Raw Lime Avocado Tart
Back when I was in college, I had gotten a book of unusual pies from the library and one caught my eye. It was an avocado lime pie. I made it, and it was delicious, like the most luscious key lime pie ever! I shared some with my Mom, who was even more in love with the pie than I was, and she insisted I make it again. However, I ended up not doing so because I did not like the large amount of sugar due to all of the sweetened condensed milk. I made a healthified version of the pie last year as a tart, but at that time I was still eating a lot of dairy, so it was sort of like a cheesecake version of it. My Mom loved that one too...and has been requesting that I make it again lately. But, since I became raw vegan last summer, I could not bring myself to make the overly sweetened dairy filled tart. But I decided that it might just be a perfect opportunity to make a raw vegan version! My Mom had given me a bag of avocados, so it was the perfect time to do so! I was excited about this, I love key lime pies and tarts, and avocados.
For the crust I decided to use a mixture of shredded coconut and macadamia nuts for tropical flavors along with some buckwheat for crunch, and it ended up being quite heavenly. Way better than the graham cracker crust on the original avocado lime pie I made all those years ago.
For the filling I used a combination of fresh coconut meat, avocadoes and plenty of lime juice and zest for tartness (which is very important in a lime pie or tart as far as I am concerned). It ended up being even more silky and luscious than the original pie filling...of course I sampled it before pouring it into the crust.
Although it would have been good as it was, I decided that it needed to be topped off with coconut cream. I could not wait to dive in. When I did, what filled my mouth was the most amazing lime tart I had ever tasted, the fillling melted in my mouth, just the right amount of tart and sweet and the coco-mac crust was perfect with it! My Mother thought so too, she now wants me to make this tart again for her Birthday. Which means a lot as she is hard to please in the dessert department.
Raw Lime Avocado Tart
Makes 1 6 inch tart
Crust:
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cups shredded, dried coconut
1/2 cup sprouted, dried buckwheat (or additional coconut)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
8 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 Tbsp organic lime zest
3/4 cup raw cashew pieces (preferably soaked overnight)
1/4 cup coconut water
3 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or maple syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 teaspoons vanilla and seeds of half a vanilla bean
1/4 cup raw coconut oil (warmed to liquid)For the crust, combine the nuts, coconut, and buckwheat in a food processor and process until crumbs. Add the sea salt and dates and process until the mixture starts to come together when squeezed. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 6 inch springform pan, sprayed with non-stick coconut oil spray. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
For the filling, combine avocado, coconut, lime juice and zest, nectar, sea salt, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the coconut oil and process for a minute. Pour the filling into the crust, and place in the freezer to firm up, about 2 hours or so.
Meanwhile, to make the topping, combine the cashews, coconut water, sea salt, nectar, and vanilla anc process until smooth. Add the coconut oil slowly with the motor running (If the mixture starts to separate and clump, the filling is too cold to emulsify the oil, so warm some of it and process again). Place the topping in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes until it firms up to frosting consistency. Once frosting consistency, move to the fridge until ready to use.
Once the filling has set, place the topping in a pastry bag and pipe decoratively over the tart. Serve! Store extra in the fridge.
101 Comments
Ohhhhh ... this is beautiful!
Thanks so much Lisa :)!
I made this lime pie and it was wonderful
Thank you, so happy you decided to make it :)! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
A work or art!
Thank you :)!
Lime and Avocado...that sounds like such a refreshing combination! This looks beautiful and I love your photography. Thanks for sharing!<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><a href="http://www.happyvalleychow.com/" rel="nofollow">Happy Valley Chow</a><br />
Thanks so much :)! It was refreshing, like the best key lime pie.
LOVE lime and coconut together. Reminds me of my avocado lime cheesecakes. This looks fantastic Amy!
Thanks so much Heather :)! I was admiring those cheesecakes a while back, as I love the combo too ;)!
Could you taste the avocado in this?
Not at all, just tasted like the best key lime pie.
Well done,looks amazing.
Thank you :)!
This looks delicious. Is the avocado taste very noticeable in this?<br />
Thanks so much :)! Not at all, just the lime.
