Paleo Key Lime Pie is a delicious healthful version of the classic key lime pie I saw all over Key West, Florida. This one has a nutty crust, creamy dairy free filling and a fluffy meringue topping.
Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida, was one of the ports of call on our Caribbean cruise last month. It's a quaint old city with a fun, eclectic vibe. Chickens roamed the streets. Hemingway is a celebrated former resident. And Key Lime Pie was everywhere!
I hope you enjoy a few of the shots I took while we were there.
Paleo Key Lime Pie
I thought that it must be possible to make a version of Key Lime Pie that was free from dairy and loads of sugar. This is the very pleasant result of numerous testings!
Must I use Key limes?
Key limes are difficult to come by in the United States and Canada. Although they were named after the Florida Keys where they were once grown, a hurricane wiped out the crops in the 1920's. Since then, Persian limes, the ones we are accustomed to seeing in grocery stores, have pretty much replaced Key limes.
You may certainly use either kind of limes for this recipe. I would just caution you not to buy bottled lime juice. Your pie will taste so much better with real, freshly squeezed lime juice! A couple of decent sized limes should do the trick.
Recipe
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- ½ cup almond meal
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 egg
Filling
- ½ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 400 mL (14-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup honey
Meringue Topping
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon organic raw sugar (optional) omit for true paleo
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a food processor, pulse pecans until they are about the size of sesame seeds.
- Add almond meal, coconut flour, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Add honey, coconut oil, and egg. Blend until mixture is combined and starts to ball up, pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- With a flat spatula and wet hands, press the crust mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Filling
- Meanwhile, puree all four filling ingredients in blender. Leave the egg whites at room temperature in a mixing bowl for the meringue topping.
- Carefully pour filling into baked pie shell.
- Bake for an additional 25 - 30 minutes, until the filling is just beginning to set up around the edges, but the crust is not being overdone.
Meringue Topping
- About five minutes before the filling has finished baking, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle on the tablespoon of raw sugar (if using), and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon the meringue around the edge of pie covering the exposed edges of the crust.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes until the meringue has nicely browned.
- Chill the pie before serving. The filling will firm up as it cools.
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