This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This gluten-free Key Lime Tart is made using honey and coconut milk for a rich, tangy and smooth filling! It’s simple to prepare and can be optionally topped with a honey meringue for a showstopper dessert. It’s gluten-free and made without any refined sugars.
Key Lime Tart
This Key Lime Tart is the perfect (and beautiful) dessert to roll out in both hot and cold weather. This simple tart is made using our favorite gluten-free pie crust, filled with a tangy and smooth key lime filling and optionally topped with a delicious honey meringue that you can either leave as is or toast it!
Key Lime Tart Ingredients:
- almond flour (you can also substitute our nut-free, gluten-free crust here)
- tapioca flour / starch
- butter
- eggs
- key lime juice or regular lime juice
- lime zest
- honey
- coconut milk
Can I use regular limes in place of key limes?
What makes a key lime pie a key lime pie is, you guessed it: key limes. But they are only available certain times of the year and they are much smaller than regular limes (known as Persian limes) so they take a bit more work to get the total amount of juice needed. And while there might be slight difference in taste (key limes have a bit heavier taste of “lime” with higher acidity), it is perfectly acceptable to use regular limes!
Can I bake this in a pie tin?
Technically yes you can. But depending on the size pie tin you are using, the filling might be a little low, as this is meant for a 9″ in tart.
Topping Options
- Honey meringue (you can either pipe a pretty border, or cover the entire tart)! Toasting is optional but a nice touch.
- Coconut whipped cream
- Regular whipped cream
If you like this tart recipe, check out these others:
- S’mores Pie (Gluten-Free)
- Chocolate Decadence Pie
- Homemade Healthier Pop Tarts (Gluten-Free + How-To Video)
- Roasted Grape Tart
- Pecan Pie Tarts
Gluten-Free Key Lime Tart
Ingredients
For Gluten-Free Pie Crust:
- 1 cup 98g almond flour
- 1 cup 120g tapioca flour / starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter cold, cut into cubes
- 1 eggs
- 1 teaspoon honey
For key lime filling:
- 3 eggs yolks
- 2 whole egg
- 2/3 cup canned coconut milk melted and slightly cooled (see note)
- 1/2 cup mild honey
- 1/2 cup lime juice about 5-6 limes
- 1 tablespoon of lime zest
- Pinch salt
For Honey Meringue (optional):
- 3 egg whites 90g
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- For crust: In a food processor combine almond flour, tapioca flour, salt and cold butter and pulse until the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces.
- Add in egg and honey and process until the dough comes together.
- Place the dough into the tart shell and press in the dough until it lines the tart shell.
- Place in the freezer to chill until firm, about 20 minutes. (If using the nut-free crust, you do not need to chill, you can bake it right away)
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and place a 9" tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- To par-bake the crust: Once dough is chilled using a fork prick the bottom of the pastry (to help steam escape). Then line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans or dried rice. Bake in preheated oven f0r 15 minutes. Then remove pie weights and parchment and bake for 5 more minutes until the bottom crust is cooked through.
- Meanwhile make filling: In a bowl whisk together all of the filling ingredients until combined.
- Pour into par-baked tart shell and carefully return to oven to bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is set.
- Remove and let cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then move to the refrigerator to chill, at least 2 hours.
- For Meringue Topping (optional): After pie is cool, in a clean bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer add egg whites, honey, vanilla extract and salt. (see note)
- With a clean whisk attachment, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
- Either pipe or spoon meringue onto tart. You can broil the topping until golden, or use a kitchen torch to brown, or you can leave it as is.
- Tart will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, without meringue topping.
I made this and it was fantastic! I can’t believe how good the crust was using alternative flours. The filling was very tart, I’d maybe up the honey a teeny bit next time, and decrease the zest because there was a hint of bitterness. But I would DEFINITELY make again- delicious and made for an impressive presentation!
So glad you loved it! Be careful when zesting to only get the zest, and not the pith! The pith is the white part below the zest, that’s bitter!
Hi, I was wondering if you could use ghee or coconut oil for the crust instead of butter? Thanks!
OMG, I haven’t had key lime pie in ages…and your crust looks amazing!!!
This looks amazing! Do you have a recipe for coconut whipped cream? i find the store bought stuff has a ton of added sugar and preservatives. Thanks!
Is there any substitute for the butter in the tart crust? Would coconut oil work or is there another alternative to avoid the dairy? Thanks!
What an amazing looking dish! So totally perfect for summer. Looks like you had a great weekend in RI…so fun!
This looks so amazing! Key lime pie is one of my favourite desserts. Maybe I can pull this off in a mason jar 🙂
This looks insane and I have to try it because I’m about to lose my mind not having eaten dessert in 17 days while doing this month long paleo challenge I’m on!