Cheat Smart: Key Lime Pie

There is nothing like the tart and tangy sweetness of Key Lime Pie! Summer just wouldn't be the same without a nice slice of it on a hot sunny day. Some of the best Key Lime Pie comes from Publix grocer. Sadly it contains a plethora of ingredients that are absolutely alarming. Key Lime Pie should be simple, calling for just a few ingredients.

Publix's Scary Key Lime Pie Ingredients:

Milk, Sugar, Lime Juice (Water, Key Lime Juice Concentrate, Lime Juice concentrate, Lime Oil, Sodium Benzoate preservative), Nonfat Milk, Enriched Flour(Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine, Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palmoil,Water, Almonds, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel oil, Whey, Graham Flour, Heavy Cream (Cream, Milk,Carrageenan, Vegetable Mono-Diglyceri-Des, Polysorbate 80), Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar, Acacia Gum, Salt, Malt Syrup (Malted Barley, Corn), Dextrose, Carbohydrate Gum, Polysor-Bate 60, Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acidssodium Citrate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial flavor, Disodium Phosphate, Sodiumbicarbonate,Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavor, Beta Carotene Color, Magnesium Hydroxide,Vanillin (Artificial Flavor),Annatto Colorlime, Cocoa Butter, Lactose(Milk), Polyglyce-Rol Polyricinoleate(Emulsifier),Vanilla,Non-Hydrogenated Oils(Coconut, Palm), Colors (Titanium Dioxide,Red 40,Yellow 5,Blue 1,Iron Oxide)

So if you're wanting to be bad, then Cheat Smart with this Key Lime Pie.
It doesn't just rival Publix's, it dominates it!

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 7 tablespoons organic butter or coconut oil
• 1 package of Pamela's Gluten-Free Graham Crackers, to make 2 cups of crumbs
• 1 pinch of salt

Pie Filling:

• 1 tablespoon key lime zest, plus more for garnish (regular limes will do, you can also skip the zest step if desired - I've skipped it many times without issue)
• 3 organic, free-range egg yolks
• 1 14-ounce can of organic sweetened Condensed milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP key lime juice (fresh is best, otherwise Nellie & Joe's brand found at any grocery store works perfectly)

Whipped Topping (Optional):

• 1 cup of organic heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons pure organic maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

For Graham Cracker Crust:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Add graham crackers to a food processor or blender, pulse until they crackers turn into crumbs
• Melt the butter or coconut oil, then add to a bowl with the graham cracker crumbs and mix until completely incorporated
• Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie dish, patting it down in an even layer with your fingers - bring the crust up to the edges of the pie dish
• Bake for 10 minutes or until very lightly browned
• Allow to cool while preparing pie filling

For Pie Filling:

• In a large mixing bowl add the zest and egg yolks, whip using an electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until the yolks are thickened
• Add the sweetened condensed milk and continue to whip for an additional 3 minutes
• Add in the lime juice, mix until combined
• Pour mixture into pie crust and bake for 15 minutes. The pie may rise slightly but the filling won't change color.
  
• Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperate for 1/2 hour. Then move to the refrigerator and continue to cool for a minimum of 2 hours

For Whipped Topping (Optional):

• In a mixing bowl add the whipping cream, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
  
• Whip until stiff peaks form
• Set in fridge until ready to use

To Serve:

• Add a cup of the whipped topping to the center of the pie, spreading until an even layer.
• Top with a little lime zest to garnish, if desired

Recipe adapted from unknown source