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These no-bake Key Lime Pie Bars have a nutty sweetened crust and a luscious dairy-free filling that creates the perfect blend of sweet and tangy! You won’t have to turn on your oven for this dessert. Completely no-bake and simple to make in warmer months! Vegan, Paleo, and gluten-free.
As soon as warm weather hits, it’s time to enjoy all the no-bake desserts! While I am quite partial to my No-Bake Mocha Mousse Brownies, I love the zest and vibrance of a lime dessert. This one screams warm weather!
As a nutritionist, I love to create desserts that taste delicious but also pack in some nutritional value. These Key Lime Pie Bars are no exception! They are loaded with healthy fats and fiber from different types of nuts, and minimally sweetened with natural sugar. Yes, they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and Paleo, but I can assure you know, no one will know that detail!
For a different take on a creamy dessert, these Vanilla Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Bars with Fresh Berries deliver a similar rich texture with a protein-packed twist using cottage cheese.
How to make Key Lime Pie Bars
Here are the ingredients we need for these simple bars:
- Raw pecans
- Medjool dates
- Shredded coconut
- Cinnamon
- Melted coconut oil
- Sea salt
- Raw Cashews
- Coconut cream
- Real maple syrup
- Coconut oil
- Lime juice
- Lime zest
As mentioned, these require no oven! Before getting started, be sure to soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 15 minutes and drain the water. Next, we make the crust by blending the pecans, dates, coconut, cinnamon, coconut oil, and sea salt in a food processor. Press into an 8×8 inch baking pan that is lined with parchment paper. To make the filling, blend the cashews with coconut cream, maple syrup, coconut oil, lime juice, lime zest, and a pinch of sea salt. Blend until completely creamy in a high-powered blender!
Spread the filling over the crust and transfer the pan to the freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours or until filling is set. Remove from the freezer and slice into equal squares.
Tips and Storing
- When making the crust, pulse until a rough and sticky dough is formed. Don’t over-pulse!
- Coconut cream is the full-fat version of coconut milk and can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. You can also use the top hard portion of coconut milk. Do not use low-fat!
- Be sure to let these bars freeze completely before slicing, otherwise they are too runny.
- Storing: store each individual square in the freezer using a freezer friendly container.
Photo Credit: All photos in this post were take by Loren at Sweet Rustic Bakes
Healthier Key Lime Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups raw pecans
- 1 cup medjool dates, (pitted)
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the filling:
- 2 1/4 cups raw cashews
- 2/3 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- fresh lime slices and zest for garnish!, (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by soaking your cashews. You can soak in boiling water for at least 15 minutes, or overnight.
- While cashews are soaking, make the crust. Combine pecans, dates, coconut, cinnamon, coconut oil, and sea salt into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Take the dough and press into an 8×8 square pan all along the bottom, and a little up the sides.
- Now make the filling: drain the water from the cashews. Place inside a blender or a food processor with coconut cream, syrup, coconut oil, lime juice, lime zest, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth, this could take up to 5 minutes.
- Pour the mixture on top of the crust. Transfer the pan to the freezer. Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until the filling is set.
- Slice into 9 or 12 equal squares and enjoy. Store in the fridge (see notes above!)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excited to try these! Do you think I could swap liquid stevia for the maple syrup? It would obviously be a very small amount if stevia, but wondering if that would throw off the consistency of the filling? Thanks!
Yes, you could and wouldn’t need to worry about consistency!