While I love traditional desserts, saturated with cream, butter, and sugar, I occasionally like to try a raw dessert, free of refined sugar. It’s nice to be able to have guilt-free seconds while escaping a sugar crash.
I saw this recipe on a food blog seven years ago and for some reason it stuck in my mind. This is likely because it was one of the first instances I heard the term “raw dessert,” and I was intrigued by the concept. I finally tried the recipe this week, for my daughter’s first birthday. She ate a lot of strawberries and sauce and I was glad I had made something she liked, especially knowing that it was healthy, too! The crust of the dessert was rich and nutty, while the filling was juicy and refreshing.
Raw Strawberry Pie
Adapted from Raw Strawberry Pie from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau via Happy Foody
- Yield: 8 slices
- Active Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 2 cups raw pecans
- ¾ cup pitted Medjool dates
- Filling:
- 5 cups sliced ripe strawberries
- 5 pitted dates, soaked 10 minutes in water and drained
- juice of ½ a lemon
Method
- Place pecans in a food processor and grind until a coarse meal.
- Add ¾ cup of dates and process until thoroughly combined.
- Press the mixture into a lightly oiled pie plate. To achieve a pretty crust, don’t press the top edge down. Let it stay loose and crumbly.
- Arrange 4 cups of the sliced strawberries on top of the crust and set aside.
- In the food processor, combine the remaining 1 cup of strawberries with the soaked dates and lemon juice. Purée until smooth. Ladle the strawberry sauce mixture over the sliced strawberries.
- Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken, making it easier to slice.
