Raw Coconut Lime Pie

This week I’ve been feeling so inspired when it comes to food and new recipes. I’ve been writing tons of lists of new ideas and pairings and really trying to come up with new things; well, at least new to me. I think it may have something to do with all of the awesome things that are happening this week.

First off, Expo West (Natural Products Expo) in Anaheim is this weekend and I’ll be attending as press! This is huge for me, so I’m extremely excited to meet with different food companies and fellow bloggers. Second, Jill from Vegan Cuts with be coming down for the convention and we will be spending some time together the couple of days before it starts and doing awesome vegan things.

Lastly, I received my new order of business cards today (for the Expo) and I should be receiving a copy of Vegan Junk Food: 225 Sinful Snacks that are Good for the Soul by Lane Gold in the mail this week!

Needless to say, this week(end) is going to be busy and I am incredibly excited for it all. Now, onto the edible stuff. I’ve been sneaking greens into meals in ways that I wouldn’t normally do. Green smoothies? Typical, but I still enjoy them. This dessert on the other hand, combines avocados, limes, coconut and.. kale? Yup, kale. It gives this sweet lil’ pie flecks of vibrant green, but adds nearly nothing to the taste. I told you it was sneaky, right? 😉

I’ve said it before, but raw desserts are some of my favorite things to make. They’re usually really easy to conjure up and execute, and they’re soy-free, gluten-free and processed sugar-free. This one is special because not only is it all that, it is nut-free to boot!

One bite of this creamy, cool pie and you’ll be more than glad that you cut into this cute dessert. With vibrant notes of lime from the fresh juice and zest, mellower flavors from the coconut and avocado and a slightly vanilla crust, you may find yourself indulging in another one.

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Crust-

• 1 Cup Raw Pepitas (Raw Shelled Pumpkin Seeds)
• 1/2 Cup Dates, Pitted and Soaked for 2 hours
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Salt

Filling-

• 1 1/2 Cup Avocado
• 1 Cup Kale, Without Stems
• 1/2 Cup Dates, Pitted and Soaked for 2 hours
• 1/2 Cup Date Soak Water
• 3 Tbsp. Lime Juice
• 2 Tbsp. Dried Coconut Flakes, Unsweetened
• 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp. Lime Zest
• Pinch of Salt
• Optional: Thin Slices of lime and some dried Coconut for Garnish

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, pulse the pepitas, dates, vanilla and salt together until they start to clump into a ball.
2. Line a 12-count cupcake pan with cupcake liners (preferably silicone), and press 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the crust mixture into the bottom of each one. Place in the freezer while you start on the filling.
3. Place all ingredients for the filling into a food processor and puree until completely smooth. This may take a little time, just scrape the sides of the processor and pulse until there are no chunks. Make sure that the mixture does not get warm.
4. Measure out 3 Tbsp. of the filling for each cupcake liner and smooth out the top of it. To get a majority of the air bubbles out, I tapped the sheet onto my counter top to even it out.
5. Sprinkle coconut on top of the pies and place the sheet back into the freezer for 2-3 hours, or overnight if that is easier.
6. Once you are ready to serve them, place the lime slices on top for garnish and wait 5-10 minutes before eating so that they soften a little bit.

This dessert could also be made in a 9″ pie pan, but I love using the cupcake sheet because it portions it out for you. When you have low self-control like I do, separating it like this ends up working out much better. Plus, these little desserts are quite filling! It’s a great way to finish off a dinner or even eat as an post-workout snack. So, enjoy! 🙂