Vegan, gluten free, key lime pie OR lemon squares

So obsessed with this key lime pie! The recipe was taken from Minimalist Baker... so therefore it has minimal ingredients.. specifically no processed sugar, no gluten, no dairy, no eggs but lots of protein! Everything in this is delicious, wholesome, and plant-based. The texture is like cheesecake. This recipe was originally for lemon squares which we made a batch of for a friend's birthday (and they were kick-ass delicious), but then as a lover of key lime I really wanted a key lime version, reshaped into a pie and it came out AWESOME! The crust from this recipe is amazing and can be modified and used with other pies, squares and bars, and you can also experiment with the filling and add in other fruits if you'd like. I love desserts that are actually good for you, so obviously the lack of tons of sugar but abundance of protein from the nuts and oats in this make this a great guilt-free dessert or even a pick-me up snack in between meals. I have no doubt you will enjoy this one!



Ingredients:

Filling
1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight, or soaked in hot water for 1 hour)
1 cup coconut cream (the solid part in a can of full-fat coconut milk)
2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
½ cup lemon juice (for lemon squares) or key lime juice (for key lime pie)
1 tbsp lemon or lime zest (optional)
pinch of sea salt
¼ cup maple syrup

Crust
1 cup gluten free oats
1 cup almonds
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
4-5 tbsp melted coconut oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8x8 inch square baking dish (for lemon squares) or 8-9 inch round pan (for key lime pie) with parchment paper.

Add oats, almonds, salt and coconut sugar to a high speed blender or food processor until a fine meal. Add in syrup and coconut oil if you have a food processor with a dough setting and continue to mix, or if not, mix all ingredients together by hand in a bowl. You want to achieve a loose dough that sticks together but isn't too moist (between two fingers you should be able to form a dough instead of it crumbling). Add more coconut oil if needed to help it stick together.

Transfer mixture to parchment-lined pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Press down firmly with parchment paper to even it all out. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. If not golden yet, increase heat to 375 and bake for 5-8 more minutes. When finished, reduce heat back to 350.

Drain soaked cashews and add to blender with coconut cream, arrowroot/cornstarch, lemon/lime juice, zest, salt and syrup. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. This may take several minutes.

Taste and adjust flavors as needed. For more sweetness, add more maple syrup. For more lemon or lime flavor, add more juice.

Pour filling over the crust layer and spread until an even layer without air bubbles.

Bake for 20-23 minutes or until edges are slightly dry and center is "jiggly" but not liquidy. Let sit for 10 minutes and then transfer to the fridge uncovered for at least 4 hours.

Cut into squares or slices and enjoy! Will stay fresh covered in the fridge for a few days.