Gluten Free Coconut Pie

Slice of Coconut Pie - J.Stahl

Yesterday I had a hankering for coconut pie. I decided ahead of time that I would like to test a new pie crust instead of the usual crust that I use, which was tried and true by a member of a forum I am on.

I've been hearing some great things about Elana's gluten free blog, and she's from my last city of residence in the US and in my old Celiac Support Group. Since we're transitioning over to GAPS and Paleo recipes, I figured I may as well find out if my taste buds will acclimate or not.

I don't know why I did not think to get the camera for each stage, but it probably had something to do with the boys playing around and being loud in general, and that really messes with my thinking process when I'm refereeing from the kitchen. For that, I am truly sorry.  Elana did not post how her crust looks in the process either, and this is something that I personally really benefit from when I'm learning new recipes.

The pie crust is made from the Paleo Pie Crust recipe found at Elana's Pantry. This is a relatively easy recipe in that you only need to toss everything into a food processor and it really comes together on it's own.  If I could have changed anything about this recipe, I believe I would have used my Kaiser Springform Pan instead of my IKEA Pie pan. For two reasons really - one, the pie crust only covers the bottom of the pie, and secondly, I like a nice thick coconut pie!

The Paleo Pie Crust is easy to spread if you use a spatula with a bit of pressure all the way around your pie (or spring form as the case may be!) pan. Just remember that when you cut your pie, do not use a sharp knife or you'll scratch it.  Another option is to use baking paper and you can easily lift the pie out once it's cooled, and place it onto a plate.

Since my pie recipe did ask for an unbaked pie shell, I did not pre-bake the pie crust.  I used Paula Deen's French Coconut Pie recipe and simply did not use any flour. Since our coconut does not come pre-sweetened, I added a bit more sugar to the recipe. It's not as sweet as Paula's, but I think that may be a good thing.

If you are dairy free, you can use non-dairy coconut based butter in this recipe without any hitches, and if you like, canned coconut milk is also really delicious with this recipe. I didn't do that this time since I hadn't any in our pantry. It's about time to replenish our stock.

I have not tried such a recipe egg-free, so I'm not sure if it would turn out or not if you use an egg replacement.Your best bet may be unflavored silken tofu, but I'm really not certain if it will create the same texture or not.

Do be sure to cool this as much as possible outside of your refrigerator before placing it inside to have for your dessert - if you can. Mine was so tempting that about thirty minutes after it was in the fridge, I hauled it out and cut myself a slice.  It definitely wasn't as sweet as traditional coconut pie, but it was good.

Here's wishing you a happy Sabbath!

Jennifer