A decadent and delicious dessert doesn’t quickly come to mind upon hearing the words quinoa and gluten-free, but this recipe surely tastes and looks luxurious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa flour or freshly ground quinoa
- 1 cup oat flour or freshly ground rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil (unrefined)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- Water, as needed
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¾ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups milk mixture (one 13½-ounce can coconut milk plus ¾ cup half and half)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 ounce shaved dark chocolate (¼ of a 4-ounce Baker’s bar)
Instructions
Prepare the Crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor to mix well.
Add egg and coconut oil and pulse to mix.
Add half and half and pulse to mix.
The mixture should start to form a ball. If dough seems too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time.
Shape dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.
Remove the plastic wrap, break up the dough into chunks and press it evenly into the pie plate.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8–12 minutes. Allow to cool before filling. Baking the pie shell can be done a day ahead.
Prepare the Filling and Topping
Lightly beat the egg yolks in a large bowl and set aside.
Stir together sugar, cocoa, corn starch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk mixture as you cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens.
Bring to a boil for one minute then remove from heat. Gradually stir about half of the hot filling into yolks, continuing to whisk for about a minute.
Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Stir for about one minute more.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and one cup of shredded coconut.
Pour into the pre-baked crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. After cooling, refrigerate until set (about 3–5 hours).
While the pie is chilling, beat the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla together at high speed until peaks form. Toast the coconut on a baking pan lined with parchment for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees.
When the pie is set, remove the plastic wrap, swirl whipped cream on top of the chocolate filling and sprinkle with coconut and shaved chocolate.
Notes: Quinoa can be ground in a coffee grinder and oats can be easily ground to flour texture (good enough for pie) in a food processor. Unrefined coconut oil retains the flavor of coconut, which is perfect for this pie. For a more neutral flavor, choose oil that has been refined.
