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Gluten-Free Coconut Turmeric Pie

Image may contain Food Dessert Cake Pie and Tart
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Chris Morocco

This recipe is inspired by the flavors found in the traditional Ayurvedic Indian drink haldi doodh, made with milk, turmeric, and honey. It's also gluten- and dairy-free.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

Crust and Topping

1¼ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds
¼ cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 large egg white
A pinch of kosher salt
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Filling

2 15-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
16 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks, lightly crushed
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
A large pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons plus ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, divided
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

Special Equipment

A 9-inch pie pan

Preparation

  1. Crust and Topping

    Step 1

    Preheat oven to 325°. Process shredded coconut, almonds, oats, and brown sugar in a food processor until very finely chopped, about 2 minutes. Add egg white and salt and pulse until dough begins to form a ball. Using damp fingers, press dough into bottom and 1" up sides of pie pan; smooth with a flat-bottomed measuring cup.

    Step 2

    Bake crust until evenly browned and toasty-smelling, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, toss coconut flakes, maple syrup, and turmeric on a small rimmed baking sheet until coated. Bake coconut topping until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

    Step 4

    Do Ahead: Topping can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

  2. Filling

    Step 5

    Bring coconut milk, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, ginger, pepper, and 1½ tsp. turmeric to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse 20 minutes.

    Step 6

    Combine egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, and ½ cup maple syrup in a large bowl. Whisk until very smooth. Stir together remaining ½ tsp. turmeric and 1 tsp. maple syrup in a small bowl; set aside.

    Step 7

    Whisking constantly, strain infused coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve into egg yolk mixture; discard solids. Return custard to saucepan. Heat over medium and cook, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbling, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and, working quickly, add coconut oil and stir until smooth. Immediately pour custard into crust, filling as high as the crust allows without spilling over. Drizzle maple-turmeric syrup over and swirl decoratively by dragging the handle of a small spoon or chopstick through filling several times.

    Step 8

    Press a large piece of plastic wrap onto surface of pie and cool until set, at least 2 hours. Top with coconut flake mixture before serving.

    Step 9

    Do Ahead: Pie can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

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