I’d be imagining that many people wanting to clean up their diet, or discovering intolerances at the cause of their health problems, would think that Key Lime Pie and many desserts like it, would be strictly off the menu. Well, this baby is gluten free, grain free, dairy free and fructose free – you can even do a nut free base that I’ve included a link to. Part of why I started this blog, is because as a girl with a background in luxury hospitality and a half Frenchy, there was absolutely no way I was ditching delicious treats, once I admitted I was intolerant to wheat, most gluten containing grains, pasteurised dairy and that too much fructose had a bad effect on me. Makes me puffy and makes me fart. Badly. There, I said it.
Speaking of undesirable effects on the body, take also into account that independent studies show that fructose + wheat in combination, are more addictive to us than Cocaine. What chance do people have when the odds are stacked up against us like that? All of our true neurological food signals, or what people call ‘will power’, are shot to pieces. Lastly, when you put grains and fructose into our bodies, what has to do all the work? The liver. We pummel our livers with so much processing to do, that they just can’t keep up and so, with all of this in mind, that’s why I create the desserts, the way I create them. Minimal body rhythm disturbance, maximum enjoyment. Now, onto the important stuff. Enjoy the Key Lime Pie! It’s not the quickest of recipes, but it’s worth it. The harder you work the sweeter the success tastes, isn’t that true? If you have a large family, don’t mess about. Make 2.
Key lime pie is made up of 3 parts.
1. The lime curd custard (which will need your dairy free condensed milk to start with)
2. The crust
3. The cream on top
This pie contains ingredients your body recognizes and can be nourished from. That’s the magic of it. It’s extremely nutrient dense and high calorie, so to fully enjoy your slice, I’d say save it for when you are only going to have a light soup lunch or salad. There’d be nothing worse than being too full to enjoy this to the max. Trust me.
I hope you love it. Will you do something for me when you make it?
Will you post me a pic on facebook or tag me on instagram at @lowtoxlife? I’d so love that.
Would I have done anything differently next time? I’d try and find a smaller spring form cake tin than the standard, so that the crust comes up higher up the sides, and the ratio is more custard to crust. You would have to bake the custard an extra 10 minutes, on a lower temperature at 160/170C – 330F if you did that though, in case you like the sound of that. Again, just look for the slight wobble in the middle and you know you’re done.
Real Treats. Happy Bodies.
If you love my recipes, I’d love it if you shared them or sent me a pic of yours. It helps us get the word out that real food rocks and there is absolutely NO missing out in our world and that everyone can do it!
Key Lime Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the CONDENSED MILK
- 200 ml Maple or rice syrup. I used rice syrup.
- 1 litre coconut milk (I used spiral brand, orange label but last time I did on the stove top my old version and did with Ayam coconut MILK. Also same result)
For the CRUST
- 240 g OR 1 1/2 cups of roasted almonds (use activated almonds, but regular are fine too.)
- 1/2 cup softened apple chunks (softened with a 1/4 cup of water in a pan for 10 minutes on high on the stove) OR 200g tinned pineapple if you wanted to go old school / 1 cup
- 110 g OR 1 cup tapioca flour you can use arrowroot too, but preservative free is very hard to find
- 50 g OR 1/3 cup rice syrup, maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 pinches sea salt
- rind of a lime
- 1 pod vanilla seeds scraped out or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
For the LIME CURD CUSTARD FILLING
- 4 large egg yolks
- 400 ml condensed milk
- 5-6 tbsp lime juice (taste at 5, add another if you want it more limey)
- Zest of half a lime
The CREAM TOP
- 400 ml coconut cream top of can only from 2 cans.
- 2 tbsp Maple or rice syrup.
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean powder (Organics on a Budget) will help you with that and loads of other good things if you're in Australia) or try Amazon if you're in the States or Canada.
Instructions
CONDENSED MILK
- Conventional condensed milk is one of the most processed supermarket products going around. Seriously denatured milk proteins are very bad for digestive health. That’s why long life milk, and even pasteurised milk can be problematic for people. Then, it’s blended with copious amounts of white sugar. Moving on shall we? Lucky, there’s a simple way to make a wholefood version.
with THERMOMIX
- With Thermomix thanks to the gorgeous Jo from Quirky Cooking ( http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/dairy-free-condensed-milk-dulce-de-leche.html) for her recipe the other day (stove top method just below)
- Pour all into Thermomix or MyCook Premium. Speed 4 for 45 minutes on the timer, temperature Varoma. LID OFF. Pour out into a bowl to cool. You’re done. Makes about 450ml condensed milk, meaning you have enough for the 400ml you need for this recipe, plus some to plop on the buckini or quinoa porridge. Win!
with STOVE TOP
- Pour all ingredients into a saucepan and turn heat on medium heat. Once it comes up to the boil, bring down to the simmer and stir occasionally for 2 hours. Then, pour into a bowl to cool but no need to cool completely or put in fridge or anything. Done.
The CRUST
- For the crust I used my nourishing almond biscuit recipe minus the spices. read the whole recipe here especially if you want to make the biscuits, or use this abridged method for the pie crust:
- In your processor / whizzer of choice, whiz your almonds till finely crushed. Add all the rest. Whiz again until well combined into a crunchy paste consistency.
