Coconut Cream Layered Dream | low carb, gluten-free
Ingredients
Almond-Coconut Crust2 cups (180 grams) Honeyville Almond Flour
1 cup (90 grams) Bob's Red Mill Shredded Coconut
⅓ cup Isopure Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (or your preferred)
⅓ cup erythritol (or your favorite powdered sweetener)
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Coconut Pudding
1 recipe Vanilla Pastry Cream but sub canned coconut milk for the liquid and add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract along with the vanilla
Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons almond milk
¼ cup erythritol, powdered (or stevia to taste)
Whipped Cream Topping
2 cups heavy cream
¼ powdered erythritol(or stevia to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional Coconut Topping
1¼ cup (100 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut or unsweetened flaked coconut (this topping adds 2 carbs per serving which is already calculated in the nutritional information)
Instructions
Make the Coconut Pudding: Prepare the Low Carb Vanilla Pastry Cream with substitutions and let it cool before continuing. *This can be made several days before.2.Make the Coconut Crust: Grind the unsweetened coconut, ½ cup at a time, in a coffee/spice grinder and grind until fine. Put the ground coconut into a medium bowl. Powder the erythritol and add it and the rest of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the coconut. Whisk together to combine. Melt the butter or coconut oil and pour over the ingredients. Combine to form a moist crumbly mixture.
3.Dump the ingredients into a 13x9 inch glass pyrex baking dish and lay a sheet of waxed paper over the mixture. First with your hands, then with a flat bottomed glass, press the coconut crust mixture firmly into the dish. Remove the waxed paper and continue with the recipe or *bake in a preheated (350) oven for about 10 minutes and then let cool completely for a cookie-like crust. *This can be made the day before.
4. ASSEMBLING THE DESSERT:
5.Make the Whipped Cream: Whip the cream with the vanilla and sweeteners until stiff.
6.Cream Cheese Layer: Soften the cream cheese in the microwave and then using a hand mixer, whip it with the sweeteners and almond milk (or cream) until nice and light. Adding ½ cup of whipped cream at a time, fold 1½ cups of whipped cream into the cream cheese. Spread evenly over the base and refrigerate.
7.Coconut Pudding Layer: With a hand mixer, whip the cold pudding. Spread over the cream cheese layer.
8.Whipped Cream Topping: Carefully, spread the remaining whipped cream over the coconut pudding layer and refrigerate several hours.
9.To finish the dessert, top with unsweetened shredded dessicated coconut or coconut flakes.