Crunchy graham cracker crust filled with a tart and creamy coconut key lime filling and topped with both classic whipped cream and a fun sprinkling of toasted coconut! Switch up the classic summer dessert with this tropical pie!

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Why this recipe works

Swapping out coconut condensed milk works great in this recipe. It still bakes up nicely and has a lovely, tropical taste from the coconut. As well, I liked baking the crust a little before adding the filling, as it gave it that classic toasty flavor and lovely crumble. Finally, topping it with some toasted coconut really brought the flavors together and added the perfect bit of texture.

Key ingredients

Graham crackers. I prefer using plain so that I can control the amount of sugar and cinnamon in the crust.

Sugar. Just a little bit for the crust.

Butter. You’ll melt this, so cold or room temperature is fine.

Key limes. You’ll need the zest and juice.

Egg yolks. This is where the structure comes from, so you do need to use the yolks. I prefer not using whole eggs, as yolks keeps this rich and silky smooth.

Coconut condensed milk. I’ve found this at several stores lately, but usually at the bottom or off to the side in the baking section. You can sub regular condensed milk.

Toasted coconut. This is just for decoration, so you can used flaked or shredded, although flaked is usually more pleasant for eating.

Heavy whipping cream. Also known as double cream. Be sure it’s very cold before whipping.

Powdered sugar. This is optional, but I think it adds just the right amount of sweetness to the whipped cream.

Coconut extract. This is optional, but I added coconut extract to my whipped cream and it really brought out the coconut flavor!

How to make coconut key lime pie

1. Grind graham crackers and sugar until fine. I always forget the sugar and always regret it—you want it ground as finely as the grahams, so combine everything in your food process or or blender.

2. Melt butter. Melt it over low heat and stir constantly to avoid over heating it.

3. Stir into graham crumbs by hand. You can stir them by hand or just pour the butter into the food processor and pulse it a few times.

4. Press into a tart pan and bake. Use a flat bottomed cup or measuring cup to gently spread it evenly and press firmly into the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, while you mix the filling.

5. Stir all filling ingredients together. This is pretty simple—just be sure the zest is finely grated.

6. Bake. You’ll only bake it until mostly set, not fully stiff. You’ll want it to be a little jiggly but not liquidy. It will fully set while it chills.

7. Chill then decorate. It needs to be fully chilled before you add the whipped cream, or that will melt. Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and coconut extract to just barely stiff peaks (or soft peaks if you prefer—stiff is better if you are piping it). Decorate as desired (I used a piping bag). Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Enjoy!

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

How do I toast the coconut?

Easy! Just pop it on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, stirring halfway through. I like to toast about a cup at a time then use it on baked goods and to top ice cream. It keeps in a sealed jar for at least a few months (I’ve kept it longer, but that’s probably not advisable haha).

What if I can’t find key limes?

I’ve had much better luck finding them lately, but if you simply cannot track any down, you can use roughly equal parts lime juice and lemon juice. Just be sure your juice is fresh and strained to remove any seeds or pulp.

How do I know when it’s set?

You don’t want the pie to be fully stiff when you take it out of the oven. Instead, the middle should be a little wobbly but not jiggly. Super scientific, I know. It should have a little movement but not be sloshy or seem still liquidy in the middle. In the end, it’s best to err on the side of caution and make sure it’s close to firm before removing it from the oven, as an under-baked pie just won’t set up and will turn to soup when you cut it.

Do I need to use coconut extract?

That’s a personal preference. I thought the filling was coconutty enough without any extract. But I wanted a bit more flavor overall, so I added a tiny bit of coconut extract to the whipped cream

Can I make this gluten free?

Yes! Gluten free graham crackers work perfectly for this crust, and the filling doesn’t have any flour, so you’re good to go with that switch. It’s a 1 to 1 substitution.

Can I make this dairy free or vegan?

