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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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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I attempted to make this for friends today and sadly it would not set. Six hours later it was still soup even after moving it to the freezer for an hour to try and save it. Not sure what could have gone wrong, but unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend this one.
Hi Hannah! I am really sorry to hear that. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! Otherwise, I hope you love some other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Whoa! This was so incredibly delicious, and I was blown away by how easy it was. The perfect summer dessert! Will definitely make again.
Thank you Alison! That is so great! xTieghan
Is it a big deal to substitute unsalted butter in the crust?
Hey Frances,
No big deal, just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe was good but my crust was totally stuck to the pan so it didn’t look pretty coming out but it tasted fine. Should I grease the pan? I have a non stick tart pan with removable bottom. I also found the proportions a bit off, not quite enough crust and a bit too much filling.
Hi Meera,
So sorry your crust stuck, with the nonstick pan you shouldn’t have that issue but I guess next time it would be best to grease your pan. I hope this helps! xTieghan
this tart is amazing! Served at a dinner party and everyone had seconds!
So to mix things up, for my birthday, i made a mocha tart !
Same crust
Melted 1 cup dark chocolate chips with 3 tbs. Heavy cream, when plain heavy cream was done boiling, i added the vanilla, melted chocolate and 1 tbs. Instant coffee..whisked together and poured into shell..simply divine !!! Going to try it with blood oranges from my tree too
Wow that is so great to hear! Thank you so much for trying this one, Tina! xTieghan
Both the lemon and lime tarts are DELICIOUS!! And so simple to make! I want to try it again with orange!.. would that work the same way!?
Hi Liz,
so glad you have been enjoying the tarts! I haven’t tested this with orange but I think it would be great! xTieghan
Hi! For the ingredients to use coconut cream instead, do I boil & chill the entire mixture? Or just the coconut cream itself? Thanks!
Hi Danielle,
You will just boil the cream itself. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! This was delicious but didn’t set properly for me. Do you think it’s because I didn’t use fresh lime juice? I let the mixture cool 10 minutes but it was still warm when I poured it in. Should it cool longer? My last thought is I put it in the fridge, then freezer for about 15 minutes, then back in fridge so it would set before dessert time. Maybe next time I need to make well in advance. I see some other reviewers let it set overnight. Thanks for your help!
I made this yesterday or a dinner before my son and his wife move out of town. It was absolutely excellent. The flavors are wonderful together and it was really easy to put together!! The coconut flavor is subtle. Even a guest who doesn’t like coconut, could taste it, but enjoyed it in the blend of flavors. This is definitely a keeper and a good one to make again.
Aw that is too sweet of you! I am really glad you all enjoyed this Molly! Thank you! xTieghan
This is the 4th recipe of your’s that I’ve followed to a T and bought high end ingredients for (organic, as fresh as possible) and they have all been abject disappointments. 1 was a pasta dish, 1 was a cauliflower dish, one was bread and this was the fourth. I couldn’t finish any one of them because of how unappetizing they were. I’ve never had this experience with any other cooking site and I’m not going to push my luck anymore. And yes, in my opinion, your pictures are great and make the recipes look good, but that’s it.
Hi Zara! I am really sorry to hear that you have been having trouble. I don’t mean to be rude, but could it be something that you are substituting? I just have never had someone have no success at all with my recipes. I would love to help though! Please let me know! xTieghan
Normally I love the recipes on this site. But this one just did not work for me. I followed the recipe for the coconut cream Thai kitchen brand as recommended and gave it 24 hours before serving and it still didn’t set up.
Hi Stephanie! I am sorry to hear that! Please let me know if I can help with anything! xTieghan
What dairy free option would you suggest instead of butter for the crust? Would coconut oil work? Thanks!
Hi Tieghan! Do you think this could be made in mini tart pans if the crust and filling were distributed equally amongst the pans? If so, would you change the cooking time at all?
Hi Rachel,
I think that would be a great idea! I would reduce the baking time by 10-15 but also keep an eye on them. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi!
I’m going to try making this tonight! I’m wondering how do you remove the pie whole from the baking dish in once piece without messing it up?
Hi Matisse,
I use a pie pan that has a removable bottom, if you are using a standard pie plate you could line with parchment paper first. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe was everything I wanted! Made it at 12 p.m. and checked on it in about 6,5 hours to see that it set perfectly. Just enjoyed a slice without any toppings, loved the simplicity and the taste of lime and coconut. From my family of four, THANK you!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Sia! Thank you! xTieghan