Greek Yogurt Key Lime Pie

I’m so pleased that I found a key lime pie recipe that doesn’t involve excessive amounts of condensed milk. In fact, this one is primarily made out of Greek yogurt, a protein-packed powerhouse. I had a tub of Greek yogurt sitting in the fridge, and as I perused the weekly circulars, I saw that limes were going on sale at 5 for $1. (This is how I generally decide what to make. a) what I have in the pantry; b) what I can buy cheaply.) I put two and two together, and brainwave – I shall make a key lime pie! I did some digging around, and found this recipe from Obama Foodorama, a blog dedicated to the food initiatives of the White House. No surprises that they found a way to make a healthier key lime pie!

I didn’t actually use key limes, but regular limes worked fantastic too. I really enjoyed the simplicity of the recipe. A lot of key lime pies require some kind of artificial or unhealthful ingredient, like gelatin, sweetened condensed milk or key lime-flavored yogurt – but the stiffer texture of Greek yogurt was sufficient to hold the filling together. I also invented a crust made out of an unconventional ingredient – not graham crackers, but bran flakes. I know, bran flakes in your pie crust might sound a little suspect, but with the addition of butter and sugar and a quick bake in the oven, it came out caramelized with a nice toothsome chew. You’re not going to mistake it for a graham cracker crust, but it held its own against the smooth tangy creaminess of the pie filling.

Try this recipe. You won’t regret it. (And at 139 calories for 1/12th of a 9-inch pie, you can have your pie and eat it too!)

Greek Yogurt Key Lime Pie
Adapted from Obama Foodorama
Makes 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bran flakes crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups Greek yogurt
4 large egg yolks
½ cup key lime juice or regular lime juice, fresh-squeezed if possible
2 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Method
For the Crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Stir bran flakes crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl until combined. Then press mixture evenly into bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate.

3. Bake crust 10 minutes, then remove from oven to cool.

For the Filling:
1. Whisk together yogurt, egg yolks, honey, and sugar; add juice and whisk until well combined.

2. Pour filling into crust, and bake for 20 minutes in 350°F oven (mixture will not be firm).

3. Cool and refrigerate overnight. (I highly recommend waiting overnight; it still tastes good if you wait only 4 hours but slices are not going to hold up.)