So this is what we came home to the other day.
She knew right away when we walked in that she was in trouble. Her head was down, her tail was just wagging at the tip, and she tried to hide in the stairwell in our entry way. I thought she was just being cute…until I saw the trash can devastation. Lesson learned: we shall never leave the trash can out again. And also she enjoys eating dirty sponges. Thankfully I had remembered to put away the pie I made earlier that day. Yogurt pie, it’s a thing.
mmm mmm mmm
It is a delicious thing. Lightly sweet, tangy, PACKED with protein, not super carb-dense. Perfect for that dessert that you can keep in the fridge all week or surprise your friends with at a dinner party.
It’s actually a lot like a no-bake cheesecake, but slightly tangier, with higher protein content, and well…frankly I made it because I wanted cheesecake but didn’t have any cream cheese on hand. This does not necessarily need to be gluten free but I love almond meal and felt it would go well here, and I always love trying out new gluten free desserts that my mom might love because she is gluten-sensitive. If you don’t have almond meal, feel free to use your favorite pie crust recipe, or a graham cracker crust.
I hesitate to call any dessert “healthy,” but I definitely feel like I can have a second slice of this protein-packed, delicious pie.
Tips:
1. If you just have whole almonds, toss them in the food processor and pulse them to a fine consistency. Or hazelnuts, or pecans, or walnuts! Really whatever nut you want. Actually…pistachios would probably taste good with this.
2. I love almond flavored things, so I flavored this with almond essence, but you can use what you like. Some ideas: Pistachio crust with rose water scented filling, toss some cocoa powder in the filling or melted chocolate and add some orange zest into the crust, flavor with just honey and get a honey-yogurt pie.
3. Brown the butter. Just do it. The flavor really comes through and it is worth it. WORTH IT. Don’t know how? Here’s a short video.
4. If you don’t have a cheesecloth to strain the yogurt, just use your thinnest, clean towel.
5. For the yogurt, I use full-fat, but I’ve made this with low fat yogurt and it works. Just make sure to use yogurt you enjoy eating by itself.
Crust Topping Start by setting a mesh strainer over a bowl and lining it with cheesecloth. Empty the content of your yogurt container into the cheesecloth and let it strain for at least an hour, and up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, make the crust. Spray a 9-inch pie tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium-heat melt 1 stick of butter and allow it to brown (watch it carefully, it can burn quickly). Turn the pan off when it’s adequately browned, and let it cool. When it’s cool enough to handle, add in the 1 cup almond meal and the sugar. If it seems like it’s not enough to line your 9-inch pie tin, then add some more almond meal. Then press the crust into the pie tin. Pop it in the fridge and let it cool and set. When the yogurt is done straining or is as thick a consistency as you want it, transfer it from the cheesecloth to a medium bowl. Mix in the sugar, coconut, and walnut pieces. Mix together thoroughly. Pull out your pie crust, and transfer the filling into the pie tin. Using the back of spoon, a butter knife, or an off-set spatula, spread around the filling until it’s evenly filled. Then make the topping by placing the unsweetened coconut into a sautee pan and toasting it on low heat. Make sure to keep the coconut moving so it doesn’t burn. When it’s toasted to how you like it, top the pie. Allow pie to chill for 20 minutes – 1 hours before serving to set. This pie can be made a day in advance of a dinner party and will stay cover in the fridge for up to 1.5 weeks.Yogurt Pie with Brown Butter Almond Crust
Filling
-1 container plain greek yogurt
-0.25 cup – 0.5 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
-0.5 cup unsweetened coconut
-0.5 cup toasted walnut pieces
-0.5 cup butter (1 stick)
-1 cup almond meal (keep an extra 0.5 cup on hand)
-1 tsp sugar
0.25 cup unsweetened coconut
The Clumsy Cook 