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It's called a PIE HOLE for a reason! Everyone needs chocolate pie in their lives. Why not make it gluten-free, raw, vegan and processed sugar free while we're at it?

I never would have seen myself here, making treats like this however, now that I am here... I think I was born to be a dessert maker. I love cooking all meals but I have a sweet spot for taking desserts and making them fit within my dietary needs, showing people the possibilities that lie without all of the artificial and potentially dangerous ingredients out there.

I was never a big dessert fan growing up. I can't remember a time where I actually ordered a dessert following dinner and I know now it has everything to do with the fact that my body's not a fan of processed sugar, gluten or dairy. No wonder why I never wanted any of it! Now nothing can stop me from filling my pie hole with these creations! ;)

As I have learned to expand my abilities and experiment with ingredients, I have found a love that encourages me to never have an empty fridge or freezer, and always have a healthy snack on hand to share!

That's how we ended up with this scrumptious concoction! Are you ready to get into this pie with me?

What you need:

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Not So Crusty Crust:
(I ended up using a lot of my crust on the bottom, making it thick on the edges so I remade the recipe ie: doubled it to have enough for the top! I've kept the measurements here the same as what I had originally used because it was easier for me when I was trying to convert it that way. It makes a large, thick pie by doubling the recipe, but can work normally if you spread it more thinly!)

• 1/3 cup (gluten free, organic) oats
• 1/2 cup (soaked overnight) almonds and cashews
• 1/3 cup pitted dates
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1 tbsp maca root powder (optional)

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Chocolate Layer:

• 1/3 cup melted cacao butter
• 1/3 cup coconut nectar
• 1/3 cup dates
• 1/3 cup cacao powder or carob powder
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

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Creamy Nut Butter

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• Coconut milk (amount depending on desired consistency)

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What to do:

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1) All about that base

• Put all of the ingredients into a food processor until smoothed together into a batter.
• Add in more dates and goji as needed.
• Take a little bit more than half of the mix and push it into an oiled pan.
• Save the rest for the top of the pie!
• Put this in the fridge while you make the centers!

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2) Chocolate heart

• Put all ingredients in the food processor.
• Let run until well mixed.
• Pour over the crust and spread out evenly.
• Put in the freezer for 10 mins to harden.

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3) Nutty about it!

• Put all ingredients in a bowl.
• Stir until everything is well blended (different brands request different amounts of each item, adjust accordingly!)
• Add coconut milk until you reach desired consistency (I like mine slightly runny but not completely liquid!)

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4) Chill out!

• Put the pie in the fridge or freezer and let the layers harden (I left mine in the freezer for 30 mins)

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• Once the layers have hardened, add the rest of the crust mix on top.
• Spread the crust evenly over the top, leaving a hole in the center if you wish.

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I made my center into as much of a heart as I could without breaking the nut layer (that I didn't let harden fully on account of being hungry!

• Now decorate however your heart desires!
• I used pecans, strawberries, cacao nibs and goji berries to accentuate the heart in the middle!
• Put in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden.
• Serve cold (it cuts into perfect pieces that way)
• Store in the fridge or freezer (I keep mine in the freezer in a zip lock bag inside of the pan as it won't last long without it being devoured!)

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I warn you now, if you do not allow this to harden, you will have a hard time cutting it but if you're impatient (like me) and just can't wait to eat it, go ahead... it's not going to hurt anyone not to have a picture perfect piece!

...
Ok, you caught me red handed. That's exactly what happened to us. SOMEONE couldn't resist waiting and cut through the whole pie, we thought in that case it needed to get eaten so that I could make another!)

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Hope you enjoy this one, I love chocolate and nut butter together as I am sure you've noticed by now! Being vegan, nuts are a huge part of my diet. I always make sure to soak them overnight, making them more digestible and friendlier for my body to process!

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Sending you love through (plant-based/vegan) food, as always! If you are new here, it's great to have you here!
I am a food fanatic as you'll surely see, and I am a strong believer in the power it has within it, and the ability it has to heal us! I aim to inspire through my recipes and posts and hope to connect with you here, through your heart. Some say the way to the heart is through the stomach, I might just agree with that theory ;)

If you'd like to see more, you can check me out here!

PS: I am also running veganwednesday challenge every week! See here for more details on how to participate (and win by sharing some love!)

Until next time,
XO,
🍊🍉🍈🍇🍋🍌🍍🍎