This delicious Kiwi Lime Pie was dreamed up as an idea for a unique gluten and dairy-free birthday cake for my mom earlier this summer. I was a bit nervous when at her party it was served right next to a conventional cheesecake…would it be passed over in favour of a seemingly more indulgent dessert? Quite the opposite! It was a huge hit and was completely devoured by my family, many of whom don’t typically go gluten and dairy-free with their desserts. At that point I knew it was a winner!
This delectable frozen dessert is slightly sweet with a creamy cheesecake-like filling and a sweet date and pecan crust. The tartness of the fresh lime juice in the filling counterbalances the sweetness of the dates in the crust and the kiwi topping. The filling is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and gains it’s creaminess from soaked cashews, coconut milk and a small amount of avocado. This Kiwi Lime Pie is truly one healthy dessert…a fact that you would never guess by tasting it!
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This delicious Kiwi Lime Pie was dreamed up as an idea for a unique gluten and dairy-free birthday cake for my mom earlier this summer. I was a bit nervous when at her party it was served right next to a conventional cheesecake…would it be passed over in favour of a seemingly more indulgent dessert? Quite the opposite! It was a huge hit and was completely devoured by my family, many of whom don’t typically go gluten and dairy-free with their desserts. At that point I knew it was a winner!
This delectable frozen dessert is slightly sweet with a creamy cheesecake-like filling and a sweet date and pecan crust. The tartness of the fresh lime juice in the filling counterbalances the sweetness of the dates in the crust and the kiwi topping. The filling is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and gains it’s creaminess from cashews, coconut milk and a small amount of avocado. This Kiwi Lime Pie is truly one healthy dessert…a fact that you would never guess by tasting it!
Kiwis are primarily grown in New Zealand. They were originally called Chinese Gooseberries but were renamed to “kiwis” after the country’s native, flightless bird. Kiwis are very high in vitamin C, containing more of this immune boosting nutrient per serving than oranges!
New Zealand is a picturesque country with so much to explore and I was fortunate to spend several months traveling the country in my early twenties. My husband, Michael, and I bought a van and traveled the country while exploring the great outdoors and enjoying the simple things in life. It was actually while there that I decided to pursue a career as a naturopathic doctor! If you haven’t been to New Zealand and love outdoor adventure it’s a place that I highly recommend!
How to make Kiwi Lime Pie
There are two options for serving this delectable frozen dessert – a pie plate or an 8-inch round cake pan. If you use a pie plate you can simply cut and serve the pie directly from the pie plate, whereas using a round cake pan allows you to easily remove the dessert from the pan to serve on a plate or serving dish. It makes for a more impressive presentation!
If using a pie plate there is no need to grease the pan or to use parchment paper to prevent sticking since there is coconut oil in the crust recipe. If using a round cake pan however, you will want to line the pan with parchment paper that has been cut in a circle to fit the bottom of the pan. You will also want to cut two strips of parchment paper to approximately 2 x 14 inches and lie them criss-cross across the bottom of the pan. After the pie has been frozen you can lift it from the cake pan by pulling upwards on the parchment paper “tabs” to serve on a cake plate or serving tray.
If using a cake pan you will add the crust mixture on top of the parchment layers and compress it by pressing firmly down using your hands over another piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking. You will then pour the Kiwi Lime Pie filling over top of the crust and freeze for 1-2 hours until the pie is partially set. At this point you will remove the pie from the freezer to layer the sliced kiwis in a decorative arrangement on top of the pie. Place the pie back into the freezer and let set another 1-2 hours before serving. Store the pie in the freezer but remove and thaw for approximately 30 minutes prior to serving to soften. You may serve the full pie right away or cut it into individual slices to freeze and serve for a delicious treat at a later date. The pie keeps well covered with tinfoil or plastic wrap in the freezer up to a few months (if it lasts that long!).
Please let me know how you like this Kiwi Lime Pie by commenting below! If you enjoy it I suggest that you also try my Decadent Dairy-Free Chocolate Cheesecake and my Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake…they’re both equally amazing!
Enjoy!
