Skinny Gluten Free Key Lime Pie

I've lived in Florida for over two years now and I've never had a Key Lime Pie...can you believe it?  I think that's almost illegal here!
So, I decided to try making my own gluten-free Key Lime Pie and here's my results.  I hope you love it as much as I do.
Hubby gave it a big thumbs up and I'm sure I will be making it many more times in the future.  It's not hard to make and deliciously low in calories!

I made the crust with one of my favorite cereals.  I was out of almonds and decided to wing it.  I ground the cereal in the coffee grinder and mixed it with coconut oil, a little butter and some stevia. It reminded me a lot of a graham cracker crust!

 Bake your crust to a light golden brown and cool.

 Pour in the filling.....I could barely keep my fingers out of it

Whip up the egg whites until just stiff peaks form.  Only takes a few minutes. Or just top your beautiful filling after it's cooled with fresh whipped cream!

Now look at what you made!  Pretty great huh?  Let it cool a little before cutting..I know that's the hard part.
I've also included at the end of this post, a very easy and quick classic Key Lime Pie recipe that is perfect for when company comes. It has sugar in it but I find that company likes this version a lot. I save the sugar free for people, like me, who don't want sugar, or can't have it in their diet. Or make one of each!

Skinny Gluten Free Key Lime Pie, sugar free option

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mix or Sweet rice flour, also called Glutinous will work if you don't have all purpose on hand. 
• 3 tablespoons gluten free cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water 
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or equivalent sugar-free sweetener of your choice
• 3 pkts of Stevia-opt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup key lime juice  (I used 2 regular limes, zest and then juiced)
• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 1 (9 inch) Gluten Free pre-baked pie crust-  see below
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (for meringue)
• 6 tablespoons sugar-free sweetener of your choice (for meringue) 

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F for browning the meringue
2. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl and set aside.  Keep the whites for later.
3. Combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the lime juice and the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened (it's important that it thickens)
4. Gradually stir in the agave and stevia, add more water as needed. It should be a smooth and not too thick of a consistency
5. Now slowly, a little at a time, add the cooked mixture into the large bowl of beaten egg yolks, beating constantly.  You must temper (slowly adding the cooked mixture) to the eggs or they will scramble. 
6. Return the mixture to the pan on low heat and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the butter and lime zest. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly and pour into the cooked pie crust.
8. To prepare the meringue, beat the egg whites until light and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks just start to form.
9. Gradually beat in the remaining 6 tablespoons of Splenda and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
10. Pile the meringue on top of the filling, spreading it until it touches the edges of the pastry to prevent the meringue from shrinking.
11. Bake the pie at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes or until the meringue topping is golden brown (this step is skipped if no meringue topping is used)
12. Let cool and refrigerate

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Crust 

Spray a 9" pie pan with canola oil

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground almond meal or gluten free graham crackers or cookies or cereal.
• 1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil, as needed to moisten
• 1/4 cup sweetener of choice

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 F.

Melt the butter (if the pie pan is microwave safe, melt the butter in it) and mix the ingredients up in the pan and pat into place with your fingertips.

Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is beginning to brown. After 8 minutes, check every minute or so, because once it starts to brown it goes quickly.

Want a quick gluten-free Key Lime recipe and not worried about sugar? This is perfect for when company comes to visit!

Ingredients:

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup key lime juice

Blend ingredients together, pour into 9 inch gluten free cracker crust (no need to prebake)
Bake at  350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Cool, refrigerate and top with fresh whipped cream.