School's out for the summer, and I'm back in the kitchen. So happy to have a break from coursework, and time to create another low carb recipe! Here in Florida, the summer heat has me craving cool, creamy desserts and icy treats to enjoy. Enter a healthy version of the official dessert of the state of Florida: Key Lime Pie!
This is not your momma's key lime pie…
…or at least if my mother made key lime pie (she grew up in North Dakota), it wouldn't be like this! There are no egg yolks or sweetened condensed milk to be found in this version. With all of the tart, sweet flavor and none of the sugar, this low carb key lime pie will remind you of the slices you've enjoyed in Florida seafood restaurants. The pie has a slightly different texture than the original, though, with its airy, almost mousse-like filling. I can promise you that you won't miss the sweetened condensed milk after tasting this pie. Feel free to serve it liberally with whipped cream. We can indulge in that healthy saturated fat on a low carb eating plan!
I think you'll really like this super easy crust. It's worth making the pie just for the crust alone!
Removing the eggs and using xanthan gum as the binder helps keep the texture nice and crisp. You should already have xanthan gum if you have been doing a lot low carb baking (or following this blog!).
The flavor from the blend of pecan meal and almond meal is phenomenal, but if you prefer, you can use 100% almond meal in this crust. The pecan meal might only be widely available in southern states. Our local Publix has a whole section devoted to products from the George Pecan Co. Their pecan meal is really finely milled and fresh tasting. I use it more often than almond meal sometimes, since I have to grind almond meal myself. Pecans do have higher fat percentage than almond, so a one-for-one substitution of pecan meal for almond meal might not work well in all of your recipes.
Healthy Key Lime Pie
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
For Crust:
1 cup blanched almond meal, packed
1/2 cup pecan meal, packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. NuNaturals pure stevia ….
