Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Pie

This pie crust recipe is really easy as you can just press it into the pie dish using your fingertips, without any need for a floured surface or a rolling pin.

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Pie

Ingredients

For the pastry:

- 30 g (1/8 cup) coconut oil

- 75 g (2/3 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)

- 75 g (2/3 cup) ground almonds* (almond meal)

- 7 tablespoons water

For the lemon curd:

- 530 ml (2 1/4 cups) plant-based milk** (see notes)

- 3 tablespoons custard powder*** (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)

- 8 tablespoons lemon juice to taste (approximately equals the juice of 1 lemon)

- 6 tablespoons maple syrup to taste (or sub any other sweetener)

For the coconut whipped cream:

- 400 g (14oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk

- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate (optional):

- Lemon slices

- Toasted desiccated coconut

Instructions

For the pastry:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until it forms a firm dough - add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!
• You can keep this pastry dough in the fridge for up to a day if you like, but there is no need to chill it before using
• Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish - I used a 20.5 cm/8 inch pie dish
• Use a fork to pierce the surface (remember the sides too!) of the pastry, so that it doesn’t puff up in the oven. Alternatively, you can use baking beans
• Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown
• Leave to cool slightly before pouring in the filling

For the lemon curd:

• Measure out the milk in a jug or measuring container
• Pour the milk into a pan, leaving behind a few tablespoons of milk in the jug
• Heat up the milk in the pan
• Add the custard powder to the remaining milk in the jug and mix well, ensuring it has dissolved completely
• Once the milk in the pan is steaming, add approximately half of the hot milk to the bowl with the dissolved custard powder, mix well and transfer the custard powder mixture to the saucepan
• Mix well and keep stirring on a low heat for around 5 minutes, until thickened
• Add the lemon juice and maple syrup
• Taste and add extra lemon juice or maple syrup if desired
• Once the pastry crust and the lemon curd have both cooled a little, carefully pour the curd into the crust
• Leave the pie in the fridge for up to a few hours to set completely before topping with the cream

For the coconut whipped cream:

• You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
• Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
• Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
• Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract
• Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy
• Take the pie out of the fridge, and ensuring that the lemon curd has completely set, carefully cover it with the coconut whipped cream
• Decorate with lemon slices and desiccated coconut, if desired
• Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour

**You can use any type of plant-based milk, though results do vary depending on which you choose: cashew or oat milk make the creamiest curd, whilst almond or coconut milk will be less creamy. If you prefer a more jam-like consistency, rice milk works well.

***If you can't get hold of a shop-bought custard powder, you can substitute it with the same amount cornflour (cornstarch), which will result in the same texture and flavour, though the colour will be considerably less yellow.

https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/gluten-free-vegan-lemon-pie/