Key Lime Pie with Sesame Coconut Crust

Name: Key Lime Pie with Sesame Coconut Crust
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 1 cup 144g sesame seeds; ¾ cup 60g unsweetened shredded coconut; ¼ cup 2 oz melted butter; 3 tablespoons 36g classic monk fruit sweetener; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 1 ½ large avocados (peeled and pitted (~215g)); 6 ounces ¾ cup cream cheese; ¼ cup 60mL heavy whipping cream; ¼ cup-⅓ cup (48g-64g powdered monk fruit sweetener, depending on sweetness and tartness preference); 1 tablespoon 0.5 oz butter, melted; Zest from 1 key lime (~1 tsp); Juice from 2 key limes (~50 mL); 1/16 teaspoon salt; ½ cup 120mL heavy whipping cream; 2 tablespoons 24g powdered monk fruit sweetener; Fresh key lime zest

If this is your kind of dessert, the Nut-Free Keto Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie Fat Bombs are two more refrigerator-friendly desserts worth adding to your rotation.

Pull a slice of Key Lime Pie with Sesame Coconut Crust out of the freezer and let it rest on the counter for a few minutes, and what you get is a dense, cold, creamy wedge with a real crunch from the toasted sesame-coconut base. The filling is sharp and tart the way a good key lime pie should be, and it holds its shape cleanly when sliced — no watery edges, no drooping. It’s the kind of dessert you make the day before, cover, and leave in the freezer until just before you’re ready to serve.

What makes this version different from a standard key lime pie is the approach to both the crust and the filling. The crust skips graham crackers and almond flour entirely, using ground sesame seeds and unsweetened shredded coconut instead — it bakes up golden at 300°F. The filling uses avocado and cream cheese as the base rather than sweetened condensed milk, blended smooth with heavy cream, butter, lime zest, fresh lime juice, and monk fruit sweetener. The avocado doesn’t come through as a flavor; what you notice is the richness and body it gives the filling.

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overhead image of a whole Keto Key Lime Pie with a slice slightly taken-out atop a marble kitchen counter

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Table of Contents

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

No almond flour in the crust. The crust is built from ground sesame seeds and unsweetened shredded coconut, pressed into a 9-inch springform pan and baked at 300°F until the edges turn golden brown. This makes the pie completely nut-free.
The avocado filling tastes nothing like avocado. Once blended with cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, butter, lime juice, and powdered monk fruit sweetener, the avocado is undetectable — the filling is smooth, rich, and sharply tart.
Sweetness is adjustable before you freeze. The recipe has you taste the filling before adding it to the crust, so you can stir in more sweetener if you want it sweeter or keep it as is for a more forward citrus flavor. You control exactly where it ends up.
The whole process staggers naturally for advance prep. The crust bakes and cools while you put together the filling; the whipped cream topping comes together while the pie freezes. Nothing happens in a rush, and the result is a dessert that’s genuinely ready when you need it.
The springform pan keeps things clean. Releasing the sides of the pan before slicing gives you neat, even edges on each of the 10 slices without chipping or crumbling the crust.
Keeps in the freezer for up to 2 months. Without the whipped cream topping, the pie stores in an airtight container in the freezer, making it worth baking a full pie even if you won’t serve it all at once.

➡️ Ingredients

a bowl of pitted avocados, cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, melted butter, powdered monk fruit sweetener, lime zest and lime juice

⏲ How to make this recipe

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Liberally coat bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Crust: In a food processor, pulse sesame seeds and shredded coconut until ground.

Transfer mixture to mixing bowl and add melted butter, monk fruit sweetener, and salt. Using a spoon, mix all ingredients until well-combined.

Spoon crust mixture into a prepared springform pan and, using your fingers, press mixture into even layer across base and up sides of pan to form crust.

Transfer pan to oven to bake until edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes, before removing pan from oven and allowing to cool.

Filling: Meanwhile, to a mixing bowl, add all filling ingredients.

Blend all filling ingredients together using an electric mixer or high-speed blender. Taste mixture and add additional powdered monk fruit sweetener based on sweetness and tartness preference.

Spoon filling atop cooled baked crust. Transfer pan to freezer to freeze until set, about 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of the freezer.

Topping: Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together heavy cream and powdered monk fruit sweetener until whipped. Transfer prepared whipped cream to the refrigerator to chill until pie is ready to serve.

