Key Lime Pie

Best Ever Key Lime Pie / Egg-free + Dairy-free + Gluten-free

Whole foods ingredients / Plant-based / Decadent

This is honestly one of the best pies ever.

It’s rich & zesty, wholesome, and is sweetened with maple syrup, which doesn’t give you that refined sugar rush, but will totally satisfy your sweet tooth.

The filling is made with cashews, avocado, and coconut milk as the base. Super easy to put together and super versatile. You can modify by substituting the avocado for banana to make banana cream pie (skip the lime juice & zest + add a layer of banana between crust and filling) or even substitute the cashews & avocado for raw pecans and medjool dates (skip citrus here too) for a more caramel like pecan pie. So many possibilities!

I am a big fan of lemony dessert and key lime pie – especially when it’s this healthy & decadent.

With holidays just around the corner, this is a perfect dish to bring to a gathering, the zesty key lime flavour and rich texture of coconut and avocado leave you so happy & refreshed. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Make sure to garnish with fresh lime rings and bite into them, so good to help digest after a big meal and cleanse the palette.

3 RECIPES IN 1

Use the coconut whip to top anything from fresh fruit, cakes, french toast, coffee etc; make the filling on its own and pour it into glasses or individual bowls for a quick lime mousse dessert; & make sure to make nutritious shortbread cookies with the crust recipe!

The crust is full of fibre from the rolled oats, coconut shreds, and psyllium husk(which you can substitute for ground flax). On its own it taste like the most delicious shortbread cookie.

TIP: To make the crust into shortbread cookies, simply press the mixture evenly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake 10 min at 350f (don’t forget to poke little holes with a fork to let some air flow, and you can also score lines prior to baking for easy to cut cookies – opt).

You will need a food processor and high speed blender for best results, but I made mine using only a vita-mix, I used the temper and dried the container thoroughly before grinding the crust ingredients into a flour. You also need a stand or hand-held mixer for the coconut whip. Other than these specific tools, the recipe is super easy to make.

This pie is best made the day before for ideal consistency, but you can freeze it for 4 hours minimum if you need it the same day.

Also don’t forget you’ll need 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk, one at room temperature for the filling, and one stored in the refrigerator overnight for the whip.

Left-overs freeze really well, if you manage not to eat the whole pie!

KEY LIME PIE

CRUST

• 2 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if you have sensitivity or allergy to gluten)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/2 cup almond meal (or an additional 1/2 cup coconut shreds if you don’t have almond meal)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp psyllium powder (or 1 tbsp ground flax)

In a food processor or blender(use tamper), pulse the oats & coconut shreds into a flour, add almond meal, sea salt, psyllium and pulse again to incorporate. I like my crust quite fine, but you can play with a little more texture. Transfer to a bowl, add melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix well with your hands or wooden spoon. The mix should stick together by pressing between your fingers without crumbling. If too dry add a tiny bit more maple syrup and/or coconut oil. Using your hands, press firmly and evenly in a 9inch or 9.5inch round pie dish.  Poke a few little holes in the crust with a fork. Bake 10 minutes at 350f. Let cool completely.

FILLING

• 1 cup raw cashews (soak in hot water 20min or cold water 4-6 hours)
• 1 can full fat coconut milk (look for 11-13g fat content)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp key lime zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeeze key lime juice (standard limes also work)
• 4 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 drop liquid chlorophyll (optional, the avocado already gives it a greenish colour, this is mostly aesthetic, also could use a few leaves of spinach to enhance green colour)

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender until ultra creamy consistency. Adjust sweetness, tartness to your own taste if needed. Pour evenly on top of cooled crust. If you want to add your coconut whip layer right away, place pie in the freezer while you make the whip.

COCONUT WHIP

• 1 can full fat coconut milk (11g-13g fat content, refrigerated overnight)
• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (or 3-4 tbsp cane sugar, powdered fine in a blender if you want it sweeter & stiffer, do not add too much maple syrup/vanilla as it will affect the liquid balance & whip consistency)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Flip the coconut can over, bottoms up, open it and pour out the liquid (set aside and add to rice or soup or smoothie later). Scoop the thick coconut cream into a cold metal or glass bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, whip the coconut cream into an even consistency. On medium low speed, slowly add the maple syrup and vanilla. Keep mixing until fluffy & creamy. Gently top the green layer with the whip (this works better if the green layer has already set).

Refrigerate pie overnight for best results. You could place it in the freezer a few hours (minimum 4hr) if you want to eat it the same day.

Garnish with lime rings and zest. It’s really nice to bite into a juicy ring of key lime as you eat the pie. The extra citrus juice helps with digestion and has a nice palette cleansing effect.

Hope you enjoy!

Vanessa Bourget is a nutritionist herbalist based in Vancouver, Canada

MOVE. NOURISH. THRIVE.