This looks amazing, I would have never though to add avocado. YUM
Thanks so much :)! The avocado adds richness ;)!
could this be made with fresh lemons? I have no limes but i have everything else!
Of course it can! The flavor will be slightly different, but still yummy.
How gorgeous of a pie this is! Thank you for sharing this! I am definitely going to try this recipe!
THanks so much, I am happy to share :)! I do hope you try it out, let me know what you think!
STOP BEING AMAZING. (Okay, I realize that is a little hard to reply to. You know I love you.)<br /><br />x
Lol! I take it as a compliment :)! Thanks Emily!
This looks awesome. I have a friend who is a vegan diabetic and I really struggle with things to make her - would this be suitable, do you think?<br /><br />x
Thank you :)! I would sub stevia for the agave nectar if making it for a diabetic to be safe.
This was delicious! Its hard for me to get fresh coconut meat so I did it with cashews. I wanted to ask you - does coconut butter count as coconut meat since its pureed coconut meat?
So glad you tried it :)! Coconut butter does not count as coconut meat, they act differently in recipes. One is more solid. so you are better off with the cashews if you cannot find the meat.
Thanks!
OMG! This is so frigging good! My son turned his nose at it at first (said it looked like baby food) then tasted and and was amazed he loved it! The only thing I would recommend is that you use a Vitamix or high powered blender a regular Cuisinart was not strong enough to get the bits of coconut smooth.
So happy you decided to try it out and make it :)! Also, happy your son tried it and liked it. I actually use a cuisinart food processor and it works fine. What you can do it press the mixture through a fine meshed strainer before pouring it into the crust, I have done that if I feel it is not smooth enough.
Yummy!<br />Is it a cheesecake or a pie? It looks like a cheesecake, what are the differences between the 2 of them in raw cooking?<br />(I don't know if I must pin this in my pie folder or in my cheesecake folder :) )<br />Thanks!
It is a pie because that is what I called it ;). You can make it in a pie pan, I just decided to use a springform for easy removal.
the filling in on the freezer right now!!! it is so hard to resist not eating it before done!!! im in love with your blog!!!! you are fantastic!
and yes! it is AMAZING!!!!! i just had one tiny piece! it gives me the same pleasure a mohito would give but full of energy and so healthy!!
Thanks so much :)! So happy you decided to make it :)!
Can't wait to try it...thank you for sharing:)
I am happy to share Liliya :)! Hope you do try it!
Love this recipe. I am on my way to buy things so i could make it. Thanks Amy...
Hi Amy, I have made this cake twice and am loving it both times! I wanted to share my experience and ask you a question at the same time. The young coconuts I buy at our Asian market have very little meat. Perhaps they are too young, but I can only get 2 tablespoons of this softer, slimy consistency type of meat. A couple times they had this thicker and denser meat which is better for raw desserts but how can you tell from the outside? How many coconuts do you usually put? So, what I did was I used quite a lot of coconut butter and it was just perfect. Also, a tip for other readers - don't blend the limes instead of squeezing them. My limes were quite dry and I couldn't get juice out but that made the taste a little bitter. Still delicious, though! Thanks for the recipe - loved it!
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed it enough to make it twice! The younger coconuts do have less meat. It is a pain, especially since there is no way of telling before you open them. Which is why I always buy extra to make sure. Check out this link, it will be helpful to you: http://nouveauraw.com/raw-techniques/the-inside-scoop-on-young-thai-coconuts/<br />I didn't blend the limes, you actually are supposed to zest them, and squeeze out the juice then use them in the recipe (I say to use zest and juice, not the rest of it which should be thrown). If they are dry you might need more.<br />
Thanks for your reply! I understood the about zesting and squeezing but thought I would get more lime juice by blending the peeled limes which turned out to be wrong. The second time around I just bought fresher limes and it was perfect!
What can you use instead of the buckwheat? Looking for gluten free substitUtes... Any suggestions?
Buckwheat is actually gluten free, it is not wheat it is a seed. But if you do not want to mess with sprouting and drying it, just use additional nuts or coconut.
could you use soaked raw almonds instead of cashews for filling?
