With the holiday season around the corner and Thanksgiving only a week away...I’m here thinking: “How am I getting through the holidays without falling off my health regime?” Easy! Let’s get creative and recreate healthier versions of all the holiday dishes we love, and enjoy the holidays guilt-free. My friend and talented chef, Sasha Ariel, took on the challenge and developed a “healthy” version of my favorite holiday dessert—pumpkin pie. It was too good not to share, so here it is friends! Enjoy!!
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST
1 cup shelled pecans
12 pitted medjool dates
½ cup paleo flour mix
3 tbsp. coconut palm sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla powder
3 tbsp. flax meal
1/3 cup cold coconut oil
FILLING
1.5 boxes organic pumpkin puree (drained)
¾ cup coconut nectar syrup
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup cashew milk
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2.5 tbsp. arrow root
2 tbsp. coconut oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat over to 355 degrees F.
2. Pulse all crust ingredients together in the food processor till crumbly/sand-like texture.
3. Evenly press crust into a glass pie dish making sure the bottom and sides are all the same thickness.
4. Add all filling ingredients to a Vitamix-like blender, and blend until super smooth.
5. Taste filling, if you want it more spiced you can add extra pumpkin pie spice.
6. Pour filling into molded crust.
7. Place in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
8. Filling should start to bubble and look thickened.
9. If sides of crust get too dark after 30 minutes into baking, you can cover the pie with tin foil for the remaining amount of time.
10. Cool pie completely on counter top and then refrigerate overnight before cutting.
11. You can top your pie with toasted pepitas, coconut whipped cream or pomegranate seeds.
12. Enjoy!!
