Easy Low Carb Key Lime Pie Recipe – Sugar Free, Gluten Free, and Keto!

So let’s get this sorted out right off the bat.  This is not a traditional key lime pie.  You won’t find sweetened condensed milk or graham crackers in this recipe, but you will find a luscious, lovely low carb key lime cream pie that’s a pretty decent replacement.  It also has a no-bake pie filling, so bonus! 

This no bake key lime pie is nut free, keto, sugar free, and gluten-free to boot, so not bad, all things considered. At just 6 net carbs per slice this pie is a great way to have a tasty dessert on a keto diet, so long as it’s within your daily values.

If you like tart and creamy, this recipe is pretty dreamy.  And although the filling is no-bake, you do need to bake the pie crust. 

A creamy easy sugar free key lime pie recipe

This keto key lime pie recipe is sweet but tart.  It’s a really nice balance between the two and won’t make your lips pucker. 

The texture of this pie changes dramatically when allowed to cool.  The filling becomes nicely firm and cuts into clean, neat pieces.  

It’s a great little pie to make in a jiffy.  It’s my husband’s favorite dessert after a spicy meal.  

 

MAY I USE REGULAR LIMES IN THIS PIE RECIPE?

Ok, so key limes are the best limes to use in this recipe. Authentic key lime pie uses key limes rather than regular limes. I could not get my hands on key limes, however. I live in the middle of the prairies and a few hours outside of the city.  Finding key limes at the grocery store is a bit of a treasure hunt where I am. Key lime juice does make a big difference in this keto key lime pie recipe, though, so if you can get your hands on some, I highly recommend it. One of the main differences is that the key lime flavor tends to be a bit less bitter and touch more sweet. 

I happened to find a big bag of beautiful, fresh limes at the market, so I decided to make my pie with them instead.  I’ve made this gluten-free key lime pie dozens of times over the years and, although I do like it better with key limes, regular lime juice does work perfectly fine in this recipe, so if regular limes are all you can get, use them! So no worries if you don’t live in the Florida Keys.

Please don’t use bottled lime juice.  That stuff is bitter and sour and will ruin your pie.  This is a recipe that does much better with fresh lime juice. Fresh key limes work best!

tips for a perfect sugar free key lime pie crust

I went with a coconut crust rather than a gluten-free graham cracker crust for this recipe.  Since coconut is a natural partner with limes, I thought it was a good fit.  

The difference with this particular crust recipe is the cinnamon.  I loaded this crust with cinnamon to mimic a traditional graham cracker crust.

For best results, use cold butter for this crust, not melted butter. Using cold butter will help the crust keep its shape and stick to the sides of the pan.

I recommend using whole eggs for this crust, but if you prefer to use just egg yolks or egg whites for your specific diet, you can. Just remember to use extra to make up for the missing liquid.

This crust bakes to a beautiful golden brown, holds its shape very well, and does not get soggy when filled. It’s a very good all-around, all-purpose crust. 

Also, there is no need to roll and cool this crust – you can simply press it into the pan, and it’s ready to go into the oven. 

However, I have found this crust sometimes sticks, so it’s a good idea to either line the bottom of your pan with some parchment paper (works like a charm), or grease your pan a bit before adding the crust. 

 

how to make a consistently perfect key lime filling

This filling is no-bake and uses only four ingredients.  When the pie crust comes out of the oven to cool, you can start the filling.  It only takes a few minutes to make.  

You can make the crust and the filling in less than 30 minutes.  It’s a great little pie to whip up on short notice. 

The trick to giving this sugar-free key lime pie filling a thick and creamy texture is to use cold cream cheese and very cold whipping cream. If your cream cheese or heavy cream are room temperature, your pie filling will turn out very liquidy.

You could also skip the crust altogether if you wish and turn this into a crustless, no-bake pie. It’s pretty tasty all on its own. 

Oh, and I cheated a little and added two drops of green food dye to perk up my pie and give it a bit more green color for photos. 

Which sweeteners are the best to use in this low carb key lime pie recipe?

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Use your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute.  

Powdered is preferred over granular as it blends better and has a nicer texture.  Erythritol and xylitol also tend to get grainy when cold, but I found the powdered versions to do it much less. 

If you don’t have powdered erythritol or xylitol and only have granular, give it a blast with a high-speed blender or food processor.

Allulose is a sweetener that I have been using more and more in my low carb recipes. It behaves very much like real sugar, doesn’t get grainy when cold, and has no cooling sensation. It is available in powdered and granular versions.

Swerve and stevia will work perfectly fine also as does any powdered erythritol or xylitol brand. 

Just remember: xylitol is poisonous to dogs and cats, so if that’s your choice and you have little furry friends running around, be aware that it can be deadly for them. 

Storage and Serving Suggestions 

You may make this low carb key lime pie recipe a day in advance; it does need to cool and have time to firm for a few hours or overnight.

I added a bit of fresh, whipped cream, slices of lime, and some toasted coconut to the top to make it pretty – entirely optional. You could also use a sprinkling of key lime zest for garnish, and someone suggested to me recently that whipped coconut cream would go well on this pie.

This pie will stay fresh in the fridge for daaaaaays.  I had one kicking around for five whole days, and it was still as good as it was on day one. Make sure to keep it covered and refrigerated. 

Editorial note: This post was originally published on April 10, 2020, and was updated on February 5, 2022.

Got a thing for pies and tarts? We have more recipes for you. 

If you like pies and tarts but don’t like carbs and sugar, you might enjoy these posts: 

• How about a pretty lemon tart perfect for a Sunday brunch?
• Small french fruit tarts with a creamy, vanilla custard?
• Or this show-stopping, no-bake strawberry pie–perfect for a summer picnic? 
• We also have pumpkin pie, chocolate silk pie, and a mouth-watering peanut butter pie.