Persian Lime Pie

vegan persian lime pie

I bought a huge bulk bag of Persian limes at the store because I figured that I would have absolutely no problem finding ways to use them. I used a couple right at first, but then didn't touch them for several weeks after that. When I was looking through my fridge this morning I realized that I really needed to use up these limes or else I was going to have a huge bulk bag of rotten limes on my hands. Hence, this Persian lime pie was made. 

Note: don't be discouraged by the large list of ingredients, it's actually really easy to make.

Persian Lime Pie


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups original flavored graham cracker crumbs

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)

3 tablespoons water

a dash of salt

1 (12 1/3 ounce) package mori-nu firm silken tofu (either light or regular)

1/2 cup Persian lime juice (about 4-6 limes) or about 1/3 cup key lime juice

 1 (8 oz) tub soy cream cheese (I use Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese)

2 teaspoons freshly grated lime rind (about 2 limes)

2 (4 oz) packages of vegan vanilla pudding mix (I used Dr. Oetker brand from Whole Foods)

1.5-2 tablespoons agave nectar or other liquid sweetner

1 (13.5 oz) cans of chilled coconut milk

1/3 cup powdered sugar, or to taste

1-4 tablespoons coconut flour or tapioca flour (add one tablespoon at a time)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, or to taste

Graham Cracker Crust: 

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, oil/butter, water, and salt. Mix until well combined. When you press the mixture against the wall of the bowl it should stick without crumbling. If it doesn't, add more oil/butter.

Spread the mixture into a 9-inch round pie pan. Press firmly so it covers the bottom and edges of the pan.

Bake the crust in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it's just turning brown. Remove and let cool.

Filling: 

Drain any excess water from the tofu.

Blend the tofu and lime juice in a processor or blender until creamy and smooth.

Add the cream cheese, lime rind, vanilla pudding, and agave nectar to the tofu mixture and blend again until smooth. Beat on high speed for a good couple minutes to make sure it's completely smooth.

Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and chill for at least 3 hours, or until firm.

Coconut Whipped Cream:

Open the cans of coconut milk and you will see that the fat has separated from the liquid. Spoon out the fat and transfer into a medium-sized bowl. Beat the thick coconut cream in the chilled bowl with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy.

Gradually add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar and coconut/tapioca flour and beat into the coconut. Add more sugar and flour until consistency and taste is what you want. When you've reached the desired consistency and flavor add the vanilla and mix in.

Decorate the pie however you want with the coconut whipped cream, or you can leave it on the side and add a dollop when serving.

a slice of vegan persian lime pie