Yogurt Key Lime Pie

Awhile back, my mom was on Weight Watchers and a devoted follower to counting points and making light foods.  One of my favorite things she made at the time- which I have been craving lately, was the Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie recipe made with yogurt.  However, I just can’t bring myself to make it, let alone eat it right now since so many of the ingredients are artificial.  (probably not a healthy option for me to be nourishing this baby in my belly)  Since I’d been craving it for awhile, I set out to make my own, more natural, version.  My first attempt was at Easter, where without knowing what it was going to taste like, I brought it to my in-law’s Easter dinner.  Oops- it didn’t have enough flavor, but it still had a nice light lime flavor that went away after a few bites.  Most of the family politely ate it and said it was good, but I knew it wasn’t that great!  Plus, my husband made me finish his slice which is a sure sign it needed fixing!   Today, I posted my second and perfected version.  I love it- gobbled it up in a couple of days!  It’s just the right amount of lightness and lime flavor.  I reasoned that with the yogurt being the main ingredient, this was a great breakfast for me:)  The photo above is actually the first pie that I made.  In retrospect, I should’ve taken a nice picture of a slice so you can see what it looks like, but my stomach got in the way.  The pies look the same anyway except the good & posted version is a little fuller!

The original Weight Watchers recipe my mom made is here.  Instead of using two light 6oz containers of yogurt, my mom always used three.  What bothers me about the yogurt my mom uses in the original recipe is that it contains aspartame, which I’ve read plenty of negative things about, including that it may cause birth defects.  So, light yogurts and products containing aspartame are definitely out for me!  Then there’s the light Lime Jell-O, also sweetened with aspartame.  The original version has so many more calories to make this a light dessert, that I didn’t want to go that route either…not to mention the artificial colors!  And reduced-fat or regular-fat graham cracker pie crust bought at the regular grocery store always is made with Partially Hydrogenated oils within the first few ingredients.  Lastly, the only other ingredient in there, is Cool Whip.  Oh goodness, where do I start with Cool Whip?  My husband loves the flavor, but I can’t stand buying it or feeding it to my son since it’s just a bunch of fake ingredients.  Here’s an article from Savvy Brown Blog entitled “Cool Whip Can Kill You” that made me smile.  In it, she fills you in on the ingredients and why it scares her.  Of the ingredients in Cool Whip, I don’t mind the water or xantham gum:)  Savvy Brown also gives you some alternative products you can buy, but the brand I bought, TruWhip, isn’t on that list.  I think it’s pretty doggone close and tasty, but my husband, the Cool Whip connoisseur, disagrees.  His taste buds don’t mind fake crap though!  Maybe if I didn’t tell him and put it on top of something, he would never know…  To the folks over at Cool Whip, if you ever happen upon this post, I’d be happy to buy your product if you make a natural version!

*** I normally hate Stevia since it tastes so bitter, I don’t use it.  According to the current research, it’s the most natural zero calorie sweetener and what you should be using.  Everyone says the least bitter brand is NuNaturals - but I bought their liquid drops and found them to be bitter as well.  Giving it one last shot, I bought their box of little powder packets and, at least in this recipe, do not detect any bitterness.  However, it’s a pretty slight ingredient in the pie.