- Then, press out this mixture into a spring form pan, that has been lined just on the bottom with a circle cut-to-measure of parchment paper. Press it all out until it’s just under a 1/2 cm thick on the base and up the sides.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes on 180C / 350F. It will bubble up / puff up a bit. Don’t worry. Just coerce it gently flat afterwards, and press out any ‘floating fat’ on top there there is any, with a paper towel or tissue. You might need to do 20 minutes, oven depending. Do not be tempted to let it go fully golden brown, as it still has 20 minutes with the filling to go and burnt crust is bitter!
- Don’t remove the crust from the tin. It needs further baking with the filling.
- NEED TO BE NUT FREE? Try my faux pie crust instead
The LIME and CUSTARD FILLING
- Take 4 egg yolks and whisk them on high for a minute (speed 8 TM/ MyCook). Then if using a TM, reduce to speed 6 and blob in 400ml of condensed milk slowly until fully incorporated and at the end, whisk in your lime juice and rind. Pour this mixture now into the pie crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes on 180C / 350F until only slightly wobbly in the middle.
- Now, pop it all in the fridge for – you’re going to hate me now – 4 hours. Yep, sorry about that.
The CREAM TOP
- YUM!!! Is all I can say and use this to ‘ice’ your cupcakes, carrot cake or even pop leftover mixture from this recipe, in the next day’s smoothie.
- You’ll need 2 cans of coconut cream for this, but you won’t be using the lot. Keep them in the fridge for an hour, and scoop off just the thick top part, keeping the water to the side for smoothies later.
- Whisk the thick coconut cream for a minute on turbo first in whatever whizzy thing you choose. I used a hand held beater. It was perfect for the task.
- Then plop other ingredients in. Whiz for a further 10 seconds. You’re done.
- Note: If you’re not ready to assemble straight away, put in the fridge, and then re-whiz for a few seconds, to fluff it back up ready for spreading, when you are ready to spread over the top of the pie.
- Note 2: I didn’t need all of this. I had about 1/2 a cup excess and used in smoothies over the next couple of days and it was a delicious addition to a berry smoothie!
The FINAL ASSEMBLAGE
- Pull out your set pie from the fridge. Release it from the spring form and remove the ring and the base, along with the parchment paper circle and place on a flat cake building tray or your serving plate.
- Take a spatula and blob a huge blob of the cream topping smack bang in the centre of your pie. Gently spin the cake around with one hand, and in the opposite direction, spread your icing out in a circular motion. That way you get nice even coverage and form to the cream top.
- Grate another lime zest’s worth and sprinkle a few bits of lime zest on top. Et voila! You’ve done it. Do you feel clever? I did!
Comments 21
Alexx….. I think I might love you. <3
Author
I know I love you! 😉
YYUummm .. my goodness that looks and sounds amazing .. can’t wait to give it a go! Thank you 😉
Author
Yay. Can’t wait to see it Georgie! Enjoy 🙂
I can not wait to try this 🙂
Author
awesome. post me a pic when you do! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this!! And I know what to do with the egg whites – macaroons!!
Author
yay. absolutely!
Now this is my kind of dessert! Another good reason to get myself a thermie!
Author
You’re super welcome Brenda. And yes, the thermomix is great, however, not essential for this one. Your condensed milk will just take a bit longer on the stove top. Enjoy!
Hi Alexx, one prob with condensed milk, you forgot to put the temp for thermie. Jo’s page states Varoma temp.
Author
ARGH! THanks so much Mandy for pointing that out. I’m editing that right now. Jo’s recipe is perfect as is at the Varoma temperature if you’re making today.
Thanks for this recipe Alexx, made it this evening. I won’t be able to try it until tomorrow though and will be inviting the lady who gave me the limes around for morning tea. She’s dairy free so will really get a kick out of it 🙂 I’ll take a photo after I make the cream and before we eat it.
Author
Penny!!! I am BEYOND excited to see your pic and hear your feedback. I want to share the experience with someone – you’re the first who’s made it. Enjoy. It’s healthy enough to have for breakfast! lol 🙂
Yes, it is too, lol. But, I must contain myself until my friend arrives 🙂
Oh my!!!! It’s divine!!! Top points all around. I’ll put photos on my facebook and tag you 🙂 Well done 🙂
Author
Fantastic and glad the recipe, though long, was obviously ok to follow. Thanks for sharing Penny! 🙂
Yes, it was easy to follow, although both of the baking stages I cooked for double the time you said. Might just be my oven. It’s old 🙂
Now that looks really good. A bit more complicated than my usual but manageable. I have a lemon curd I make easily in the Thermie, but I love the idea of the Quirky condensed milk… and that fab base. Bookmarking!
Hi Alexx I started making this yesterday for my husbands birthday on Wednesday. He is very excited!! Just wanted to ask when making the condensed milk on the stove top does it separate? I have a really thick layer of coconut oil on top and the condensed milk part isn’t all that smooth. It’s a bit blotchy. Was I supposed to leave the lid on or off the saucepan? If making it a few days before the pie, do you store the condensed milk in the fridge?
Many thanks I hope it is going to work I’m a bit nervous!!
Shenoha
Author
Hi Shenoha, The coconut condensed cream would only separate if maybe left on too high and not stirred. So, simple fix is to add a tablespoon of extra coconut cream, turn temp down a bit and stir well to bring it back together. You can keep in the fridge until you’re going to need it, yes. Enjoy and send me a pic! 🙂