Keto autumn pie, a time machine to the childhood
Keto autumn pie brings the memories of fall in September and early October when every home smelled like cinnamon, spices and apples. Yes, you read it correctly, apples! They smell divine and they could be the most missed flavour for many Ketonians. Here’s a thing, if you have reached your goal, your health and blood sugar are in control, you should not avoid a bite or two of the “forbidden” fruit when they are in season. Especially if they are growing in your area, wildly like crab apples or even cultivated, preferably if they are tart.
Naturally, a tart variety would be a better choice and you’ll never eat tons of them! The problem with all fruit is those oversized kinds you find in every supermarket! Now those are the apples you need to avoid in a big circle as if Snowhite’s stepmother was offering them to you!
Some apples are tart, while others are sweet. This is because of different amounts of malic acid in the fruit. This naturally occurring synthesis is often pointed to as “apple acid”. Our body also produces malic acid which has been linked to being an immunity booster, maintaining oral health, and promoting healthy skin.
One crab apple (1.2 ounces or 35 grammes) will offer you this much carbs:
- Carbs: 4 grammes
- Fibre: 1 grammes
When zucchini plays apple, things go mushy!
You will find numerous recipes for fake apple pie with zucchini as the main ingredient. Even though zucchini is neutral and very low in carbs, this usually ends up with a mushy and soft texture that is a galaxy away from real apples. However, Ketonians end up with the flavour which is usually achieved with apple flavouring. We don’t want to go there! We want a real thing, but I strive to keep it as low in naturally occurring sugar as possible. if you are preparing this pie for the whole family, most probably children, then you don’t even have to worry about naturally occurring sugar because we’ll make sure it’s never reaching candy level.
White eggplant, not a vegetable at all!
They call it the apples of love! It’s actually the only variety of eggplant that does not have that typical bitter and zesty aftertaste. In fact, they are the only ones you don’t have to soak in salt and rinse to remove the intense bitterness before cooking them. You can exclude apples from this pie, add some apple natural aroma and this pie will end up even more Keto! Check the nutritional label on the bottom for a pie with only white eggplant filling.
This exceptionally palatable eggplant may look like some alien fruit. They grow in Santorini but many people around the globe have successfully cultivated them. Thanks to the volcanic soil and quite a warm climate, the eggplants in Santorini are enormous in size and taste pretty sweet. They also don’t have almost any seeds and will not absorb oil or fat used for cooking. Now isn’t that ideal for a Keto autumn pie?
Monk fruit tastes like honey in Keto autumn pie
Interestingly, whenever I use monk fruit extract for baked goods, I get the hint of honey. What’s more “autumnish” than that? Combine this with warm notes of Ceylon cinnamon, mandarin orange peel and vanilla. You got yourself a time machine straight to your childhood! Only without those harmful ingredients like white sugar, margarine, seed oils and other unhealthy things that found their way to enter traditional recipes sometimes in the 80ties. We’ll make this pie as old fashioned as we can! This is the only way we’ll be able to keep this pleasurable creating in the zone of healthy desserts. low-carb or Keto, you are allowed to enjoy this Keto autumn pie as a reward for any achievement you recently accomplished!
20
servings15
minutes1
hour111
kcalIngredients
- Base
8 yolks of medium eggs (pasture-raised)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp psyllium powder
500g (1 lb) sour cream
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp powdered monk fruit extract (or 3 tbsp blend sweetener in crystalline form)*
- Filling
300g (10 oz) wild crab apples* (Read the notes for alternative version)
300g (10 oz) white eggplant
1 tsp powdered monk fruit extract (or 3 tbsp blend sweetener in crystalline form)*
1 tbsp mandarine orange zest (you can use lemon zest too)
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch nutmeg, cardamom and ground cloves
- Topping
8 egg whites
6 micro scoops powdered monk fruit (or stevia) extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or half a teaspoon crème de tartre)
30g (1 oz) crushed pecans
Directions
- If you are using crab apples, finely grate them without peeling them. If you are using a sour cultivated kind of apple, peel it and grate it. Do the same with the eggplant. Add monk fruit, sesame, vanilla extract, citrus zest, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves powder. Cover the bowl with plastic foil and place it in the refrigerator.
- Divide the yolks from egg whites. Beat the yolks with sour cream, monk fruit, baking soda, vinegar and vanilla extract. Add psyllium husk and coconut flour. Pour the nicely unified batter into a 20×30 cm (7×11 inch) baking dish which you greased with some butter or coconut oil. Place it in the oven preheated at 180ºC (350ºF). Bake for 18 minutes.
- While the base is being baked, beat the egg whites with sea salt, apple cider vinegar (or cremé de Tarte) and monk fruit. beat till you get a stiff peak.
- Take the base out of the oven and distribute the filling all over it. Top it with the egg white meringue and sprinkle crushed pecans on top. Using a sharp knife, create swirls. Return the pie into the oven and reduce the temperature to 120ºC. Bake for another 45 minutes or till the top turns golden brown.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool down totally before serving. Ideally, you would be able to cut 20 decent pieces.
Notes
- If you decide to skip the apples, use the same amount of eggplant but add some lemon juice and natural apple flavouring. Check the nutritional label on the right for that version.
- We are trying to avoid blend sweeteners with erythritol, however, if you prefer them, use a monk fruit or stevia blend with erythritol.
