Key Lime Pie with Almond White Chocolate Crust (GF)

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I’ve done it. I’ve finally done it. It took long enough!

This crust, fellow dessert lovers, is the one. While traditional key lime pie has graham cracker crust, this one is made of ground almonds and white chocolate. Do you want to guess which crust is better?

If you guessed graham cracker, you are just plain wrong. This pie crust is just beyond all my wildest expectations and dreams. It’s such a perfect base for tart, creamy key lime filling. That’s what I get for thinking creatively!

Key Lime Pie with White Chocolate Almond Crust (GF)

You can look at gluten-free desserts in one of two ways. One way, they’re a lesser version of an original recipe, often higher in sugar and ultimately disappointing. I don’t truck with that. I never have, and I never will.

The other way makes much more sense. Use natural ingredients (the less processed the better), don’t add extra fat or sugar, and come away with a dessert that’s not trying to be a faded copy of its gluten-laded counterpart. In other words, change the script. Change the rules. Be inventive. It might involve more thinking up front, but it sure does pay off.

Key Lime Pie with White Chocolate Almond Crust (GF)

Whenever I eat key lime pie, I think about the first time I ever tasted it. I was all of 25, dating Kenny, and we’d gone on our first vacation together to Florida. Our rationale was that if we went to a town full of retirees, we’d be the hottest people there. And it kind of worked!

Our flight was massively delayed (we were dumb enough to go on December 26th), so when we finally got to the hotel, we were exhausted. All we had energy for was the hotel restaurant, which happened to be on the water. Not half bad, right? I ordered a margarita and a slice of key lime pie, my very first.

Key Lime Pie with White Chocolate Almond Crust (GF)

It was nothing short of magical. The whole day of delayed flights and missed connections just melted away. I was in the warm Floridian night air, staring at the man I was falling in love with, drinking a perfect frozen drink and eating the best pie ever. Since that night, key lime pie has been a favorite.

It makes perfect sense, then, that I make a key lime pie that Kenny can actually eat without getting an upset stomach. This crust is not only gluten-free, but it’s one of my favorite pie crusts this season. And you all know that I’ve made a lot of pie crust over the past month.

Key Lime Pie with White Chocolate Almond Crust (GF)

It’s pretty simple: you take ground almond or almond meal (make it yourself or buy a bag at Trader Joe’s for cheap) and mix it with a melted white chocolate and butter combo. Add in some brown sugar for caramelized goodness, and you’re golden!

The crust is a sweet base for the notoriously tangy filling. Key lime pie is typically a warmer weather dessert, but I like to get a taste of Florida as I’m baking pie after pie for Thanksgiving. It’s a refreshing yet unpredictable option for your holiday table. If you want to wow your GF-eating friends with a showstopper pie, this is the one!

 

Key Lime Pie with Almond White Chocolate Crust (GF)

Ingredients

Crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups ground almond meal
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Filling
3-4 tablespoons key lime zest
1 cup key lime juice (you can use bottled)
4 egg yolks
2 cans (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
Garnish
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 10-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and white chocolate for one minute. Stir. If not smooth, heat for 20 seconds more and stir again until smooth.
  3. Mix in the almond meal and brown sugar until the mixture is moist. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan, packing the crust in with the back of a measuring cup.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  5. While the crust is baking, make the key lime filling. Combine the zest, key lime juice, and egg yolks. Stir in the condensed milk and mix until thoroughly combined.
  6. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Cool completely.
  7. When the pie is cool, drizzle the white chocolate over the top. Chill overnight. Cut into wedges and serve.
http://justaboutbaked.com/key-lime-pie-with-almond-white-chocolate-crust-gf/

 

Mir

I fulfill many roles in life: wife, mother, teacher, everlasting learner. This site is dedicated to one role that expresses my creativity in ways that I find consistently challenging and rewarding: baker. Inventing new ways to enhance food, especially if that food involves chocolate or peanut butter (or both!), is a passion of mine. I look forward to sharing my ideas with you.

This Post Has 28 Comments

  1. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    I don’t think I’ve ever had an almond crust before, let alone one with white chocolate. It sounds delicious, Mir! Such a creative touch to this pie!
    Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Garlic and Sage StuffingMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Gayle. Turns out, it’s the crust to beat!

  2. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

    Almond white chocolate crust? WOW! Can I just eat the crust please? Okay, I will have the filling too, but only because it looks really delicious.
    Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on Gingerbread Oat Waffles by DanniiMy Profile

    1. Mir

      They go so well together, Dannii. That tart filling with the sweet crust!

