Avocado Pie (and a Great Gluten-Free Pie Crust)

Maggie at She Let Them Eat Cake is hosting Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free this month. She chose Springtime Brunches as the theme. At first I was a little stumped.  But after some thought, I remembered an avocado pie that I made for my sister-in-law’s wedding shower. The bright green color screams spring to me. While not exactly traditional, I think it’d make a great brunch addition. It’s quirky. It’s cool and creamy and tangy all at once. The perfect dish to add a little pop to a spread.

For the crust:

• 1 1/4 cup almonds
• 1 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar

For the filling:

• 4 ripe avocados
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar

1. Start by making the crust. Heat an oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until nuts are ground. Then add the coconut oil and agave nectar. Pulse again until thoroughly incorporated. The mixture should hold together when pressed.
2. Press mixture into a pie dish, taking care to press up the sides.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove and allow to completely cool.

1. Once crust is cool, start on the filling. Place avocados, lime juice and agave nectar into a food processor and process until completely smooth. Spoon into pie crust. Refrigerate at least two hours to allow the avocado cream to set.
2. Garnish with fruit just before serving.

(Makes 1 pie)

My pie plate is 9 1/2 inches. I think anything in the 8-10 range should work.

The crust doesn’t actually need to be baked. Baking adds a toasted flavor. If you decide not to bake, refrigerate the crust before filling to help the crust set. If you are going to bake, watch the crust carefully. Nuts burn much more easily than regular pie dough. Light browning is what you are looking for.

You could add a little gelatin or agar agar to the avocado cream to achieve a firmer set. I pondered this, but that was adding extra work so I skipped it in the end.

Check back at She Let Them Eat Cake at the end of the month to see all the Springtime Brunch recipes.

This recipe is also making an appearance in Seasonal Sundays,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Weekly and Full Plate Thursday.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. See it on Amazon. Read reviews on Amazon.

• More than 200 tasty recipes,
• Numerous tips for succesful gluten-free cooking and baking, and
• Nutritional information (calories, grams of protein, fat, carbs, etc.) for every recipe.