French Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie

 

 

I am in love with plant based Living Foods!  SO fresh.  So clean.  So flavorful.   Not to mention energizing, beautifying & healing...  they taste better than traditional cooked fare!  I really feel it's what nature intended for our nourishment.   

French Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie with "whipped cream" is no exception - this coming from a girl who always disliked hated pumpkin pie - that is until 6 years ago, when I discovered an amazing French recipe for cooked Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie.  Of course, now that I follow a primarily Raw Vegan foodstyle (because it tastes and makes me feel so amazing!) I had to figure out a way to upgrade that French recipe to a delicious, enzyme rich, Living Foods version.   

 

 

Perfect for entertaining - or for just having as your own special, beautifying treat awaiting you in the freezer.  Since it's frozen it remains beautifully fresh compared to a traditional pie.

This knockout has a candied cookie-like crust and a creamy cheesecake-esque pumpkin filling. 

 

  

Oh, and shhh... don't tell anyone about the secret ingredient that makes this SO much creamier & delish than any pumpkin pie you've had before (carrot juice).  Plus, as always, it's unbelievably simple to prepare.

 Please enjoy!

Recipe for French Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie

Crust: 


Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup raw pecans (or a combo of pecan, macadamia & walnuts, preferably soaked overnight & deydrated for 24 hours)
• 
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts (preferably soaked overnight & dehydrated for 24 hours)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 
1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 1/2 tablespoons date paste (or use 2-3 dates mixed into 1st step of nut processing- just be careful not to turn the nuts into date-nut butter!) 
• 1/2 tsp himalayan salt

Method:

1. Place nuts in food processor, pulse into small crumbs - be mindful not to overprocess into nut butter!
2. Combine the rest of ingredients by hand in a separate bowl.  
3. Add this mixture to the crumbed nuts, mixing by hand until fully incorporated.  Mixture should stick together when pinched between fingers.
4. Dump this into a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom (or use saran if tart pan is one piece).  If you don't have a tart pan, use a pie plate with saran. 
5. Press mixture firmly into tart pan or pie plate.  Depending on size of your pan, thickness of your crust, you may have extra crust left over (especially if using the shorter edged tart pan.  No problem! Just make some mini tarts or cutout a few "cookies" with your favorite cookie cutter!  Once dehydrated fill the extra tarts with any leftover filling you may have- or with a little cashew cream topped with fresh sliced fruit! Pretty & Yummy :)
6. Dehydrate 48 hours at 115.

7. Chill crust in freezer for 1/2 hour before filling. 

Filling

Ingredients:

• 
1 1/2 cups cashews 
• 1/2 cup chopped pumpkin
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup coconut oil

• 1/2 cup carrot juice plus 1/4 cup reserved for blending assistance if needed (yes that's right, carrot juice!) 
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla 
• 
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until super smooth.  Add additional 1/4 cup carrot juice as needed to facilitate blending- tho try not to use more than 2 tablespoons.

2. Pour into tart crust and chill in freezer overnight.
3. Store in freezer and slice it right out of the freezer.
4. Add a small dallop of whipped cream (click preceding link for recipe!) if desired.

**Disclaimer! The above recipe is my tweaked version which is SO amazing as I've already mentioned, I know:) However, I wasn't able to get pictures of it so the pics here are of the 1st version which looks a little different. The above tweaked recipe will have a more solid, finely ground crust and the filling is much smoother and creamier. Bottom line, your pie will have a less grainy texture in both the filling & crust. Although they look somewhat similar I wanted to point this out.  

 

Let me know how you like this one!  Did you make any tweaks to make it your own?  How were your Holidays?  Any New Year's Resolutions?

All Love,

Juliane

 

If you liked this post say thanks by sharing it.