Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD
Just because you follow a Keto diet doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy treats. Especially during the holidays and family celebrations, it is nice to have dessert options that are lower in sugar and carbs. I love coconut cream pie, but it took two attempts to make my pies keto!
The recipe I used for my dessert inspiration was the Coconut Custard Pie from Just A Pinch: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/dessert-pie/impossible-cocunut-custard-pie.html?r=79&fbclid=IwAR0wdPD5CUrRFhLvOrR8tJIsFuioYHV0o3tTfDb5YSIqGK9yflIigybkDWs However, as delicious as it looked, it called for white sugar, milk, and white flour or Bisquick mix, none of which are Keto-friendly. I made several substitutions to fit my dietary needs but kept the proportions the same.
1/2 c coconut flour
1½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon oil or melted butter
3/4 cup sugar substitute
4 eggs
2 c half and half, heavy cream or a mix of both
1 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp butter, softened
I prepared them following the original recipe’s instructions. I mixed all the ingredients, poured them into a greased pie pan, and baked at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
The original recipe called for flour or Bisquick mix, which I replaced with coconut flour. I did not have baking powder, so I used baking soda and lemon, and I mixed half-and-half with some heavy cream instead of the original milk. I also substituted Swerve for the sugar. I had fun baking for the first time in a while!
I wanted to talk about some challenges I had. I know baking can be tricky, Keto baking even more so. The first time, I read the recipe incorrectly and added too much coconut flour. I also split the pie mix into two pans, which made it thinner. My eggs were tiny because my chickens just started laying eggs. I added an extra egg, but the pie did not taste like custard at all. The recipe I used as my inspiration states that it will make its own crust and taste like custard pie. Mine was much more like a cake on my first attempt, likely because I substituted coconut flour for the white flour. I also cooked the first pies a little longer to make sure they were done, and I may have over cooked them. Tim liked it, however, so he ate my first attempt. I could not, because I am not a big fan of cake! It tasted a little gritty to me, because coconut flour has more texture than regular white flour.
Although my pies weren’t the most delicious, everyone said they tasted good, especially on my second attempt. I had everyone over Saturday from the office for a bonfire and they really liked it. Tim also said the second attempt was 10x better than the first, which made me happy! It still was not as custard-y as I would have preferred, because I love the eggs in egg custard pies. And again, it did not layer like the recipe said it would.
The second time, I used large eggs (instead of the tiny eggs from my newly laying hens) and put the right amount of coconut flour in. I made two pies again, but I doubled the recipe. Additionally, I took care to not overcook them. These pies were more successful when they are cooked just a little less. I left them in the oven to cool to keep them from falling. My first pies fell in the middle. After the time was up, I opened the door and let them cool a bit before removing them from the oven, and they didn’t sink in the middle. I learned so much from this culinary experiment. I think this custard pie would be a wonderful Keto addition to the menu at any Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or other celebration
The last picture below is of one pie. We already devoured the other one!
