An easy lemon coconut custard pie with coconut milk that’s low in carbs and keto friendly. And there’s no need to make a crust to make it a simple crustless pie.
After posting my creamy lemon custard pie with meringue, I thought about making a pie more like the crustless coconut pie recipe. I do prefer a crustless pie, but the lemon custard was too soft for that.
If you’re new to the Keto lifestyle, whether it’s for medical reasons or just weight loss, here’s a question you might be asking:
Can a Keto pie really taste good? Like comfort food should?
The answer: surprisingly, yes!
Low-glycemic keto pies can be mind-blowing moist. And dare I say, even decadent.
But this coconut custard pie doesn’t leave you with a nasty, artificial aftertaste. This is an important fact to address in learning how to cook healthy desserts.
You can’t use artificial sweeteners just to keep the net carbs down. Sugar substitutes that are man-made trick the brain into wanting more and more.
Thus, eventually, you’ll end up eating more and more pie. And the rest of the ingredients will have calories so you’ll defeat the purpose of eating low carb.
However, if you use a smart fat in your recipe, you’ll be able to keep it keto and curb your appetite.
[Don’t know what a smart fat is? Read my interview with celebrity nutritionist, Dr. Jonny Bowden on my natural health blog about the subject.]
Coconut Custard Pie: Will All That Coconut Kill Me?
Yes, coconut oil has been trendy going on for about a decade now. And that’s a good thing. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d be able to pull off some of these delectable desserts on my blog if it weren’t for coconut oil.
Without doubt, there are still some coconut critics out there. In fact, about a year ago, in the mainstream media, there were lots of articles with bait-click headlines. “Coconut oil isn’t healthy. It’s never been healthy.”
Well, thank you, USA TODAY for the Grim-Reaper-is-coming-for-you warning. That means more coconut oil for me!
Actually, I think it’s a shame for this disinformation….
One reason why the article suggests coconut oil is bad for you is the high saturated fat content.
But as Dr. Bowden points out in my interview with him, the only dietary fat that’s bad for you is oxidized fat. It doesn’t matter whether the fat is saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.
In fact, dietary fats contain all three forms (saturated, poly & mono). Even olive oil is about 10 percent saturated fat.
But if the fat is all-natural and hasn’t been denatured/gone rancid/spoiled due to heat, light, air or hydrogenation, there’s no need for the dire warning.
LDL in Coconuts: Reason For Concern?
Another reason coconut gets a bad rap by the mainstream is that it raises LDL levels. Although that’s true, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Wait, what? Isn’t LDL the “bad cholesterol?”
No, it’s not.
In fact, as this article says, you need a certain amount of LDL to gain more muscle mass. Furthermore, all your bodily tissues need cholesterol. And LDL delivers it.
Here’s another reason why LDL isn’t synonymous with a massive heart attack. When levels of it are high, it serves as a warning sign that something is wrong.
So who cares if coconut raises your LDLs….?
It also raises your HDLs, too. HDL removes cholesterol build up from the arteries.
But why all this talk about coconuts?
Two reasons. First, my recipe for coconut custard pie contains the holy trinity of C’s: coconut milk, coconut flour and shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened, of course.)
And second, perhaps because of the preponderance of articles online bashing coconut nutrition, I have been getting more emails asking if coconut is keto-friendly.
Now, granted, I’m just a humble low-carb food blogger. But if there’s one thing about me you need to understand is I’m a pesky, diligent researcher.
I’ll sift through research journals and nutrition articles until my eyes bleed until I come to a conclusion.
Coconut Flour Nutrition
Most articles that focus on coconuts do so emphasizing the oil. I wish there were more focus about coconut flour. Using it transforms high-sugar recipes into healthy, delicious creations.
Many of my followers report that they’re skeptical of baking with coconut flour. Primarily because they don’t like the strong taste of coconut.
But you might be surprised. Even if you despise coconuts. Coconut flour isn’t too, well, coco-nutty.
It’s gluten-free, it’s high in protein and dietary fat.
I can’t emphasize enough that if you want to do dessert the healthy way, you need enough fat.
If a dessert has enough fat while also being very low in net carbs, just one serving will likely satisfy. This is why I love using coconut flour (and almond flour) in my desserts.
Coconut Custard Pie: Other Necessary Ingredients
My recipe calls for two large eggs. Try to buy organic, free-range if you can. Don’t fall for the false marketing ploy, “Cage Free.”
Cage-free is only slightly less inhumane than factory-farmed, big-agribusiness eggs.
I’ll leave it up to you what natural sweetener you want to use. I’ve used the sugar alcohol, Swerve, in several recipes.
Unlike other sugar alcohols, it doesn’t cause bloating or gas. You can also try Stevia extract or monk fruit extract.
But with the vanilla extract and lemon extract and zing, you really won’t need much.
I hope you enjoy the recipe. Is it a dessert that satisfies your sweet tooth and cravings? Does it taste amazing? Tell me what you think….
Easy Lemon Coconut Custard Pie with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Coconut Milk canned
- ¾ cup low carb sugar substitute
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled (use butter flavored coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ Teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 4 Ounces Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, coconut milk, sweetener, coconut flour, butter, baking powder, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Stir just until combined.
- Fold in the unsweetened coconut. Pour the mixture into the pie dish.
- Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until the edges are brown and the top is a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before attempting to cut and serve.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
This pie can be frozen for up to six months. It should be placed in the refrigerator to thaw before serving.
Nutrition
Additional Info
- Net Carbs 3g
- % Carbs: 6.2%
- % Protein: 6.2%
- % Fat: 87.7%
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. The results are low sugar froods that taste like high carb favorites!
