This recipe for dairy-free key lime mousse pie was a sweet entry in a recipe contest that we held in 2014. It was created and submitted by Dione Schwarz. This rich dessert takes vegan creaminess to another level and is served straight from the freezer.
This Dairy-Free Key Lime Mousse Pie is a Decadent Frozen Dessert
We’ve updated Dionne’s recipe a bit, to fit with current ingredient availability and pan sizes. We also have a few tips to note.
- White Chocolate: Dionne’s recipe originally calls for 12 ounces of dairy-free white chocolate. That’s quite a bit, and it can be hard to find. Most easy-to-buy options now come in 9-ounce bags, like Enjoy Life White Baking Chips. And we find that amount is still enough for this recipe.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: To make your own graham cracker crumbs, place the crackers in your food processor and blend until fine crumbs form. You can alternatively place the crumbs in a zip-top plastic bag, and smash with a book or kitchen mallet until fine crumbs form. You’ll need about 2 sleeves of crackers.
- Graham Cracker Alternative: If you need both gluten-free and vegan, and can’t find suitable graham crackers that are both gluten-free and honey-free, we recommend using Enjoy Life Crunchy Sugar Cookies, and reducing the sugar in half.
Special Diet Notes: Key Lime Mousse Pie
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose the graham cracker crumbs, butter alternative, white chocolate, and ice cream that suit your dietary needs.
Dairy Free Key Lime Mousse pie

Total time
Author: Dione Schwarz
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (vegan or gluten-free, if needed)
- ¾ cup dairy-free buttery spread or sticks
- ⅜ cup (6 tablespoons) sugar
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cracker crumbs, butter alternative, and sugar until combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch spring-form pan or into 2 regular (9-inch) pie pans.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, and sugar. Place the pan over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the white chocolate and stir until smooth. Allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, beat the ice cream and lime zest together with a hand mixer. Slowly beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture.
- Spoon the filling into your spring form pan or divide it between the 2 pie pans, and smooth it out.
- Cover the pie and freeze overnight.
- Remove the pie from the freezer. If using a springform pan, run a sharp knife around inside of spring form pan to help loosen the pie. Release spring form ring from the bottom of the pan and transfer the pie to a serving plate.
- Cut the pie into wedges with a knife that has been dipped into hot water and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Candied Lime Peel Garnish Option: Remove the peels from 4 limes, and slice the peels into strips. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the peels and blanch them for a few minutes. Remove the peels and discard the water. Return the peels to the pan and cover with 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 hour. Remove the peels and drain until almost dry. Roll in sugar and let cool.
Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 382 Fat: 25.2g Saturated fat: 14.5g Carbohydrates: 39.5g Sugar: 29.1g Sodium: 200mg Fiber: 2.9g Protein: 3.2g
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