Final Steps: Once set, remove pie from freezer and allow to sit at room temperature to soften slightly before topping individual pieces with prepared whipped cream and fresh lime zest.

If you’d like more low-carb pie inspiration, these are some of my favorites you might like to try:

ground shredded coconut and sesame seeds in a food processor atop a marble kitchen counter

keto key lime pie dough in a bowl with a wooden spoon atop a marble kitchen counter

keto key lime pie dough mixture spread into even layer across a springform pan atop a marble kitchen counter

baked keto key lime pie crust on a springform pan atop a marble kitchen counter

keto key lime pie filling mixture in a bowl atop a marble kitchen counter

keto key lime pie filling being spooned atop cooled baked crust

angled close-up shot of Keto Key Lime Pie

👉 Easy ingredient swaps

Butter: Coconut oil can be substituted for butter in both the crust and the filling at a 1:1 ratio.
Classic monk fruit sweetener: Golden monk fruit sweetener, erythritol, or Swerve can each be substituted at a 1:1 ratio. Powdered or liquid stevia will not work in this recipe.
Cream cheese: Mascarpone cheese can replace cream cheese. Use ½ cup mascarpone in place of the ¾ cup cream cheese called for. Note that this substitution will change the final nutrition information.
Powdered monk fruit sweetener: If you only have granulated monk fruit sweetener on hand, pulse it in a high-speed blender or food processor until it becomes a fine powder — it usually takes just a few seconds.
Key lime zest and key lime juice: Regular lime zest and juice work fine in this recipe. Key limes are somewhat more aromatic and tart than standard Persian limes, but regular limes will give you a bright citrus flavor throughout the filling and as a garnish.

✨ Variations

Skip the whipped cream topping: The topping is labeled optional in the recipe. The filling is dense and creamy enough to stand on its own, and fresh lime zest can go directly onto each slice without the whipped layer.
Dial the sweetness to your taste: After blending the filling, taste it before spooning it onto the crust. Add more powdered monk fruit sweetener if you want a sweeter result, or hold back if you prefer a sharper, more citrus-forward flavor. This step is built into the recipe and is worth taking your time on.
Serve firm or softened: For the cleanest slices, serve straight from the freezer with minimal rest time at room temperature. For a softer, more mousse-like texture, let the pie sit somewhat longer before cutting.

〰️ How to serve

Remove the pie from the freezer and let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing — this softens it just enough to cut through cleanly and makes the texture easier to eat.
Top each slice with a spoonful of freshly whipped cream and a pinch of fresh lime zest right before serving, rather than topping the whole pie at once so the whipped cream stays fresh.
Serve after dinner as a cold, tart dessert that comes together quickly once the pie is out of the freezer — pair it with Key Lime Pie Fat Bombs for a citrus-forward dessert spread.
If you love citrus desserts, Keto Sugar-Free Lemon Bars are another make-ahead option that uses a similar sweetener approach and keeps well in the refrigerator.

💬 FAQs

Why is avocado in the filling — will you notice it?

Avocado steps in for sweetened condensed milk, which is what gives traditional key lime pie its thick, custard-like body. Combined with cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, butter, lime juice, lime zest, and monk fruit sweetener, the avocado’s flavor disappears completely — what you taste is tart, sweet, and creamy. If you’ve never used avocado in a dessert before, this recipe is a good place to start because the result genuinely does not read as avocado.

Can I substitute different limes, sweeteners, or cream cheese?

Several swaps work here. For the sweetener: golden monk fruit, erythritol, or Swerve substitute at a 1:1 ratio; powdered or liquid stevia will not work. If you only have granulated monk fruit sweetener, pulse it in a food processor until fine before using it in the filling. For cream cheese: mascarpone works — use ½ cup in place of the ¾ cup cream cheese called for, though this changes the nutrition information. For limes: regular lime zest and juice are solid substitutes for key lime. Monk fruit sweetener is available at most grocery stores, specialty food stores, and Costco, or can be ordered online.

How do I store this pie, and how far ahead can I make it?

In the refrigerator, the pie keeps covered for up to 3 days. In the freezer, stored in an airtight container without the whipped cream topping, it keeps for up to 2 months — thaw completely in the refrigerator before serving. Because the recipe requires a 1-to-2-hour freeze step, you’re already working ahead from the start. For the best presentation, make the whipped cream fresh and add it per slice just before serving rather than topping the whole pie in advance.