Blue-Raspberry PIE!!! Oh I could die...

WARNING: This post contains the most delicious pie you have ever seen. Whether you have dietary restrictions or not, you will love this pie! It is Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free and Egg Free.

I love to watch cooking shows. I thought that was one of many things that would change with all the new dietary restrictions I have. A few of my favorite are MasterChef, Top Chef, MasterChef Junior, and The Chew. I love to learn new cooking terms like Sous-vide, Flambé, and Mirepoix. They are so fun to say and I feel so fancy. Haha


I was watching Master Chef the other day and they all had to make Blueberry pie. That started it. I had to try my hand at pie. It is so hard to watch those shows sometimes and not be able to use 1/2 the ingredients that they use. I was now a girl on a mission. I looked all over the web for a good dairy free, egg free, gluten free, butter free pie crust. NOTHING! Nothing that had only the ingredients that I wanted to use. So I came up with my own.





I did a flax/chia seed crust using coconut oil first. While it was tasty and hit the spot. I did not like the black chia seed look. Pie crust should be blond. I also used a whole berry medley that had strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I didn't like the bulky texture or flavor of the strawberries, but really enjoyed the flavor of the blueberries and raspberries best. So on the next try I decided to just use blueberries and raspberries. Good choice! I took the 2nd try camping with me and it was a hit. I decided it was actually good enough to share. 

Blue-Raspberry Pie with Coconut Flax Crust



Pie Crust Ingredients:

* 1 cup raw Cashew Pieces
* 1/2 cup milled flax seeds
* 1/2 cup unsweeted shredded coconut
* about 1/4 cup melted coconut manna (you can use coconut oil if you prefer)
* 3 packets Monk Fruit in the Raw Sweetener. (Can use Stevia or whatever sweetener you prefer) 
UPDATE: Add Sugar to taste for the berries. It may not be sweet enough with only 3 packets. 
* Pinch of salt
* Warm Water


1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

The Cashews are crumbly and done!

2. Put your cashews into a food processor and mill them until they are crumbly. You will be able to form them into a ball when they are ready. This will help the crust hold together. 
















2. Combine all your dry ingredients. I just do this in the glass Pyrex dish that I bake it in. No need to dirty an extra dish. 

3. Melt your coconut Manna (or coconut oil.) I do this by putting the entire jar into a plastic container that is just a little larger than the jar. I put it in the sink and allow the hot water to run on it for about 5-10 minutes as I am preparing everything else. 

4. Add the Coconut Manna to the dry ingredients. It will not coat everything and will still be pretty dry. I then just add water and work it with my hands until it is a perfect texture consistency to press into the pan. ( I just take a little warm water in my hand and work the crust.) At this point you have to taste the crust. It is REALLY GOOD. It is surprisingly buttery tasting. 

Pie Filling Ingredients:

* 1- 1/2 (12 oz. package) Frozen Red Raspberries

* 1- 1/2 (12 oz. package) Frozen Blueberries

* 4 packets Monk Fruit in the Raw.
You can use more if you like yours sweeter, but I have found that this is sweet enough for me with the crust.











1. Combine the berries and the Monk Fruit in a bowl. Stir well as to coat the berries with the monk fruit. Isn't this a beautiful picture? Those berries are so pretty. 












2. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the center of the fruit is hot.


I keep the pie in the fridge after it cools. I do not eat it hot, but prefer it cold. Because I do not use gelatin, it is quite runny just out of the oven. I have not tried slicing it either because honestly, I just ate it right out of the glass pie plate. Haha. Grab a fork and everyone dig in! We're all family, right? 

Enjoy this ridiculously good pie! Let me know what variations you come up with. I would love your feedback! Thanks for stopping by!

My Guilt-Free Guilty Pleasure!

I have a problem. I am seriously addicted to Red Delicious Apples and Almond Butter! I am salivating now just thinking about that cinnamon apple goodness!


I just can't get enough. With the Anti-inflammatory protocol I follow it is 100% legal. Apples are a great fruit to eat when you are trying to regulate your blood sugar. They are low on the Glycemic Index but still fulfill that need for sweet. I cannot eat have any sweeteners (natural or artificial) so apples have been a lifesaver for me. 

1 Medium Apple is 38
Cashews are 22
Almonds are 0-15 (I found varying numbers from different sources.)

GI's of 55 or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. I think it is really that eating a cup of white rice has the same GI as eating 1 tablespoon of sugar. There are so many things I never knew about before I started this journey. 

Read More about the Glycemic Index Here

I make my own Almond/Cashew Cinnamon Butter

I do it myself so that I can control exactly what is in my Almond butter. I use Raw Almonds. 

Winco is great. I always go to their bulk section for nuts. The Almonds are usually around $6.99 a pound and the cashews are $2.99 a pound. 

Not too shabby as far as nuts are concerned. 
I love The Spice Hunter spices. They are usually pretty straight forward without a lot of additives. 

I keep my nuts in the freezer to keep them from going rancid. Nuts are so expensive, I do not want them going bad!

Step 1: Put your Almonds, Cashews and Cinnamon in the Food Processor. 


I have a cheap Black and Decker Food Processor. It works great. No fancy gadget needed. 

Step 2: Pulse a couple times to get things going then turn on full blast. 





After about 5 minutes it will be chunky little pieces. Use a rubber scraper to pull the sides down. 








The Almond Butter is done when it reaches a creamy consistency. It can take up to 20 minutes of processing before it reaches this point. I like mine a little chunkier and not too smooth. If I am being honest, I almost can't wait long enough for it to get super smooth so I take it chunky! 


Step 3: Cut your apple into wedges. Dip the apple into the Almond Butter and Enjoy. These remind me of Apple Pie! Sooooooooooooo Good! 



You can make any variation of this Almond butter. You can hold the cashews or cinnamon. You can make just a cashew butter. I wonder what it would be like with Cayenne Pepper or a Pumpkin Pie Spice. Get creative.

I have never seen a pistachio butter. I wonder if this is because pistachio nuts are SO expensive. I will have to try it out. I will let you know how it turns out when I do.