My husband has been asking me for a vegan Lemon Meringue pie. I was searching the net for recipes but most recipes that I found were soy milk based and I didn't think that the soy milk would make the filling very creamy and thick. Last year I made a Key Lime pie with soy milk and cornstarch, but the filling was very soft, runny and not thick and creamy enough.
Few days ago I saw a Coconut Lemon Pie recipe on the Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe Facebook page. The recipe was made using coconut milk instead of soy milk. Last week I made my very first vegan strawberry ice cream with boiled coconut milk and cornstarch. I loved how creamy and thick the high fat coconut milk was so I figured that this pie filling would be thick and creamy as well. I decided to try it and tweak the recipe a bit so it was more lemony with minimum coconut flavor. Kind of like a Lemon Meringue pie, except without the pretty Meringue topping that is made with baked whipped egg whites......... I might try making a vegan version of the topping one day though.
By the way, I noticed that few days ago it was my 1 year blogging anniversary :-) Thank you everyone for reading my blog and thank you for all your support!
Lemon Pie
1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust (ready to eat) or homemade pie crust (fully baked)
1 14-oz canned coconut milk (high fat version) plus 1/2 can water
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp lemon extract
In a medium sauce pan bring the coconut milk to a boil. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together cornstarch and a 1/2 can of very cold water, using a fork or a small whisk. Make sure that there are no cornstarch lumps left in the water. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the boiling coconut milk, whisking constantly. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the remaining ingredients and whisk constantly until the filling thickens, about 10 minutes.
Pour the filling into the pie crust, cool for about 10 minutes and then refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
This Lemon Pie is so good! The texture is beautiful, thick, creamy but not too heavy. The taste is tangy, lemony and so rich. My husband and I loved it, I will be making it again soon. I might try a strawberry version or a Key Lime pie.
