BANANA CREAM PIE
This pie is so reminiscent of real banana cream pie – comfort food for sure! I used to love Banana Cream Pie but it is usually so carby, so I didn't have it for many years when I was strictly low-carbing. This one is so good and you won't miss the old kind at all. I've almost always got a big crate of bananas on the floor in the laundry room - went up from $4 to $8 recently (what doesn't go up?). Naah, really it's not for me (okay I do have one here and there sometimes in maintenance) - it's for the tropical birds and the troop of 6 monkeys that visit each day. They are voracious banana eaters. I put baskets up underneath the eaves (to outwit the squirrels), but one clever little squirrel has figured out how to get onto the roof and then he squiggles his little body around the roof edge and jumps into the basket. Amazes me! Everything eats bananas here, including Jesus lizards (they walk on water hence their name), Titi monkeys, bunnies, dogs, olingos, and some other funny little critters, and Robins (yes, Robins! Ours are ugly-ish - completely clay-colored like mud and they are such bullies with the other birds). I also freeze lots (slice 'em first). By the way frozen slices of banana are very yummy and at 1 gram per slice, not too bad. It takes longer to enjoy a frozen piece. :) I killed my first snake - a Fer de Lance. It is very poisonous around here. It was swallowing a frog. I hit it with a big stick and the frog came flying out! Unfortunately, in my haste the frog suffered the same fate. :( I felt bad for the poor frog. Then later something else ate it. Sigh. Poor little frog! I suspect the snake's venom was already going to kill him, when I think about it in hindsight.
For other great Low-Carb, Gluten-Free recipes by the team & me:
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Coconut Crust: I'm not sure if I am crazy about the coconut in this as the filling is so soft and creamy by contrast. My preference would be the alternatives mentioned, I think.
1 cup walnuts, ground, OR almond flour (250
mL)
1/4 cup finely desiccated coconut, (60 mL)
(unsweetened), OR more almond flour
4 tbsp powdered erythritol (60 mL)
2 tbsp vanilla whey protein, OR more almond flour (30 mL)
1/4 cup butter,
melted (60 mL)
Filling:
1 large banana, sliced into thin, vertical strips
1 tsp lemon juice (5 mL)
12 oz regular cream cheese
(375 g)
2 eggs
Liquid sweetener to equal 3/4 cup sugar (175 mL)
1/4 cup powdered erythritol (60 mL)
2
tbsp whipping cream (30 mL)
1
tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum (3 mL)
Coconut Crust: Grind walnuts in food processor
with sharp blade. Stir in coconut, powdered erythritol, vanilla whey proteinl
and melted butter. Using plastic wrap,
press crust into 9-inch (23 cm) glass pie dish.
Bake in 325°F
(160°C) oven 10 minutes. Allow to
cool.
Filling: In small bowl, gently toss banana strips with lemon juice. Place banana on baked, cooled crust. In food processor with sharp
blade, process cream cheese. Add eggs, liquid sweetener, erythritol,
whipping cream, vanilla extract and
xanthan gum. Process and scrape sides of
bowl occasionally until thickened and smooth.
Pour filling over bananas; smooth surface with back of spoon. Cover with
plastic wrap gently pressing on the surface of the pie to prevent a “skin” from forming.
Chill.
Variation: Lemon Banana Cream Pie: Omit whipping cream and use lemon juice
instead. (5.7 g net carbs)
Helpful
Hints: If you are concerned about the safety of
using raw eggs, coddle the eggs – i.e. place in boiling water for 50 seconds
and remove promptly. To garnish, if
desired, surround with circular banana slices dipped in lemon juice and
sprinkle grated chocolate or walnut crumbs or toasted almond meal over center
or use whipped cream or my delicious recipe for Crème Fraiche, which is so much nicer than whipped cream and holds up better too.
Yield: 10 servings
1
serving
280.5
calories
8.8
g protein
25.0
g fat
5.5
g net carbs