So this recipe has been in my to-bake list for years. Time flies when you’re living life, but one of my fondest memories was still going to Oahu with my friends, Bri, Dara, and Jessica, back in 2023. We had an absolute blast just traveling around the island, sightseeing, eating, and just unwinding after dealing with reality T.V. nonsense in 2022. Whenever I think of Hawaiian desserts, I always think about lilikoi(passionfruit) and haupia(a Hawaiian coconut pudding). Haupia in particular is used in haupia pie, a super popular Hawaiian dessert that features the haupia as a filling to a pie crust, and it is usually topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut. Haupia pie is such a fun dessert template, because coconut itself is a blank slate ingredient that pairs gorgeously with so many directions. I’ve seen haupia paired with chocolate, ube, mango, so going the lilikoi route made a ton of sense, since like mango, it has a tart-sweet-bright flavor that contrasts with the nutty, mild, creamy notes of coconut. Now, for what makes this dessert unique. I actually challenged myself to make this recipe 100% gluten-free and vegan. Haupia on its own is already vegan, being made from coconut milk that is thickened with cornstarch. Since coconut is so mild, I wanted to ham up the coconut flavor on the rest of the dessert, since passionfruit is a more intense ingredient, so I wanted to ensure that the coconut would not get overpowered by that. So for the crust, I used coconut flour(and almond flour), along with coconut oil, to make a gluten-free and vegan pie crust. I also made a lilikoi curd, thickening lilikoi pulp and lime juice with just a small amount of cornstarch. And for the whipped cream, I used a coconut whipping cream, to again add another layer of coconut to pair against that tart and sour lilikoi curd. The end result was a pie that was delicious, not too sweet, and clearly tasting of both key ingredients! And the best part? You couldn’t tell it was vegan and/or gluten-free!

Makes one 10-inch pie(roughly 8-10 servings):
For the pie crust:
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4oz coconut oil, chilled
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup cold water

In a food processor, blend everything until combined into a dough. Press the crust into a 10-inch tart pan in an even layer, then freeze the dough solid. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes – halfway through the bake, re-press the dough into the tart tin. Allow the crust to fully cool before attempting to fill

For the haupia:
12oz coconut milk
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

In a pot, whisk everything together on medium-high heat until it thickens into a custard/pudding-like consistency. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps and pour the haupia directly into the cooled tart shell, spreading it into an even layer. Allow the haupia to set in the freezer before attempting to spread on the lilikoi curd next.

For the lilikoi curd:
pulp and seeds of 4 passionfruit
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp granulated sugar
juice and zest of 1 lime
a pinch of salt

In a pot, whisk everything together on medium-low heat until the pulp/juice comes up to a simmer. Pour the curd over the haupia and spread as evenly as possible. Allow the curd to cool in the freezer before adding on the next layer, this time being the coconut chantilly.

For the coconut chantilly:
4oz coconut whipping cream, chilled
.5oz confectioner’s sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

In a bowl, whisk everything together until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag with a rounded tip and pipe a border of the chantilly around the tart. Keep everything refrigerated.

For garnish:
2oz passionfruit inspiration
.1oz corn syrup
a pinch of
toasted coconut flakes

Melt the passionfruit inspiration with corn syrup and salt. Spread onto acetate in an even layer and refrigerate until firm. Cut out blossom shapes from the passionfruit modeling chocolate.

Garnish the border of the pie with both the passionfruit modeling chocolate blossoms and the toasted coconut flakes to finish.