Diabetic Friendly Pecan or Walnut pie

Now we run into another of my odd health issues.  I’m diabetic so Pecan pie is not something I can normally have although being Southern I tend to get a craving for it at times.  Late last year that craving got the best of me and I worked out a reasonable copy with no sugar.  I deleted the eggs as well and seeing as many diabetics have cholesterol issues that is a logical step as well plus I think they would give the pie an off taste in this case.

If you wonder why I add maple flavor to this, it is something I picked up from my mother in-law as she used Mrs Buttersworth’s syrup instead of corn syrup when she made pecan pies and I have to admit it really is a game changer.

4 cups walnuts or pecans–I’m using walnuts because they’re cheaper

2 cups stevia powder

1 T Maple flavoring

1 T Butter flavoring

Liquid yellow food coloring

4 T cornstarch

1 deep dish pie shell

Put the nuts in a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 30 mins at 325 stirring at 15 minutes–this is crucial as the pie does not get baked as is traditionally done.

Prepare the pie shell for a pudding pie–and don’t rush it and mess up your crust like I did this time.

Dump all of the nuts into the shell and set that hot pie plate aside for a bit.

Take your stevia and add plain water to it while stirring until it dissolves.  Keep adding water until you again have two cups of liquid.

Put the now liquid stevia into a sauce pan and begin heating it.  As it heats the liquid should go clear.

Stir in your butter and maple flavorings as well as your food coloring–there are no eggs so without the yellow it will look weird and the eyes are important in convincing you something is good otherwise it will be gray and not very appealing.

Dissolve your cornstarch in just enough water to create a fluid of it and add it to the flavored stevia as it hits boiling and kill the heat.  Stir well.

Pour the liquid over the nuts.

Allow the pie to cool then place in the refrigerator overnight at least–in the hot or warm condition this pie will have a strong aftertaste and not be what you expect due to the maltodextrin in the stevia powder.  Chances are you will say this doesn’t taste quite right, well it is as close a copy as I can work out.

Bon Appetit