I’m visiting my parents at the shore in North Carolina, and there was a special request for Key Lime Pie which I was happy to oblige! I travel with my flour and mixes whenever possible, so it was easy for me to whip up the graham crackers for this crust. We have plenty left for the bonfire and s’mores we have planned for tomorrow, so it was definitely worth making them! The pie itself couldn’t be easier, and is surprisingly … dare I say … healthy? Don’t tell your family until after they rave about it, but if you use the tofu ingredient option as I did with mine, there’s nothing to keep you from having a second piece! It’s dairy-free in this version as well, making it the perfect pie for me!

Enjoy this cool pie on these hot summer days!

Graham Cracker Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham crackers, gluten-free, chopped until finely crumbled*
• 2/3 cup almonds, chopped finely (nut-free option: use additional 2/3 cup graham crackers)
• 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons butter or nondairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks), melted

* Bake out Jules Gluten Free™ Graham Cracker/Gingersnap Mix or use this great homemade recipe for plenty of delicious graham crackers to make this crust and have lots left over for munching!

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk, dairy or nondairy (Earth Balance® Vanilla Soymilk)
• 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1/2 cup firm tofu or cream cheese, dairy or nondairy
• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lime zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, gluten-free (Nielsen-Massey™ Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)

Meringue Ingredients:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
• 6 tablespoons granulated cane sugar

Crust Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Chop the graham crackers and almonds, if using, in a food processor until fine. Once uniformly crushed, measure out to be sure you have 1 2/3 cups of crumbs-repeat if you need more crumbs.

Pour the sugar into the food processor with the crumbs and pulse until integrated. Add in the melted butter, pulsing until the crumbs begin to stick together (alternatively, stir together in a bowl with a fork). If you find you need slightly more butter to get the crumbs to hold together, melt an additional tablespoon and add it in the same way.

Pour the crumb-butter mixture into a pie pan and press with your fingers to create an even thickness along the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes-do not allow the edges to burn, though. Remove and set aside until the pie filling is prepared.

Filling Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large food processor or mixing bowl and process or beat until smooth. Pour into cooked crust and bake for 40 minutes. If the crust edges are browning too much, cover with a pie crust saver or aluminum foil. Remove from oven and prepare meringue according to directions, or set baked pie aside to cool for two hours and serve plain, with whipped topping or fresh berries.

Meringue Directions:

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites, throwing away the yolks and breaking the whites into a clean metal bowl (be sure there is no yolk at all in the bowl with the egg whites). Beat the egg whites in a clean metal bowl with clean whisk attachments to your mixer until the whites are foamy. Add the lime juice and continue beating on high until peaks begin to form. Add the sugar in gradually while beating, and whip until the mixture is stiff.

When the pie is done baking, remove from the oven and swirl the meringue over the top of the pie, spreading to touch the outer edges of the pie pan, covering the entire pie.

Return to the oven and bake until the meringue tips are light brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and cool for 2 hours before slicing.

Serves: 6-8