Key Lime Pie - Sugar-Free, Raw!

Do you ever look at key lime pie and think "Oh, if only it didn't have gluten/dairy/eggs/sugar/etc., I would totally eat this?" Yeah, I know how you feel. I think I'd had key lime pie maybe twice in my life, and loved its tangy goodness, but I honestly can't remember the last time I ate it. It was always this mysterious green (or yellow) temptation that I avoided because I just couldn't be sure of what the ingredients were.

Well, no more!

I am SO proud of this pie. I took it to Thanksgiving at a omnivorous friend's house, and everyone gobbled it up!

I think of that all the raw "baking" I've done, this takes the cake. Or rather, pie! It was rich, thick, and delicate all at the same time. Once it was chilled, it stood up to being cut just like a traditional pie! I'm super pleased with the crust, too, because the coconut flour mimics crushed graham crackers so well in terms of texture and consistency. I could seriously eat this whole pie in a sitting - with a tall glass of hemp or almond milk, of course! ;) All in all, I'd say my best raw vegan recipe yet!

Raw Key Lime Pie

Filling:
5 small avocadoes
7 Tbsp. coconut oil, room temperature (scant 1/2 cup)
Two limes, juice and zest
1/3 cup xylitol
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (I used alcohol-free)
Pinch of Himalayan salt

Crust:
1 1/2 cups coconut flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
5 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. almond butter
2 Tbsp. xylitol
1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In your food processor, add all crust ingredients and pulse until it's of uniform consistency. It should be crumbly. Transfer your crust to a pie pan, and press it firmly and evenly to line the pan. Set aside.

Wipe out the food processor. Next, add and blend all filling ingredients until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides if there are lumps. Then, with a spatula, pour the filling mixture onto the crust and spread it evenly throughout the pan.

Garnish with about 1/4 tsp. of lime zest, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut, and serve! :)

Carob Halvah Pudding

When I walked into the kitchen to make the raw ketchup today, I realized I was out of fresh tomatoes. CRAP! It would have to wait. I did, however, have three gorgeous green gems sitting in my fruit bowl. Silky, creamy avocados! I haven't had sweets in awhile, so I pawed around in the Candida-friendly cupboard and eyed a few things for a sugar-free pudding.

I'm a huge proponent of making tahini-based sweets. I love halvah especially, so the idea of making halvah pudding sounded awesome! I had some carob, too, so I grabbed that and went to work.

This is an immensely fatty recipe. I don't mean tons of ingredients, I mean WHOA did I put a lot of good fats into this. Avocado, tahini, coconut oil, flax oil. Mmmmm... I can feel my skin, hair and nails getting healthier. :) Oh, and it's mostly raw, too!

I also added in some camu camu for an extra antioxidant and vitamin C punch. Camu Camu is a South American fruit that has the highest vitamin C content known to man. Since it is extremely low in sugar (VERY tart... and regulates blood sugar levels!) I personally deemed it worthy of my candida diet. hehe. It's a little hard to find, but worth it if you want it as a superfood supplement. It's totally okay to omit this from the recipe. You can always use agave instead of xylitol, too, if you're not watching your sugar intake.

Carob Halvah Pudding

3 small avocados (or equivalent)
1/3 cup tahini
3 Tbsp. carob powder
1 tsp. camu camu powder
1 Tbsp. raw coconut oil
2 Tbsp. raw flax oil
1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract (glycerin based)
2 tsp. cinnamon
Xylitol to taste (I probably used a scant 1/4 cup)
pinch salt
water

In a food processor, blend all ingredients except water until smooth and emulsified. Test for consistency. At this stage, it could be used as a frosting! To go for a pudding consistency, turn the food processor back on and add water by the tablespoon until it's how you want it. I used about 12 tablespoons, because it was SOOO thick! Don't be shy with the water, just make sure you test in intervals.:)

Puddin' Pie! - Raw

If you remember one of my ealier posts, you'll know that I love raw banana pudding. Since discovering the technique, I've made countless avocado-banana puddings. It's such a silky, nutritious way to feel sinful. :)

This one is more of a vanilla-lemon pudding, but no less delicious. I really enjoy the texture that the flax imparts to this. And, to be a little more fun (and needing the protein) I made a walnut-date crust! I could eat that pie crust alone as a dessert. Oooh... Ideas of date balls are flying through my mind.. like a golden snitch. ;)

The green of the pudding is a little off in the picture, but that's because of the flax and cinnamon. Also, the pie would have been more full if there hadn't been so much tasting... in the name of science.

Puddin' Pie!

For the crust:
1 cup walnuts, soaked and dried
1 cup dates, soaked for 5 minutes
1 Tb. water

Grind in a food processor until almost smooth, or desired coarseness.

For the Puddin':
3 bananas
1 avocado
1 1/2 Tb. agave
sprinkle cinnamon
4 Tb. ground flax
1 tsp. vanilla extract, or vanilla bean pulp
2 Tb. lemon juice

Blend all in the food processor until velvety smooth.

Grease a smallish pan with a chunk of coconut oil. (I just took out a chunk and rubbed it around, no need to melt.) Press the pie crust into the pan, making sure to keep it even. Then, pour the pudding into the crust, and chill in the fridge for about an hour.

This makes a very soft pudding, so it's not going to firm up much. It might even be fun to press the pie into a cupcake pan for individual servings! Less mess that way. We just both ate it out of the pan, so there was no slicing and serving.