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This No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart is that go-to dessert…super easy, delicious, and pretty too! The filling is made with four base ingredients, heavy cream, honey, lime, and vanilla extract. The crust is a mix of sweet coconut, salty pretzels, and just a touch of butter for richness. When combined with the creamy lime filling it makes for a mouthwatering pie that’s sweet, luscious, super creamy, and a touch salty. Finish this off with a salted honey-lime drizzle and sweet mangos for the perfect zesty, tropical pie that everyone will love.

overhead photo of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart

I wasn’t sure the day would ever come that I would share a lime-based dessert. But you guys…it’s here, and I’m so into it!

Yes, it took me a while to come around to the idea of lime desserts. But then it also took me a while to come around to lemon-based desserts, and look at me now. I love a lemony sweet treat…though I still find them better for brunch than dessert. But that’s all thanks to my mom. She has it ingrained in me to sway towards chocolate when it comes to night time sweets.

Anyway, I’m rambling. The point here is that we have the creamiest, easiest lime tart to talk about today. It’s perfect for these late winter days when the citrus season is still in full force but we’re longing for sunnier spring days ahead…or maybe just dreaming about a tropical vacation in the Caribbean.

prep photo of lime honey

Here’s the story.

For years now my brother Brendan has been requesting that I make a key lime pie. It’s one of his all-time favorite desserts. It’s also my grandpa’s favorite dessert.

BUT, as I mentioned, the idea of zesty lime dessert has never really appealed to me. Lime is best for my favorite Thai soups and Mexican tacos, I mean right?

Nope. Wrong. Which, I do hate admitting because I can be a bit stubborn. But after Brendan finally convinced me to start working on a sweet lime tart I quickly discovered that the combination is actually delicious. Not sure I call it “dessert”, but regardless of how I look at it, it’s a delicious pairing that’s indeed crave-worthy.

overhead photo of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart before cutting

Here is how I make this delicious no fuss coconut lime tart:

This is EASY. And I really made the testing process easy on myself too. I simply use the base for my lemon tart but swap in lime juice. The only things I really needed to adjust were the sweetness and saltiness.

First, start out by making this crust. Now I really want to put this out there that this is probably my favorite crust. It’s a nutty base of sweet coconut and salty pretzels…and just a touch of butter too. Up until now, I had not tried this combo, but let me tell you, it’s GOOD. I love the addition of coconut and with the salty pretzels, it’s the perfect combination.

Toast the crust quickly in the oven to allow the flavors to really shine…and that’s the crust.

overhead close up photo of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart slice

And now the zesty lime filling…

It’s extra special, creamy, and so easy.

While the crust bakes (and your kitchen begins to smell like hints of cinnamon and coconut – such a delicious, cozy smell), make the filling. The filling is the simplest thing, you’re going to be shocked when I tell you the ingredients. All you need is heavy cream, honey, lime, a pinch of cinnamon, and vanilla. Yep, just five very simple ingredients, zero eggs, and almost zero effort.

All you need to do is bring the cream to a boil for 5 minutes, remove from the stove, add the lime, cinnamon, and vanilla…and that’s it!  You may be concerned that the cream will not set up, but trust me, it will set up perfectly once chilled. Boiling the cream thickens it, and allows for it to set up just like it would if using eggs.

overhead photo of of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart

Some notes…

This is very important. Please be sure to use a large pot, bigger than you think you will need. Heavy cream really likes to boil over, so use the largest pot you have, just to be safe.

If you happen to be someone who prefers dairy-free, I tested this with both heavy cream and coconut cream (no water, just the cream on top of the can of coconut). Both worked really well, but I do find using heavy cream to give you a smoother filling. If you decide to use coconut cream, make sure it’s high quality and boil the coconut cream for a total of ten minutes versus five minutes. Personally, I love the flavor of the coconut. But as I said, it gives a little less smooth of a texture…use what you love!

side angled photo of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart

For the topping?

I decided I wanted a little extra sweetness. So I mixed up a quick lime infused honey with just a touch of flaky sea salt.

Then I topped the pie simply with whipped cream and sliced champagne mangos. Twas perfect. Creamy, salty, sweet, heavy on the lime, and hinted with coconut.

Also? The citrus, the mangos, and the coconut…they really give off all the tropical vibes. I’m now ready to book a Caribbean vacation…like soooo ready. Anyone with me? Is it time for spring break yet? This tart has me ready.

overhead close up photo of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart slice with a bite taken out of the slice

Lastly, if you make this no fuss coconut lime tart, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 1076 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. To make the crust. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers, pretzels, and coconut into semi-fine crumbs. Add the butter and 2 tablespoons honey and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched and starts to look like dough. Press the dough into an 8 or 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a standard pie plate. Transfer to the oven and bake until toasted, about 8 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream, 1/3 cup honey, and 2 tablespoons lime zest in a large pot, bigger than you think you'll need. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil 5 minutes and then remove from the heat. Whisk in the lime juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Let cool 10 minutes.
    4. Carefully pour the lime cream into the baked crust. Cover and chill 2-3 hours or until set.
    5. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons lime zest, and flaky sea salt. Before serving, remove the tart from the pan and top with whipped cream and sliced mangos. Drizzle over the zesty lime honey.

