Peanut Butter Cream Pie-Vegan and Grain Free

Creamy peanut buttery goodness-your children and friends will beg you to make this! I created this pie from one I used to make from Bon Appetit. This recipe doesn’t much resemble the original recipe, other than it’s creamy peanut butter amazingness. That recipe had tons of saturated fat, and not much in the way of health. While I wouldnt go as far as calling this pie healthy, it’s a much healthier dessert than most and very easy to prepare.

There is a secret to this pie, one that most will never guess. Lean in…I’ll tell you. Closer…a little closer, it’s tofu!. Say what?! Yes, and don’t be afraid. You can make tofu taste like anything and here it acts as your creamy base! I promise!

For this recipe you need to use silken firm tofu. Silken tofu is vacuum-sealed and sold in unrefrigerated packages. Don’t get the soft variety, it won’t create the firmer texture you’ll want to hold a pie together. The fat that helps to bind this pie doesn’t come from heavy cream, like in a typical pie. The fat is from the peanut butter. You can make the filling ahead of time, as well as the crust and assemble a few hours before serving. The colder the filling, the better. This pie can also made ahead and frozen. Another switch out for this dessert, is to make just the filling. The filling can be used as a pudding, layered with bananas, and decorated with chopped peanuts an drizzled chocolate if desiring a fancier look.

Tofu is a good source of plant-based protein. It is made from soy beans, and is a very low-processed form of soy. It has a soft texture that makes it a great replacement for heavy creams and cheeses.  Since it’s plant-based, it’s cholesterol free. Women and girls who consume soy, have been linked to lower rates of breast cancer. For more info visit here.  Whenever buying soy, make sure to purchase non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soy. Soy is one of the most GM crops in the world, next to corn. GMO crops have not been researched enough, and their dramatic increase in use is being called into question regarding a number of health concerns. GMO soy, was created and owned by a large agribusiness called Monsanto. If you aren’t familiar with them, they’re the ones who manufactured both DDT and Agent Orange. I’ll leave it up to you if you want them in your food. As for me, I stick to organic non-GMO soy.

I use dates in this recipe as a way to boost fiber and magnesium, and cut down on refined sugars. The high fiber content of dates helps their sugars to be released more slowly, and not cause sudden spikes in sugar levels. There is very little added sugar in this recipe, and much less if you choose to go crustless all together.

Ingredients:

Crust (modified from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook)

• 165 grams or 1 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil (or almond butter to make oil free)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 oz dark chocolate (use 85% good quality dark chocolate) melted

Filling:

• 1-12 oz package of firm silken tofu
• 1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed dates, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1-2 bananas, sliced thinly
• squeeze of orange or fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp melted chocolate chips, melted with a little almond milk to help thin to drizzle
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a food processor combine all ingredients and process until smooth.
3. Press into pie pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, being careful not to overcook (I take it out as soon as I can smell it). Remove and let cool.
4. In a blender, place all ingredients for the filling. Blend until smooth. Filling can be done a few days ahead of time, and placed into the refrigerator.
5. A few hours before serving; Assembly: toss banana slices in a little fresh citrus juice to prevent browning, making sure they’re not very wet.  Spread filling on top of crust
6. Arrange banana slices in concentric circles. Top with chopped peanuts and drizzle with melted chocolate (I use a knife dipped quickly into chocolate and move it quickly over the top to make a messy look)
7. Chill pie for a few hours before serving. Alternatively, pie can be served as a frozen dessert

Nutritional Benefits:

• Dairy-free, but high in calcium and plant-based protein
• Grain & gluten free-good for decreasing inflammation
• Lower in fat and sugar than most desserts, very little added sugar, only refined sugar is in the chocolate

4.0 from 3 reviews

Peanut Butter Cream Pie-Vegan and Grain Free

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

27 mins

 

Peanut Butter Cream Pie-Vegan and Grain Free

Author: www.gardenfreshfoodie.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 10

Ingredients

Crust (modified from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook)

• 165 grams or 1¼ cup almond meal
• ⅛ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil (or almond butter to make oil free)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 oz dark chocolate (use 85% good quality dark chocolate) melted

Filling:

• 1-12 oz package of firm silken tofu
• 1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
• ½ cup packed dates, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1-2 bananas, sliced thinly
• squeeze of orange or fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp melted chocolate chips, melted with a little almond milk to help thin to drizzle
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a food processor combine all ingredients and process until smooth.
3. Press into pie pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, being careful not to overcook (I take it out as soon as I can smell it). Remove and let cool.
4. In a blender, place all ingredients for the filling. Blend until smooth. Filling can be done a few days ahead of time, and placed into the refrigerator.
5. A few hours before serving; Assembly: toss banana slices in a little fresh citrus juice to prevent browning, making sure they're not very wet. Spread filling on top of crust
6. Arrange banana slices in concentric circles. Top with chopped peanuts and drizzle with melted chocolate (I use a knife dipped quickly into chocolate and move it quickly over the top to make a messy look)
7. Chill pie for a few hours before serving. Alternatively, pie can be served as a frozen dessert.

3.5.3208