If you’ve ever been to Cafe Gratitude and had their vegan key lime pie, you are probably wondering why you aren’t currently there enjoying a slice. It’s my favorite dessert in all of Los Angeles.
As the creator of Cafe Gratitude’s cleanse program, I try to control myself from ordering a whole key lime pie from them each week. Yes, their key lime pie is super natural and guilt-free but I still feel a desire to practice the art of self-control.
When I found this recipe, my first thought was that I could have my cake and eat it too without the whole Cafe Gratitude team knowing me as “that key lime pie woman.” This is probably not a healthy thought.
I also got a little competitive: could this key lime pie possibly be as good as Cafe Gratitude’s? I was beyond skeptical. I am not really a sweets person and have never felt so strongly about a dessert before!
I have my loyalties, so I could never say this is better than Cafe Gratitude’s but it sure is just as good. Plus, no baking required! This is raw, vegan, paleo and delicious! Yes, that combination exists.
And they are gluten-free with no refined sugar added, so just like Cafe Gratitude’s you can feel totally guilt-free. I am so excited to share this with all my out-of-state family and friends who have not yet had the joy of a Cafe Gratitude slice.
My family gobbled these up. It took us just one weekend to get through a whole batch. We all deserve a little dessert every once in awhile but when it’s healthy that’s even better-it means you can have two!
Mini Key Lime Pies
Makes 8-10 mini pies
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1 cup walnuts
a dash of sea salt
7 dates, pitted
For the filling:
1 ½ cups mashed avocado
¾ cups fresh squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup coconut nectar
½ cup coconut oil
zest from 2 limes
Directions:
Put all crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a nice paste-like consistency and it can hold together.
Push crust filling into bottom of cupcake molds, set aside.
Put all the filling ingredients into the food processor and process until everything is blended together and smooth. Taste and make sure it’s to your liking. If you want to add more coconut nectar or limes, do it now.
Pour filling on top of crust and place in the freezer until it has set. Store in freezer or refrigerator and enjoy at room temperature.
