No Egg Lemon Pie with Oatmeal Crust Recipe

I wanted to make a homemade lemon pie, I mean a real lemon pie made from scratch rather than one from a box mix. So I started sifting through my recipes but I was shocked by the amount of eggs required in a single lemon pie. Wow 4 or 5.

One large egg contains about 214 mg of cholesterol while the total daily recommended consumption for cholesterol for a person is around 300 mg per day. Studies suggest that eggs may not be a contributing factor in excess cholesterol but I really didn't want to take the risk. My guy has high cholesterol running in his family and I wanted a healthy dessert that he could enjoy guilt free. So I created my own low cholesterol lemon pie recipe. I designed an eggless lemon filling and combined it with an oatmeal pie crust I had previously refined. The combination tastes great together and this dessert is easier to make than you might think. 

I started with four recipes and took a little information from each of these. I then tried substituting a couple of different ingredients and also the amounts that I put in of each (I used bottled lemon juice but fresh squeezed is ideal too).
After three attempts I came out with what I figured was a pretty good eggless lemon pie. I tried it, my guy tried it, and my daughter tried it. We all agreed that it came out pretty darn tasty. The pie had zip and it had zing. The only thing that it did not have was a lot of colour. I have heard a lot of nasty information concerning food colourings so I decided that I wasn't really too worried about a misty looking lemon pie if it tasted good and was healthy for us. 

Then a friend of mine suggested adding a touch of orange Turmeric spice to the recipe and that solved the lack of colour issue. This is officially my lemon pie with oatmeal crust recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Note: You can get a more yellow hue by adding in 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric.

 Filling:

5 and 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 and 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup one percent milk
1 teaspoon margarine (Look for
non-hydrogenated zero trans fat to be on the ingredient list)

This is enough filling for 1 large pie and just in case you were wondering how much cholesterol there is in corn starch, well it is nice to know that corn starch contains zero cholesterol.

Ingredients:

 1 1/4 cups of margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
2 1/2 cups flour
4 cups of oats

This crust recipe will make 3 large crusts so you will have two spare for either other pie fillings or to pop into the freezer for a later date. Note: Stay away from the hard margarines. They may be easier to measure out but they are also loaded with trans fats and these are those nasty fats that clog up arteries. Check the nutritional list on the soft margarine that you purchase and be sure that it is non-hydrogenated and contains zero transfat.

When making your crust don't worry if you don't quite get your measurements exact. If your dough is a little too sticky then add extra quick oats. If it is a little too dry then add a little more margarine. It will still come out nice and toasty tasty. Once pressed into the pie plate the dough will take shape.

First Step is the Pie Crust. Here are the Directions


1. You will need 3 large pie pans. In a large bowl blend together brown sugar, oats, flour, and margarine.

2. Mixture should be slightly moist and crumbly. Divide it between the 3 pans and lightly press it into a crust in each.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

4. Set the pie shells out where they can cool.
These are the ingredients for filling 1 pie. If you want to do 2 pies simply double the ingredient list. I generally fill two crusts and freeze the third crust for later use. In my house that usually means in a day or two. My hubby loves his pie.

5 and 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 and 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup one percent milk
1 teaspoon margarine
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (optional)

Directions:

1. Stir together corn starch, sugar, and salt in a medium sized pot. Add in the lemon juice and stir this mixture till it is creamy smooth.

2. Stirring constantly add in the boiling water. Continuing to stir, cook the mixture over medium heat till mixture thickens. This takes about five minutes. Add milk and continue to cook for one or two more minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in the margarine. Pour the lemon pudding into the pie shells. If you are serving to guests or gifting to a friend or neighbour decorative pie plates are delightful for this use.

Although my pie is slightly lighter in colour than it would be if it had the yellow of egg yolks in the recipe, it still has the same consistency as a regular lemon pie would. My pie is a little smokey in colour but bursting with flavour. If you prefer a more yellow filling simply add a tinge of healthy turmeric for colour. For additional flavour add a dab of whipped cream topping. The box variety of whip dressing are generally quite low in calories. You just have to get it on top before the pie has a chance to disappear.

Want a Standard Pie Crust Instead?


A delightfully decorative option in baking are tiny birds that help to vent the steam from double crust pies. These little kitchen helpers prevent excess moisture dampening the crust. They can be purchased as a stand alone item or as one that is built into a pie dish. Kids and guests will love the old fashioned charm of having a tiny black bird in the pie. It is an old fashioned gift that is sure to bring more than a few smiles to the families who discover one of these cute little birds in their pie.

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