- 1½ cups almond meal – I like to use coarser almond meal as opposed to finely ground almond flour (144g if using almond flour; 168g if using meal)
- ¼ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons (24g) sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon (14ml) water
Mini Lemon Pies
Yield: 18 Mini Pies
These cool, creamy, and tart mini pies are the perfect hand-held dessert for gatherings and can be made in advance with a few key ingredients.
Ingredients for the crust:
Ingredients for the lemon filling:
- 2 (14oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup (6oz) lemon juice*
- 4 large egg yolks
- Optional topping/garnishes: whipped cream; lemon zest; thin slices of lemon, halved; sliced fresh strawberries, crumbled graham cracker, finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
Instructions for the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place liners in an ungreased muffin tin.Whisk the dry ingredients together. Then add the melted butter or coconut oil and water.Mix until well combined.Add about 1 tablespoon crust to the bottom of each liner. Using your fingers or the base of a ¼ cup measuring cup, firmly press the crust into the bottom of the liner.*Cook crust for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Instructions for the lemon filling:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks.
2. When crusts come out of the oven, evenly pour the filling into the baked crusts using a small ladle, ¼ cup measure, or a spoon. All the filling will be used.
3. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until set. The pies can wiggle a little but should be fully set.
4. Allow to cool (about an hour), and then take the lined pies out of tin and put in the fridge to chill.
5. Before serving, top with whipped cream and optional garnishes of choice
Notes
*The average lemon yields 3 tablespoons juice, but this will vary depending on size and freshness of lemon as well as how it is juiced. A lime yields 2 tablespoons juice with the same caveats. I find it easier to de-seed the lemons before squeezing, even with a citrus squeezer.
**This recipe can be halved to fill 12 pies but but there will be a smaller layer of crust-to-filling ratio. The recipe, as written, can also stretch to fill 24 pies. In this case the ratio of crust to filling will be smaller, and the pies will be smaller overall.