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Servings: 1 pie
Note: An additional hour is required to soak the cashews and the Kiwi Lime Pie must set in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
- 1 cup Medjool dates (pits removed)
- 1 cup raw pecans
- ½ cup coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked
- 2/3 cups fresh squeezed lime juice (approx 4 limes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (canned)
- ¼ cup avocado (approximately ½ of a small avocado)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 5-6 kiwis, peeled and sliced
- Place the cashews in a large bowl and pour hot water over top. Let them to soak for 1 hour prior to making the pie filling.
- To make the crust: Add all of the crust ingredients to a food processor and process until quite finely and evenly ground. Add the crust mixture to either a pie pan or an 8 inch round cake pan. If using a pie plate you do not need to grease the pan or use parchment paper and can simply press the crust mixture down to form a flat crust. If using a round cake pan instead you should line the pan with parchment paper that has been cut in a circle to fit the bottom of the pan. You will also want to cut two strips of parchment paper to approximately 2 x 14 inches and lie them criss-cross across the bottom of the pan. This will make the Kiwi Lime Pie easy to remove to serve from another platter once frozen for a more impressive presentation. Add the crust mixture on top of the parchment layers and compress it firmly to create a solid crust by pressing firmly down using your hands over another piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- To make the Kiwi Lime Pie filling: Drain the water from the cashews and place them in a blender along with all of the other ingredients for the filling except for the kiwis. Blend on high until smooth, scraping the sides of the blender with a spatula as needed.
- Pour the filling over top of the crust and freeze for 1-2 hours until the pie is partially set.
- Remove the pie from the freezer and layer the sliced kiwis in a decorative arrangement on top of the pie. Place the pie back into the freezer and let set another 1-2 hours prior to serving.
- Store the pie in the freezer and remove to thaw for approximately 30 minutes to soften prior to serving. Consider cutting any leftovers into individual portions so they can easily be enjoyed as a single serve dessert later instead of repeatedly thawing out the entire pie.
- Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Vegan, Paleo
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Comments 16
Is the avocado necessary? Can I omit or substitute?
My boyfriend is allergic to avocado (I know, it’s tragic…but more for me!)
Author
Hi Gabriella! No problem – the avocado isn’t required and you can just add an extra 1/4 cup of coconut milk in it’s place. I hope that you enjoy the Kiwi Lime Pie!
This just jumped out at me from the FBC lime roundup even before I realized it was yours! I love the combination of kiwis with limes! I’m pinning this one to try for sure!
Author
Let me know what you think of it Cathy! It’s definitely one of my most popular recipes and I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I am enjoying it right now. I’m wondering, though, if it would keep as well in the fridge as the freezer? Freezer space is a hot commodity in our home 🙂
Author
Hi Melanie! You’re very welcome, I’m glad you’re enjoying it! You can definitely try keeping the pie in the fridge, but it may get too soft. It won’t go bad within a few days but the filling doesn’t stay very solid, which is the only problem. If you try it, let me know how it works out for you!
This dessert looks so good Kimberly! I’m not gluten free but the date and nut crust sounds so good and something I have to try for sure.
Author
Thank you Colleen! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
A beautiful recipe, Kimberly! You’re totally right — whenever anyone devours a clean dessert or treat recipe and they don’t know it’s ‘healthy’ that’s when you know you’ve created something fantastic. This pie looks amazing — I’ve pinned it and shared it with my readers via Facebook and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the delicious inspiration!
Author
Thank you for sharing Justine! I hope you’ll report back once you’ve tried it!
I think this would be devoured by my conventionally-minded family, too. I’d just have to wait until after they’d eaten it to tell them it’s healthy!
Author
I’ve definitely played that trick before! Although by now they expect it from me 😉
Oooh that filling looks so good, and so pretty with the kiwis on top. I recently made a “snack bar” from Pinch of Yum with a similar crust – dang, it was so good and so easy! this looks really delicious (and healthy, which is SUCH a plus!) 🙂
Author
Thank you Lyndsay! I love nut and date based crusts…can never go wrong there!
That is a gorgeous looking cake! Love that is guilt-free but still delicious! Who says that healthier desserts are boring? 🙂
Author
Thank you Nicoletta! I wholeheartedly agree with you!