Raw Chia Key Lime Pie

I have been wanting to try making chia pudding for a while now. I bought some chia seeds about 3 or 4 months ago and have not gotten around to doing anything with them until this past weekend. Chia seeds are high in protein, Omega 3’s, and fiber. I’ve been trying to cut out the refined sugar, but I still have a mighty sweet tooth these days. So I decided to make something sweet with chia and maple syrup as the sweetener. Eric had spotted some key limes at the vegetable stand for $1 and asked if we could have a key lime pie. Pre-vegan, I used to make a pretty awesome key lime pie, but the ingredients were deadly–lots of eggs and a can of sweetened condensed milk for the filling, and graham crackers, powdered sugar and butter for the crust. Eventually, I’d like to make a vegan version of that pie, but this is something slightly different. Chia seeds, when you add liquid to them, turn into a thick pudding-like consistency very much like tapioca. This is a raw key lime pie with a tapioca-like filling and a raw almond crust. This is refreshing, filling, healthy and just sweet enough to make you feel like you’ve had dessert without overdoing it. Even Eric liked it, once he got over the appearance (he was expecting a smooth, yellow pie).

The Recipe

Makes 6 cupcake sized mini-pies

FOR THE PUDDING:

1/2 cup chia seeds

4 Tbls key lime juice (or regular lime juice)

2 Tbls maple syrup

3/4 cup non dairy milk

1/3 cup coconut milk

FOR THE CRUST:

1 cup raw almonds

2 Tbls maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

TO MAKE THE PUDDING/FILLING: Juice your limes if you’re using fresh, until you have 4 Tbls.

Add the chia seeds to a medium bowl.

Add the milks. Stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and the lime juice and stir. Let sit for 30 minutes or so stirring occasionally. The mixture should get gelatinous and pudding-like.

Taste and adjust lime and sweetener if needed. NOTE: You can skip the crust and just have a delicious key lime pudding if you prefer.

TO MAKE THE CRUST: In the food processor or blender, grind up the almonds until they are a fine consistency. Add the cinnamon and process. Add the maple syrup and process together, scraping the sides to make sure it is all fully combined. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake papers and divide the crust into six portions. Press the mixture into the cupcake liners on the bottom and sides to create the crust.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PIES: When the pudding is pudding-like, spoon it into the crusts.

There may be some leftover pudding which is a special treat for the cook to snack on. Refrigerate the pies if not eating immediately.

Have you all tried chia seeds? How have you used them?