Key Lime Pie

In my quest to eliminate sugar and grains from my diet, desserts become tricky. After all, what is dessert without sweetness? In the past I have used honey and molasses, both more natural sweeteners than processed sugar,  however, these can make things like pie fillings too runny. Stevia, a plant-based sweetener, leaves a strange aftertaste for me. I use it in this recipe but in combination with Coconut Crystals which eliminates the aftertaste. Coconut Crystals are made from coconut tree sap and have a low glycemic index. The taste is similar to raw sugar and so far, works well. 

Note: If you are interested at all in your health, don't think just because it's a healthier "sugar" that you can eat a whole pie at one sitting. Warning: With this recipe, you'll want to, so don't say I didn't warn you.

I don't make desserts that often. Around our house, they're a luxury. I wanted to make my husband's favorite pie for his birthday -- Key Lime -- so I searched for a recipe, found one, and modified it for my family's way of eating. My family loved it. I enjoyed it but found the filling a bit rich. The crust can also be used for other pies (or eaten by itself with a spoon -- yep, I did it and will probably do it again next time -- it's that good).

For a completely homemade pie, this is easy to make (another must for me), so enjoy and feel free to comment.

Ingredients:
 

For Crust:

1 cup blanched almond meal, packed*

1/2 cup pecan meal, packed*

1/8 tsp. NuNaturals pure stevia extract

2 tsbp. Coconut Crystals**

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

 

For Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

7 tbsp. Coconut Crystals**

1/4 plus 1/8 tsp. NuNaturals pure stevia extract

1/2 cup key lime juice (or use regular limes if you can't find key limes)

1/4 to 1/8 tsp. finely minced lime zest (depending on how tart you like your pie)

*You can buy the nut "flours" or make your own by grinding the nuts in a food processor.
**Sold at health food stores. I haven't seen it at a regular grocery store yet.

Preparation:

For Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk together almond meal, pecan meal, stevia, xanthan gum, and Coconut Crystals together in a bowl. Stir vanilla and salt into melted butter. Add to dry mixture, and knead together dough with hands until everything is distributed evenly. 

Lightly grease a large glass pie dish with butter. Press dough into dish, ensuring that the thickness is the same all over the pie dish. Poke holes with a fork all over the crust. (If air pockets rise while baking, gently prick those areas with your fork.) Bake crust for 14-15 minutes. 

When slightly browned, remove from oven and let cool completely before adding pie filling. (If you miss this direction, like I did thinking I could make this quickly, just put in refrigerator to cool while you make the key lime filling.)  

You can cover the crust with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator overnight if you'd like to prepare the filling the next day.

For Filling:

Set cream cheese out on the counter to soften to room temperature.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add Coconut Crystals and stevia into cream cheese, then stir with mixer. Add key lime juice and lime zest to mixture.

Scrape filling into pie crust. Put pie in freezer until firm enough to cut. If it gets too hard, take out and let thaw somewhat before serving.