter, honey and lime zest.
- Chill in the refrigerator until the mixture begins to set up around the edges.
- Pour filling over the crust and chill overnight. Once the filling is completely set, cut into squares and serve. Top with coconut whipped cream (optional).