You can, but the filling will not be as smooth, I would reccomend straining it if you use them.
Sorry for a dumb question but how many avocados make up 1 1/2 cup?
No question is ever dumb ;). About 3 small ones.
I'm assuming the dried coconut is unsweetened, but just want to be sure. I have a hard time finding that.
Yes, always unsweetend if raw. You can find it at most health food stores in the bulk section.
does the tart keep well? I would love to make this for easter, if I was to make it the day before would it stay fresh enough for the next day?
Yes, it keeps for a week.
I made this lime pie last weekend and it is one of the best things I've ever had. so delicious!!! thanks for the recipe!!!!
Awesome :)! So glad you made it and enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know what you thought, I am happy to share the recipe :)!
I made this for my boyfriends family on Easter and everyone loved it! Will definitely be making it again and also taking a gander at your other recipes, too ;-)
Awesome :)! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out!
I'm living on an island in the Pacific and the only thing I don't have access to are dates. Any suggestions for a substitute? I do have dehydrator, bananas might work, any thoughts? April
You can use a liquid sweetener instead, it will hold the crust together and sweeten it the same.
I made a traditional key lime pie last year and though it tasted good, I couldn't get past the sugar and sweetened condensed milk to make it again. This Lime Tart was every bit as good and it's better for you. Don't let the avocado fool you, my family didn't even know it was in there. Thanks for the awesome recipe Amy!!!
That is exactly how I feel about traditional ones as well. Glad you enjoyed this one, and yes avocado is amazing in desserts! So creamy but healthy. Glad you made this and thanks for letting me know :)! You are so welcome!
Thank you :)! I hope you do try it, I know you will enjoy it too!
girl,you are crazy!! this is so inspiring, love all of this! u the bomb!!<br />
Thank you :)!
Looks absolutely amazing!<br />Is there some other nut I can substitute for the cashews? I have to avoid them. <br />Thanks for sharing your blog and recipes!<br />
Yes! You can use either macadamia nuts, pine nuts or additional young coconut meat. If you use the coconut meat though, cut back on the liquid by a couple Tbsp.
I can't wait to make this! Are the buckwheat seeds called groats? And how many days would you say they take to sprout? I can sprout while my avocados are ripening :)
They only have to soak 30 minutes, then rinse well and dry about 24 hours in the dehydrator. You can see directions on my Helpful Hints and How Tos page: http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/p/helpful-things-for-recipes-on-this-blog.html
I've made this cake several times, each time it turns out differently, yet equally delicious! Today, I made it with lemon zest instead of lime, and it tastes amazing. So far, my absolute favourite recipe, thank you so much!!
I am so happy you enjoy it! The lemon zest in it sounds delicious too. You are so welcome, I am happy to share and thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you :)!
Hi Amy, Just wanted to let you know that I made your tart last weekend for a non-vegan crowd and they were super excited and LOVED it!! It's my favorite recipe and wanted to thank you for sharing!!! It was my very first raw tart and I'm SO impressed, thank you thank you thank you :)
Thank you so much :)! I am so happy you and your friends enjoyed it! I am happy to share, you are so welcome!
This is just so beautiful...thank you very much for sharing it all <3 <br /><br />Tamara<br />Vancouver BC<br />Canada
Hi Amy, <br /><br />I have made this tart before and I so enjoyed it - as did everybody else at the table! - that I have made it again for tomorrow nights christmas dessert. I plan on freezing it til then. Wondering how long it should be taken out of the freezer before it's time to be eaten? Or should I transfer it across to the fridge at some point?<br /><br />Enjoy the holiday season,<br /><br />- Lucy
I would put it in the fridge now if you are serving it tomorrow. It takes a day to thaw.
Silly question, but what kind of pan did you use? Also, could I use coconut or oat flour for the buckwheat (I have no idea buckwheat it is!)? Lastly, will the pie taste any different if I can't get a hold of raw cashews?
I used a springform pan. You can use shredded coconut instead of the buckwheat it just will not be as crunchy. I would not recommend using toasted cashews, they will ruin the flavor of the pie. Instead use pine nuts or macadamias (untoasted) if you can not find them.
