The Raw Pecan Pie Recipe

Well I have talked about it in a couple of posts now, but here it is. I own a collection of different raw dessert recipes, and this one is at the top of my favorites, I must say.

The flavors in this pie are so deep, and so rich, that it seriously does not take a huge portion for your mouth (and stomach) to feel satisfied. This really is a pecan pie to live for, and everyone will change their minds about raw cuisine once they try this pie.

I must credit Kimberly Snyder, over at KimberlySnyder.net, for this recipe. Kim is a clinical nutritionist (I shall be one soon, too!), and a raw food chef who has appeared numerous times on television. I LOVE reading her website/blog, and trying out her recipes. My favorites are, well, this one, of course. But also her green smoothies and raw fudge (really!). You can find the original Pecan Pie recipe at her website here.

By the way, this is called a Raw Pecan Love Pie, probably because it is so lovely. At least, that's my perception!

The crust is made up of walnuts, dates and coconut flakes. Walnuts are extremely healthy as they are very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Contrary to omega-6's, omega-3's are anti-inflammatory, beneficial for the skin, nails and eyes, and are very beneficial for optimum brain function. They will also contribute a good amount of fiber in this dessert.

The dates are raw, meaning they will contain all their beneficial enzymes and vitamins, plus they will also add their fiber content to this yummy dessert. Coconut is rich in medium chain fatty acids which are quickly turned into energy for your body to burn.

As you can see above, the crust alone provides a powerhouse of nutrition! Compare this to white flour (no fiber, turns to sugar quickly in the body), vegetable oil (different fat chain sizes compared to coconut oil--vegetable oils mainly deposit as fat storage instead of energy), salt and sugar. Plus, all of this would be cooked and destroyed (well not destroyed, unfortunately). As you can tell, this hypothetical (but very real to most people) crust alone has nothing really going for it, and just sounds devastating.

Now the filling calls for raisins, pecans and maple syrup. No refined sugars, no corn syrup (thank goodness!) and no canned fillings. Just simple, whole food, tasty staples every health advocate should have on hand (or at the very least, knows where to get some very quickly!). I didn't use maple syrup this time around, as it was unavailable at the time, but I did use pure raw honey. I'm not a raw vegan, so I substituted. It tasted incredible just the same, but I will try the maple syrup next time. If you make it, let me know how it is.

One interjection - pecans are an incredible source of anti-oxidants, which I will discuss in a later blog post. However this entire dessert is chock full of anti-oxidants, so I really shouldn't just put the spotlight on just one ingredient.

This dessert, compared to other cooked dishes, will not leave you feeling hungry hours later. I calculated and found that per 1/8th of this pie has about 10.25 grams of dietary fiber, low in carbohydrates (no refined carbs, as would be in a traditional pecan pie), high in manganese (helps build and maintain strong bones, promotes healthy thyroid function, anti-oxidant abilities), and extremely high in taste! I'm telling you, you MUST try this; it will blow you away at how good it is.

Now here it is...

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Crust

- 2 cups walnuts
- 3 cups of pitted dates
- 1 cup coconut flakes, finely ground

Pit the dates yourself, extracting each pit and discarding. Add the dates, coconut flakes and walnuts to the food processor and mix until thoroughly blended.

Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie tin. Set to the side.

Filling

- 2/3 cup filtered water
- 1 cup raw pecans, soaked about 15 minutes
- 1 cup organic Thompson raisins
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. nutmeg (optional, I really like this spice!)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

Blend all ingredients together in the blender until smooth. Pour onto the crust of the tray, and garnish with fresh, raw pecans into a pretty pattern.

Set in freezer overnight, or for at least 5 hours before serving.

Slice up and enjoy!

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Thank you again Kimberly!

A holiday treat

Until next time, this has been The Healthy Advocate.