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When I create a recipe TRULY from scratch, and it turns out wonderfully, I am totally beside myself. Having been an avid recipe-follower courtesy of my by-the-book mama, I've never been confident in my abilities to improvise in the kitchen - that is, until I met my husband, the real chef of the home. Over my lifetime of eating more and more healthy foods, I developed a taste for fresher and lighter ingredients and became more confident in my ability to adjust and "fix" recipes. Now I am creating my own totally from scratch, only with a bit of inspiration that lies deep within the crevices of my brain that contain Pinterest photos. Here, my loves, is a recipe that is dressed to impress.
Raw cheesecakes and pies give a lighter feeling than cheesecakes and pies loaded with dairy and refined sugars. I find they are filling, but still prevent that post-dinner food coma which makes you want to lie down to "rest and digest".
This one I made with cashews AND avocados, which means it's fairly high in calories and fats. A small portion will do you just fine, as there is enough flavour in it to satisfy your sweet tooth combined with tangy and nutty flavours from the lime zest and walnuts.
I made my own almond butter earlier in the week, and used it as my base with a cup of walnuts mixed in. You can use any nuts, but note that blending one of the varieties of nuts into a smooth nut butter beforehand (I think almonds would still be best for the nut butter part) will help your crust to stick together without adding a lot of dates.
Make sure you have the forethought to soak cashews for at least 3 hours! Otherwise, you won't get that smooth pudding-like texture in the lime-avocado mixture.
Without further ado, your recipe. Fantastic flavours await!
Recipe PDF
Raw Vegan Avocado Key Lime Pie
(serves 10)
Ingredients
Crust:
3/4 cup fresh blended or commercial almond butter
1 cup raw walnuts
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 dates, pitted
1 tbsp fig jam (or 2 tsp date or maple syrup)
Pinch salt
Filling:
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1 cup raw cashews, soaked 3 hours
Juice of 10 key limes or 4 regular limes
4 tbsp key lime or regular lime zest
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp Truvia baking substitute
Garnish:
Extra lime zest
Cacao nibs
Coconut flakes
Extra key lime slices
Preparation
Soak cashews at least 3 hours or overnight in plenty of water.
If blending your own nut butter, use 1 ½ cups raw soaked almonds (soak 1 hour) and blend in a food processor on high speed with 2 tbsp coconut flakes (omit the flakes mixed into the crust below) and a few tsp of coconut oil – just enough to blend the nut butter to a smooth consistency.
Blend the walnuts, almond butter, dates, fig jam and salt in the food processor at high speed until a paste forms with a few walnut crumbles remaining. Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate.
Blend together the filling ingredients at high speed. Adjust taste according to what you like for sour and sweetness with the lime juice, zest, and sweeteners. The filling should be a thick pudding consistency.
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top out with a spoon, or create a textured look like in the photos. Garnish with desired toppings. Freeze covered for about 2 hours, and take out of the freezer 15 minutes before serving.
This can be frozen longer term and taken out of the freezer for 2 hours before serving as well.
Enjoy! Remember the little guys by telling your fancy dinner party friends whose table this dish originated from! ;)