Yes! Dairy free is easy, as you can simply omit the whipped cream on top and use dairy free (or vegan) butter for the crust. I only used regular whipped cream on top because I’ve never had great luck making it from coconut cream. You’re welcome to make a dairy free whipped cream (let me know if you have a good recipe!) or you can easily find a dairy free canned whipped cream at most stores (Trader Joe’s sells a coconut whipped cream that would be perfect!).

Vegan is a little harder. Vegan butter works well in the crust (if you’re strict about being vegan, you may want to find vegan graham crackers, as most use honey and that’s not strictly vegan). And as I said, you’d want to use a vegan whipped cream on top. The only other non-vegan ingredient are the egg yolks. While I don’t have a lot of experience with it, aquafaba be substituted for the yolks. From my understanding, you’d need 3 tablespoons of aquafaba to replace the three egg yolks, but I haven’t tried this myself.

Can I make a different crust?

Yes! I’ve only used graham cracker for this pie, but I’ve made very similar pies with shortbread, classic pie crust, my easiest pie crust, or shortcrust (pate sucree—you can omit the lemon and thyme from this shortcrust recipe or sub lime zest for a fun variation!) and it was great! Pie crusts already have directions for how to pre-bake them, but shortbread crust should only be used in a tart pan with a removable bottom and should be blind baked for about 20 minutes then give it about 5 minutes more with the pie weights removed. (More directions can be found in this post using a similar crust).

Does this have to be refrigerated?

You could probably get away with serving it once it reaches room temperature, but it’s ideal to refrigerate for a bit before you cut into it, so it’s fully set. After being fully refrigerated, it can be kept at room temperature for an bit (no more than 2 hours is ideal), such as at a dessert bar, but it’s best to keep it refrigerated until as close to serving as possible and to refrigerate leftovers, since the eggs in the filling could spoil if left out for too long.

My tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making these bars. Affiliate links provided.

Removable bottom tart pan

Microplane zester (to get finely grated zest)

Handheld mixer (for the whipped cream)

Coconut Key Lime Pie

Print recipe

prep time: 15-20 minutes
bake time: 20-25 minutes
total time: 45 minutes (plus 2-3 hours cooling time)

servings: 8-12

Ingredients:

one graham cracker crust
1 tablespoon (6g) key lime zest
½ cup (120g) key lime juice (can sub equal parts lime and lemon juice)
1 can (about 12-14 ounces) sweetened condensed coconut milk
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
¾ cup (180g) heavy whipping cream, cold (plus more for topping)
¼ cup (32g) powdered sugar
optional: ¼ teaspoon (1g) coconut extract
roughly ¼ cup (30g) flaked coconut

Instructions:

Make the graham cracker crust. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Pulse the sugar and graham crackers until finely ground. Stir in butter and press into your pan. I suggest forming it in a removable bottom tart pan, but any kind of pie or tart pan will work. Bake for 10 minutes.
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling. Zest and juice the key limes (since these are small, it can take quite a while to zest and juice them, so don’t worry if your crust finishes pre-baking before the filling is done). If any pulp got into the juice, strain that with a fine mesh sieve.
Whisk together the key lime zest, key lime juice, sweetened condensed coconut milk, and egg yolks until smooth. Pour into the crust. Smooth out any bubbles that appeared on top from whisking.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the filling is mostly set but still slightly jiggly.
Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate until completely cooled (about 2-3 hours total).
While the pie cools/chills, you can toast the coconut. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
When the pie is completely cooled, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and coconut extract (if using) in a medium bowl. Whisk by hand or use a handheld mixer on medium high (I like to start on medium then increase speed as it thickens to avoid splatter). Mix until stiff peaks just begin to form (it will become matte in appearance and begin to hold its shape if the beater is turned upright).
Use a piping bag to pipe dollops around the edges. (Note: If you want to cover the whole pie in whipped cream, double the whipped cream recipe.)
Top with cooled toasted coconut.