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We’re nearly midway through July, and it’s time for an effortless dessert with a decidedly tropical feel. Enter this key lime coconut macadamia tart – while it’s not quite the same as a Hawaiian vacation, one bite will momentarily transport you to an island paradise.
If you love key lime pie, you’ll fall for this tart. With the classic creamy, tangy lime filling atop an irresistible coconut macadamia graham crust, this bright and flavorful tart is my kind of summer dessert.
Key Lime Coconut Macadamia Tart
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 14-inch tart, 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Key lime coconut macadamia tart is a delicious spin on key lime pie! With a creamy lime filling and macadamia crust, you’ll love these tropical flavors!
Ingredients
Crust
- 9 sheets honey graham crackers
- 1/4 cup roasted macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp coconut extract
- 5 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
Filling
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 tsp fresh lime zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- pinch of salt
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- For the crust, combine graham crackers, macadamia nuts, and toasted coconut in a food processor and pulse together to form crumbs. Mix in sugar and salt, then add vanilla, coconut extract, and coconut oil, and pulse until incorporated. Press mixture tightly into the bottom and up the sides of a 14-inch rectangular removable-bottom tart pan. Bake crust for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Cool crust for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
- For the filling, whisk together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl. Add lime zest, lime juice, and salt, whisking until smooth. Pour filling over crust and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for about 15 minutes, until set (center will jiggle slightly). Cool tart for 1 hour on a wire rack, then transfer to the refrigerator until chilled, about 2 hours.
- For the whipped cream, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a chilled mixer bowl fitted with wire whip attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe whipped cream onto tart, and garnish with macadamia nuts, lime zest, and lime wedges.
Notes
Crust adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
QUESTION:–Would you be so kind as to provide weight or measurement for cookies in order to sub w another type of cookie please?
I’d like to really amp up the coconut flavor and use sweetened condensed coconut milk but the can I have only 11.25 oz. so I’d like to sub the 2.75 ounces w extra coconut cream (whipped a bit for an even lighter texture) and some coconut rum. Ditto for the whipped cream–1/2 reg. cream & 1/2 coconut cream–think it’ll work???
Hi Toni, you’ll need about 270 grams of graham crackers or another cookie for the crust. I haven’t worked much with coconut cream, so I’m unsure of how that would affect the filling (it may not set the same way).
Thank you Laura! I’ll take one for the team and try it in this recipe–I’ve used it in other ones w no discernable difference except for the amount of the can. Don’t you loathe how all our ingredients are now less –but the recipes are designed for the original sized cans? Coconut milk is now 13.5 oz, not 14. GRRHHHH!
Absolutely amazing!!! My mom’s favorites: coconut, key lime and macadamia nut! Made this for her birthday dessert and she said it’s her new FAV! The crust is to die for!
Looks gorgeous, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Do you toast the coconut yourself?
Hi Dana, yes I do. You can toast it in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir frequently with a heat-proof spatula for about 5 minutes, until the coconut is light golden brown and evenly toasted. Once toasted, immediately transfer to a plate or small bowl to cool before using.
Do you recommend unsweetened or sweetened coconut flakes?
I use sweetened coconut flakes. If you only have unsweetened coconut on hand, you can use it and increase the sugar in the crust to 3 tablespoons.
Do you recommend salted or unsalted dry roasted macadamia nuts?
I typically use salted macadamias to balance out the sweet coconut flavor.
Key lime pie is heavenly and the crust ingredients sound amazing. But I don’t already hv a rectangular tart pan. I do however have a 10” round. Do you think I could make that work? Thanks, and happy summer!
Conicat
I know another reader has made this tart in a round pan, so that should work just fine. Happy baking!
In my younger years, I bought anything a recipe called for. Now I’m trying to cut back on those purchases – instead, getting rid of things!! So …. any ideas on other sized of pan that this amount of crust/filling would fill? Thank you!!
Hi Sherry, you can also adapt this recipe for an 8-inch square baking pan (lined with parchment). Press the crust across the bottom of the pan, and bake as directed (you may need to add a few additional minutes of cooking time). You can follow the rest of the recipe as written, and cut into bars once chilled. Hope that helps!
i used a rectangular tart pan for one and an 8″ or 9″ circular one too. they both worked out fine. not sure if the circular one was an 8 or 9″…but either way it turned out fine.
HI Laura….getting ready to make this tart today. going to substitute butter for the coconut oil in the crust… you thing the same proportion would work? thanks. j
Hi Joan, sorry for the delay getting back to you, but yes – the proportion would be the same. Happy baking! 🙂
made it, ate it, loved it! thanks! used the same proportions and it was fine. i was afraid the oil with the graham cracker might have ended up a little mushy… and i trust butter so went with it.
i am going to make the orange honey lavender cookies this week too. made a similar lavender cookie before that you posted. going to add a little more lavender this time. it was subtle and i wanted just a tad more of that flavor. thank goodness we can eat lavender! it smells so so wonderful and to eat it….that’s a perk!
Oh good, so glad it all worked out for you! Hope you enjoy the shortbread too. If you love lavender, you can definitely add a little more – I just tend to be a bit cautious because I don’t want to end up with a soap flavored cookie! 😉