Notes

To Make Dairy Free: use 3 1/2 cups canned coconut cream in place of heavy cream and boil for 15 minutes. Chill overnight in the fridge to set. 
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overhead horizontal photo of No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart

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Comments

  1. Looks so good!
    Do you think I could trade out the cream for coconut milk? I have a family member who is allergic to dairy.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jenny! Yes, use 3 1/2 cups canned coconut cream in place of heavy cream and boil for 15 minutes. Chill overnight in the fridge to set. I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if there are any recipes I could answer! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I made this using gluten free pretzels and graham crackers (my bestie is gf) and it was AMAZING. My husband isn’t big on sweets and he had seconds it was so good. Thank you for this amazing recipe! Can’t wait to make again.

    Reply

  4. 1 star
    I never leave recipe comments but I just wanted to say—don’t waste ingredients on the dairy free version! I used Thai kitchen coconut cream, followed the recipe to a t, boiled the cream for 20 minutes and after 24 full hours of setting have a soupy mess that didn’t set. The dairy version looks beautiful though!

    Reply

    1. Hi Rachel! I am really sorry to hear that this did not turn out well for you! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    This turned out lovely. Very creamy. I was skeptical it might not set up but it did. Only change was I swapped out the honey for sugar. Thanks Teighan.

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I made this last night, and it was amazing! It was set in about 1.5 hours. I left the honey out of the crust on accident, and it was still amazing. Very sweet and salty without any added sugar. I made it with regular heavy cream. I liked it, but I want more coconut flavor. What coconut cream do you recommend? Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Bailey! I ususally use Thai kitchen brand coconut cream! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    So I actually made this for my friends for my own birthday – everyone loved it! I used gluten free pretzels and graham crackers and it was seriously so delicious. I’m excited to try more of your recipes!

    Reply

  8. 1 star
    It is not okay to post untested recipes! There was no thickener listed for the dairy-free option. Boiling coconut milk for 10-minutes serves no purpose other than wasting time. Fortunately, I know how to make haupia. There are many, many options for internet recipes. Halfbakedharvest.com distinguished itself by being unreliable. Now, I know not to trust the rest of your recipes.

    Reply

    1. Hey Lisa, I have tested this recipe MANY times. Both with heavy cream and with coconut milk. As stated in the post copy, I like the cream option better and only recommend using the coconut milk option if dairy free is needed. That said, the coconut milk option works. I literally just made it today. Others have also tried it and also have had success (see comments on the below post for examples). Unfortunately, coconut milk brands can vary, cooking times can be different, and a lot can happen when recreating a recipe for the first time. If there are any questions I can help you with please do let me know. My recommendation is to use a high quality, full fat coconut milk and to boil the coconut milk for 15 minutes, then allow to set overnight in the fridge. Hoping this helps. Please have a wonderful weekend and again, let me know how I might be able to help you achieve success with this tart. Best, Tieghan

      https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/healthy-coconut-tart/#bo-recipe

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was delicious. I found sweet enough as written, for those asking about adding more sugar. The only thing is I think it needs to chill overnight. It was set perfectly around the outside but a little liquid in the centre.

    Reply

  10. i love all your recipes! i just tried making this! its been about an hour in the fridge and hasnt set yet. if it doesnt set, what could have gone wrong?

    Reply

    1. Hi Camila! Did you wait longer for it to set? Did it set? I am hoping/thinking it probably did. Most people need to wait at least 2 hours for this to fully set up. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 1 star
    I love your website, and have success most of the time. Sorry to be a downer, but this was one of very few disasters. Used coconut cream, cooked it for suggested time, but it did not setup overnight. My husband is now eating it like a pudding because it still tastes good!

    Reply

    1. Hi!! I am glad this still tastes great but am sorry about the texture.. Is there anything that could have gone wrong while making this? I would love to help! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    So, so good but was still liquified after 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Continued to refrigerate it overnight & it was perfect!

    Reply

  13. Absolutely beautiful presentations. Stunning pics. I printed the No Fuss Coconut Lime Tart. Cant wait to make it. Thank you. I will be following your web site.

    Reply

    1. Hi there! You can make this up to 1 week ahead of time, but I do not recommend freezing. I worry the cream filling with thaw and be soupy and or loose it’s creamy texture. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. Excited to try this for my hump day group dinner. But since I live in China, I’m making do without pretzels (using digestive biscuits for graham and pretzels with lil salt) desiccated coconut and whipping cream(only cream and I find) so hopefully, everything will turn out delicious.

    Reply

    1. I hope it turns out amazing for you as well Ann! Please let me know if you have any questions! xTieghan

      Reply