Almost-Raw Apple Pie with Grain-Free Crust Recipe
Recipe Description:
For the love of raw desserts, try this almost-raw apple pie for a quick sweet treat. The grain-free crust is perfect for the gluten-free folks, or those low-carbin' it.
Recipe Ingredients:
For the Grain-Free Apple Pie Crust:
2 cups raw walnuts or sliced almonds (I used walnuts - delicious!), soaked overnight in warm water with a little bit of sea salt, then rinsed and toasted in the oven
1/2 cup dried dates, soaked for a few hours to soften
3/4 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon organic cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon organic ground nutmeg
Dash of unrefined mineral salt (I used Himalayan)
For the Almost-Raw Apple Pie Filling:
5 medium organic Gala or Fuji apples (you can certainly use other varieties of apples, but these are the two I've tested in this recipe), peeled and chopped. Peel and roughly chop two of the apples to 'saute' lightly and puree, and then peel and finely chop the remaining 3 apples into 1/2 inch pieces (sliced thinly, about 3-4 mm thick).
1-2 tablespoons grass-fed ghee, to lightly 'saute' the 2 apples to be pureed (you can skip this if you wish to make it vegan and all-raw, but I really do prefer the added flavor that the ghee imparts)
1 cup dates, soaked for a few hours to soften, then drained of its water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste (adjust till amount of desired zest is achieved)
2 teaspoons organic ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon organic ground cloves
Recipe
Instructions:
Crust:
Blend the soaked and toasted walnuts and soaked dates in a food processor. Add 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a dash of unrefined mineral salt. Blend well to mix in the spices. Then, distribute the mixture evenly on the bottom of an 8-10-inch pie plate. Make sure to cover all areas of the pie plate evenly and compactly so it can hold together well (the stickiness of the dates does a good job of keeping the crust together anyway).
Filling:
For two of the apples, you can chop roughly, since they'll be pureed anyway. For the other three apples, make sure to thinly slice them to be about 1/2 an inch and no more than a few millimeters thick. You don't have to be super accurate with this either, but getting the apples to be thin enough is important to give the filling a nice soft crunch that is not too substantial.
Saute the roughly chopped apples for the 'sauce': In a stainless steel pot, add 1-2 tablespoons of grass-fed ghee and saute the two apples you peeled and roughly chopped for about 5 minutes, until they've released some of their juice and softened. Squeeze 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice on top.
Add spices and blend: In a food processor or powerful blender, add the lightly sauteed apples, 1 cup of soaked dates (drained from water), 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. Blend until a smooth consistency is reached and taste for zest. If more lemon is needed, add a teaspoon at a time.
Mix sauce with raw apples: In a bowl, mix the thinly sliced apples with your now complete sauce.
Add mixture into crust: Spoon out the mixture and add it into your grain-free spiced crust. Use the back of a spoon to level the top and smooth it out. Chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving. Enjoy!
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