  3. annie@ciaochowbambina

    I want to eat that crust right through the screen. I can imagine that you and I will be stars at any party we bring this to! Love itttt!
    annie@ciaochowbambina recently posted…Apples & Maple Italian Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Whipped Cream + GIVEAWAYMy Profile

    1. Mir

      We’ll be stars anyway, Annie. I mean, look at us! 🙂

  4. Manali @ CookWithManali

    The crust sounds so good Mir! Love!
    Manali @ CookWithManali recently posted…Pecan Cream Cheese RollsMy Profile

    1. Mir

      It was pretty great, Manali. Thanks!

  5. mira

    Need to try this, looks gorgeous and delicious! Love the crust! Sounds like a nice vacation you had in Fl. 🙂
    mira recently posted…Easy Green Bean Casserole {NO MUSHROOM SOUP}My Profile

    1. Mir

      It was so nice. I haven’t had a vacation that relaxing in quite some time!

  6. Amanda

    I have never really thought of white chocolate and lime before, but this combo sounds like heaven! Great crust idea!
    Amanda recently posted…Sesame Oil HummusMy Profile

    1. Mir

      They are opposites, and perfect for one another!

  7. Trish - Mom On Timeout

    Girl! Don’t mess with me! You know how I am about my key lime pies and now you go and throw a white chocolate crust into the mix…holy heck I need this!
    Trish – Mom On Timeout recently posted…Brown Butter Brown Sugar Pecan PieMy Profile

    1. Mir

      You need to try, Trish! It’s ridiculous.

  8. Medha @ Whisk & Shout

    WHITE CHOCOLATE IN CRUST?! That’s like, the most genius thing ever! Got to be so much more delicious than a normal crust, so tell that to all the GF haters 🙂
    Medha @ Whisk & Shout recently posted…Cranberry Coconut Energy Bars {Raw, Vegan, GF}My Profile

    1. Mir

      Those haters are just stupid. They’ve never had this crust before! Thanks, Medha!

  9. Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust

    You bet this crust is better than graham cracker!! I think a nut crust is in my future. It looks so good! And I swear, key lime pie in Florida is just the best stuff ever.
    Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted…How to Measure FlourMy Profile

    1. Mir

      You’d rock it, Dorothy. They’re so irresistible! And Florida can do key lime pie like nowhere else. I want!

  10. Kate @ Framed Cooks

    My Southern husband *thinks* traditional key lime pie is his favorite…but I think I just found him a few favorite! 🙂
    Kate @ Framed Cooks recently posted…BLT BenedictMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Tell him to keep an open mind, Kate!

  11. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom

    love hearing about the trip to FL! and your first time tasting key lime pie! love that you made a GF version for Kenny and that you actually LOVE the crust! I’m all for the ground almond meal and love that you added white chocolate chips!!! delicious!!
    Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom recently posted…Butternut Squash and Kale QuicheMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Ground almond meal is the best. I thank Trader Joe’s for making it so that I can be lazy and not do it all the time myself. That’s one magical store!

  12. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    I’m totally with you in the gluten-free dessert train of thought. The first logic is just all sorts of wrong. 🙂 LOVING this pie, my dear! Like, WHOA! Key Lime pie is my husband and I’s favorite pie. But a key lime pie with an almond-white chocolate crust?! You already KNOW I am freaking out over this. This pie needs to get in my belleh pronto! I’m totally going to have to make two, because I know neither Boy or I will want to share! Pinned!! Cheers doll!
    Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary recently posted…20+ Holiday Main Dishes {Recipe Round Up}My Profile

    1. Mir

      It’s not chocolate! It’s not chocolate! Yay for you! And I’m obsessed with key lime anything. It’s truly the best!

  13. Michele @ Alwayzbakin

    That crust sounds amazing! 😮 I love Key Lime Pie. I don’t make it often enough. Kenny is a lucky guy! ;-D
    Michele @ Alwayzbakin recently posted…Book Review: Food52-BakingMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Michele. If I made it more, I’d eat it all!

  14. Jen | Baked by an Introvert

    I LOVE key lime pie. An almond white chocolate crust sounds like a great alternative. I bet it pairs nicely with the filling!
    Jen | Baked by an Introvert recently posted…Snickers BrowniesMy Profile

    1. Mir

      They’re perfect together, Jen!

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