Vegan Key Lime Pies for The Last Great American Dynasty
Easy vegan key lime pies requiring just 9 simple ingredients – perfect for creating ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ vibes (iykyk)
The Last Great American Dynasty
I can so clearly remember listening to Folklore for the very first time. Do you remember that surprise drop?! It was such a shock, and the morning after we got the news I went for a walk to listen to the album. It was a misty morning, and I decided to head to some nearby woods. Listening to folklore out in nature felt like the perfect atmosphere.
I loved the soundscape of folklore straightaway – I’ve always been a fan of acoustic music and chill vibes. I listened to “the 1”, and then “cardigan”, and it was all going very well. Then the opening of ‘the last great american dynasty’ started. Taylor Swift’s voice sang my name, ‘Rebekah’. And I just about dropped my phone.
I had to go back and swipe to the lyrics to make sure I had heard the song correctly. And that’s when I saw that not only does Taylor Swift sing a song with my name in it, but the spelling of Rebekah’s name is the same way I spell mine!
It was a very exciting discovery, and the song has held a special place in my heart since. I especially love how Taylor Swift turns the song around (and she so often does) to make it autobiographically about herself.
Here’s a sneak peek at when I first made these for Rebekah Day on August 9th.
Vegan Key Lime Pies
There’s so many fun lyrics and imagery in this song. One of the most vivid to me is the line, ‘She stole his dog and dyed him key lime green’. That’s the moment I knew I needed to try my hand at making key lime pie – vegan key lime pie, to be specific, so that I could eat it too.
I’d never made key lime pie before. I’m not really sure if I’d even had it before. We didn’t grow up with it in our dessert rotation, and I never knew what kind of ingredients this pie involved. I supposed limes cause that would make sense, but everything else was a mystery. To be honest, I’m not sure I know even now what a proper key lime pie should look/taste like. But what I do know is that even if this vegan version of key lime pie isn’t the most authentic, it sure is delicious.
It’s creamy and rich, with the perfect balance of sweetness and tang, and it comes together quite easily too. Here’s how I made it!
*This recipe was very much inspired/adapted from @minimalistbaker‘s recipe for 7-Ingredient Vegan Key Lime Pies – I just adjusted/added to the ingredients slightly.
Vegan Key Lime Pies
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve of graham crackers
- 1-2 key lime pie Larabars opt, but these fruit + nut bars add extra sweetness/flavor and texture to the crust
- 1/4 cup vegan butter melted I used Earth Balance
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked, then rinsed and drained; you can soak overnight, or use boiling water and soak for a 1-4 hours on the day
- 3/4 cup coconut milk I used full far from Trader Joes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 3 large limes juiced
- 1 Tbsp lime zest I just zested the limes I juiced
- 1/2 cup maple syrup adjust to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375F.
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Add muffin/cupcake liners to a muffin tin – I used 11 regular sized cupcake liners, and one tray of 12 mini muffins holders.
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Add graham crackers to a food processor and process until you achieve a fine meal. Add melted butter, and 1-2 larabars and pulse until everything is combined.
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Distribute the mixture into the muffin tins, and press down hard (I just used my fingers) to create the base crust layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cool.
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Add the rest of the ingredients into the blender for the filling, and blend until creamy. Taste and make any adjustments.
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Pour the filling into the muffin tins and lightly tap the tray on counter to help release air bubbles. Top with more lime zest.
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Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to defrost.
*First published August 13th, 2023, updated September 3rd, 2024