This dessert is testament to the versatility of the avocado. Raw Key Lime tarts, absolutely delicious!
When I ate Key Lime Pie years ago in the States I found it cloying and ubersweet, plus I couldn’t really taste the zing of lime. These delectable tarts, however, have won me over completely, and I thank Sarah Britten for sharing another delicious recipe with the world.
Their very greenness is truly amazing. No colouring added, just the healthy avocado, lime and a few other treats.
It must be said, the ingredients in these tarts bear little resemblance to the original Key Lime pie.
No double cream or condensed milk and no eggs or biscuit base. Certainly no green food colouring. All natural and healthy – well, mostly healthy. Maple syrup will always translate in our bodies to ‘sugar’ no matter how natural it may seem, but compared to most desserts out there, these are winning healthier options – just eat and enjoy!
The preparatory time isn’t the usual Key Lime 30 mins, but about 15 max. You do however need to think ahead because the nuts need soaking overnight, but that’s the only brain-strain required.
And did I mention, gluten and dairy free…. and no cooking? Raw, vegan….scrummy.
Ingredients for the Crust:
140g raw almonds (soaked overnight in water)
5 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
130g dates (about 6 large Medjool should do it)
a dash of sea salt
Ingredients for the Filling:
3 ripe avocados, scooped out
50ml good quality maple syrup
1 heaped tbsp coconut oil, melted
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice – or more after you do the taste test
a dash of sea salt
grated zest of 1 lime
Method:
Crust:
Pulse the nuts (which you’ve soaked o’night and drained) in a food processor until broken up, but still slightly crunchy.
Add the coconut, dates, sea salt and pulse until they form a solid mass that you can easily squeeze and mould into the individual tart tins.
Line a 6-cup muffin tin (or in my case a 10 cup shallow cupcake tin as that’s all I had) with plastic wrap. Divide the crust mixture into golf size portions to suit the number of tarts you require; press down and up the sides to create the shell.
Place in the freezer to let the crusts harden for a minimum of 1 hour (I left mine overnight so that I had done some of the work for the lunch I was preparing).
When you’re ready to fill the shells, pull up the sides of the plastic to remove them from the tin – easy!
Filling:
Place the avocados, maple syrup, coconut oil, lime juice and sea salt in a food processor and blend on the highest setting until it’s creamy and smooth. Test to see if you’d like more of a lime kick (and try not to eat all of it when you’re doing the taste test 🙂
Spoon into the tart shells and sprinkle the tops with lime zest. Then either return them to the tin for safe storing in your freezer, or carefully put them in a container that will fit into your freezer (for at least two hours).
Remove them about 15 minutes before serving, and enjoy the look of your guests when they see the fabulous colour!