Are the sprouted buckwheat groats and soaked cashews measured before or after sprouting/soaking?
The groats are sprouted when measured because they are something that should be kept in the pantry already made for recipes, but the cashews are measured then soaked because they are stored dry.
So, do you dehydrate the sprouted groats? Can you use them before dehydrating in this recipe? I'm new to sprouted groats, so thanks for the intro. :-)
Yes, because you want them to be crunchy, which is the whole purpose of using them in the crust. They would be mushy if you did'nt dry them.
Hi there, <br />Is there a really good replacement for the cashews? My son is severely allergic...Thanks!! Christina Allen
Yes, young coconut meat! Which is actually what I would use if I were to make this recipe again. I created this when I was new to raw and still using cashews a lot. Now I find that I do not prefer them. Coconut is easier to digest and tastier :)!
It looks amazing, and I am in the process of prepareing it, but it turned out that I run out of coconut butter. Is there any substitute for it? <br />Could I use ordinary unsalted butter (I'm actually not a vegan) or any othe oil or this will destroy the awesome tart? <br />Thanks
You can use coconut oil, that will work. Real butter will not work the tart will taste off and it will not solidify properly.
You know, I truly hate avocado. Even though it's the base for so many great raw foods, I can just never bring myself to eat the dumb things. But, I love key lime pie. This is key lime pie (and, shocker, it's even kind of healthy!) I will make this, and eat it, and like it; and maybe after all that I won't hate avocado so much anymore. After all, I probably just hated the guacamole, not the innocent fruit. But I will try it anyways. Thanks for giving me such a yummy excuse to have dessert!
I have been wanting to make this cheesecake for months now and I finally did yesterday for our Raw Pot Luck Dinner. Wow was it a wonderful dessert. Yo are so creative and I love what you do Amy. Looking forward to making some more dishes and hopefully one day have creations of my own.
I am so happy you got around to making it and enjoyed it :)! Thank you so much for your kind words and for letting me know how it turned out. Keep at it, you can create your own things, and I am sure they will be wonderful :)!
These are so beautiful and inspiring. I am trying to make a combination for a wedding and was wondering if it is possible to freeze the cakes without loosing taste, consistency etc. Do you have any experience?
You can, but I wouldn't recommend doing it for more than a couple weeks. I have frozen one for about that long, but I know anything creamy in the freezer such as ice cream starts to get freezer burned after a few weeks so a cake probably would too.
What would you recommend I substitute the macadamia nuts with in the crust? I may be allergic- I haven't tried non-gmo, organic ones yet but just in case ;) Thank you! Looks incredible!
You can substitute another nut that you are not allergic to. You are so welcome, I hope you try it with the modification :)!
Just made this....wow! so delicious! thank you =)
Hi Amy this looks amazing. I have mad a number of things previously with raw avocado and when it is made and eaten pretty much the same day it is delicious. HOwever I have found if cakes are left in the fridge for a day or two they begin to get the bitter taste avocados do when they are not eaten straight away. Do you have any suggestions for this please. x
I haven't found had that problem, since I usually use avocados for desserts with strong flavors like mint, chocolate or lime (which helps from turning brown too).
Hi AMY!!! This looks beyond wonderful. However, I cannot find a 6 inch springform pan. Could I use 2 4 inch mini ones or increase the recipe to fit a nine inch pan? Thank you...
Thank you :)! This recipe would make 4 mini 4 inch tarts. So if you want to make 4 inch, halve the recipe.
This cake looks so amazing! I am drooling, just looking at it! I am a beginner in all of these raw food recipes, so I need to get the supplies that I need, but I cant wait to try this as well!
Thank you :)! I hope you do try it!
Hello Amy, Is there a way to dehydrate the buckwheat groats in the oven while still keeping them semi-raw? I think that you soak them for a 30 minutes and then spread them on a baking sheet for 2 hours at either 170 or 200 degrees. Could you please tell me if this is correct? Thank You, Bryan
Turned out beautiful but the avocado took over the lime flavor. Did I do something wrong?
Maybe your limes were not juicy enough? Mine had plenty of lime flavor.