Sugar Free Key Lime Pie

This Sugar Free Key Lime Pie is an easy no-bake recipe that uses no eggs! This low carb dessert is made with a sweet graham cracker crust and zesty lime custard filling.

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What I love most about this recipe is it uses SIMPLE INGREDIENTS! Often times healthy dessert recipes are prepared with ingredients many people aren’t familiar with. This dish uses the basics….with the exception of the key limes!

The Difference Between Key Limes and Regular Limes

Key limes are a lot smaller than typical limes. They also are bolder with a lightly floral aroma and are also more acidic. They can sometimes be harder to find. My local Sprouts carries them. I have also seen them in local Mexican grocery stores. If you have trouble, regular limes can be substituted.

Because the limes are smaller, you will find you need to use quite a bit in this recipe. I used 1 pound of limes to yield 1/2 cup of juice. It doesn’t hurt to have extra on hand just in case.

How to Store Key Limes

The limes should be stored at a cool room temperature. Don’t use the fridge, that will cause them to decay faster. In general, they don’t last as long as standard limes. If you buy them, plan to use them fairly quickly. You can read more about How to Store Key Limes here.

What Type of Sweetener to Use

I like to use monkfruit sweetener. It is zero calorie, zero carb, and won’t spike blood sugar. It measures 1:1 like refined, table sugar. So if you don’t care about carbs and calories you can use the same amount of table sugar noted in the recipe.

If you use something like stevia, you can follow the standard method you use for converting refined sugar to stevia. Monkfruit sweetener measures 1:1 like refined sugar.

If you wish to use pure, organic maple syrup in the filling, use 1/2 cup (for 3/4 cup of sweetener noted) or 1/3 cup (for 1/2 cup of sweetener noted)

Gelatin

Gelatin is used in the pie filling as a thickener and to provide texture. It works great for no-bake pies because chilled and at room temperature it’s solid. When heated, it becomes liquid.

This is why the instructions have noted that you should warm the lime juice, but don’t get it too hot. You will dissolve the gelatin in the lime juice, but you don’t want it to boil and keep the juice in a liquid state. You want it to thicken.

I use this unflavored gelatin from Amazon, it’s also vegan and vegetarian. You can use something like Jell-O, but I avoid it because it typically has added sugar. The sugar-free versions usually have artificial sweeteners. You don’t need any additional sweetener here in this recipe.

How to Make Sugar Free Key Lime Pie

Detailed serving sizes and full instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

1. Microwave lime juice for 30-45 seconds. Then combine the warm juice with the gelatin. Stir and ensure the gelatin is dissolved.
2. Add cream cheese, sweetener, lime zest, and Greek yogurt to a bowl or stand mixer. Beat.
3. Add in the lime juice/gelatin. Mix well.
4. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
5. Chill.

How Does the Pie Taste?

The traditional pie uses eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and key limes for the custard filling. Sweetened condensed milk is used to balance out the tartness from the key limes. Sweetened condensed milk is often made with low-quality milk and high fructose corn syrup.

Instead of using it in this recipe I opt for cream cheese, plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and sweetener to balance out the key lime taste. Since this recipe doesn’t use eggs, you have direct control of the taste! Taste your filling repeatedly to ensure it suits your taste.

If this is your first time making the dish, go lighter on the key lime zest and sweetener. That way you can continue to build on and add more as you need it. Once you add an ingredient, you can’t take it away.

If you like bold key lime flavor (a more tart pie), use 1/2 cup of key lime juice, 1 tablespoon of key lime zest, and 1/2 cup of sweetener. There isn’t much sweetness here, it’s really bold.

If you like moderate lime flavor and a sweet pie, use 1/2 cup key lime juice, 1/2 tablespoon key lime zest, and 3/4 cups of sweetener. You may even opt to use 1 tablespoon of zest here.

Use both of these as guides for how you much you will need in the recipe and taste, taste, taste prior to loading the filling into the pie plate.

Store-Bought Graham Cracker Crust

This pie is made homemade low carb crust and is so easy to make and doesn’t require any baking. You can use store-bought crust if you wish.

Here’s how to make it homemade.

1. You will want to start by using blanched almond flour. Add it to a non-stick pan, with no oil on medium-high heat. Stir and toast for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. You don’t want to skip this step. This is where the graham cracker taste comes from.
2. When toasted add it to a 9.5-inch pie plate along with sweetener, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Combine and press the crust into the baking dish.

Chilling the Pie is Important

The longer you chill the pie, the better the structure of the custard filling. Without adequate chill time, the crust and/or custard will fall apart.

I also recommend using full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. This will also help with the structure of the pie. In my experience, low fat resulted in a wobbly filling.

How to Store the Pie

Store the pie in the fridge, tightly covered and sealed for up to 4 days.

Freezer Tips

You can freeze the pie, tightly wrapped in plastic or foil for up to 1-2 months. You can defrost it in the fridge overnight. Pull it out to defrost on the counter at room temperature for an hour or until defrosted.

More Healthy Pie Recipes

Sugar Free Apple Pie
Healthy Peach Cobbler
Healthy Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Keto Almond Flour Pie Crust
Keto Pumpkin Pie
No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

More Sugar Free Dessert Recipes

Sugar Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Sugar Free Pound Cake
Sugar Free Cookie Dough
Sugar Free Cheesecake
Sugar Free Healthy Banana Bread
Sugar Free Apple Crisp
Sugar Free Blueberry Crisp
Sugar Free Popsicles