Dessert

Guess what season is upon us… PUMPKIN PIE SEASON.

This Vegan Pumpkin Pie isn’t your typical pumpkin pie. This one here packs in that nostalgic, comforting flavour AND benefits.

Every season should be Pumpkin Pie season, am I right?

Of course, with Pumpkin Pie season also comes with ThanksGivin’er, friends, Mom’s birthday, crackling fires, warm socks, scarves, toques, crispy air bike rides, ‘I’ll have a 2nd latte’ kinda days…ahhhh Fall things. 

The beauty of this recipe is that it ticks all the taste + texture benefits, without refined sugar, butter, eggs, or flour.

I’ll have seconds please, because … Pumpkin Pie with benefits. 

This is a no-bake pie with mostly raw ingredients. Raw ingredients, by the way, have all their nutrients in tact which means their bursting with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

The only non-raw ingredient is the puréed pumpkin. Because hey, we want easy too, right? If you find some sugar pumpkins in the grocery store, and feel like baking + blending those up, feel free!

It melts in your mouth.

It pleases your friends.

It’s easy to make.

It’s pumpkin pie, I mean come’on.

OH YA, AND… COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM.

and, Hello Thanksgiving dinner parties (Covid style)!

Benefits:

Pumpkin has a whopping 200% of your vitamin A needs in just one cup (does wonders for your vision)! It helps prevent cancer with the antioxidant beta-carotene. It also helps with weight loss because of combo of high nutrient density, low calorie density, and lots of plant fibre. Not to mention the vitamin C it carries to help your immunity during these colder months!

Dates are Nature’s candy. They’re packed with fibre, so the uptake of their natural sugars is slowed, and helps keep you energized. There’s a bunch of essential minerals and vitamins in these little juicy morsels as well.

Nuts are great for your brain, skin, and heart. They help create a decadent feeling raw dessert with their unsaturated fats.

Time: 20 minutes prep, 5 hours freeze

Makes: 8 – inch pie pan worth of pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1.5 cups pecans
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup oats
• 10 dates
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp allspice

Pie Filling:

• 1/2 cup cashews (quick soak in hot water for 10 minutes, then strain)
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice)
• 1.5 cups pumpkin puree, *not the pre-made pumpkin pie filling (equal to 398mL can)
• 1 banana (ripe with spots)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Coconut Whipped Cream:

• 1 COLD can of full fat coconut milk (store in fridge at least 2 hours before making!)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. Soak cashews: Place in bowl, pour hot water over, let sit 10 minutes
2. Make crust: blend all crust ingredients together in food processor. It’s done when a ball starts to form
3. Spread crust mix on the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan (easier with wet fingers)
4. Make pie filling: Strain cashews, blend them in food processor for 2 minutes, or until a cashew butter is formed. Then add the rest of the pie filling ingredients and blend until smooth.
5. Spread pie filling over the crust evenly
6. Place in the freezer for 3 hours
7. Make coconut whipped cream: Flip coconut can upside down after it’s been chilled in the fridge, open the can and skim the liquid off the top (drink it!). Use just the thick, white cream. Blend the cream and maple syrup together in kitchen aid mixer, or whipping cream blender until stiff peaks form.
8. Slice, add a dollop of whipped coconut cream, and enjoy!

*** Feel free to add in even more benefits with medicinal mushroom powders! I think Reishi would be great in this recipe.  You can use ‘Julia10’ for a discount here. 

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