This dessert is one of those raw foodie dishes, but the original recipe allowed as how it could be baked. That should comfort one’s more conventional dining guests. I’ve fiddled but only a little with how it’s put together.
This pie has no gluten and no dairy with low added sugar and no added oil outside of greasing the pie plate. Speaking of fat, making the crust from chopped nuts, with dried fruit as the binder, adds a satisfying richness.
Some folks at the table may be concerned that the pie is a deeper orange than conventional recipes. That’s from the dates. Baking doesn’t darken the color.
Crust
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cups dates
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2-4 Tablespoons maple syrup
- Vegan shortening
Filling
- 1 cup dates, pitted
- 2 15 oz. cans plain pumpkin
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-4 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (see Notes)
- 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch, optional
A food processor is needed or else a sturdy blender. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Grease pie plate with vegan shortening.
Using regular chopping blade, process almonds, cashews and salt into a rough flour, under 2 minutes. Add 1 cup dates and raisins and chop 1 minute. Add 2 Tablespoons maple syrup and process until mixture sticks together. Up to 2 more Tablespoons syrup may be needed.
Press crust mixture into pie plate with fingers, with an even bottom then all the way up the sides to the rim, because there’s a lot of filling. It should be about 1/4-inch thick throughout. The crust can be made in advance and refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature for ease of pressing out the crust.
For filling, process its cup of dates into fine bits then add all the other ingredients (crumble up the brown sugar first), but not the cornstarch (see note about spice). Cooking does not thicken the filling so if pumpkin from the can is too watery, mix in optional cornstarch to create thick pudding consistency.
Spoon and smooth filling into crust to a rounded, not flat, top. There still might be too much filling, so reserve the extra for other uses.
Bake pie for 20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
- The tinned pumpkin is pure pumpkin, no other ingredients. Do not use “pumpkin pie filling.”
- Agave or corn syrup can be substituted for the maple in the crust, but the flavor will be muted. Maple syrup originally was in the filling, but it sometimes made it too wet — different brands of pumpkin puree have varying moisture content.
- The pie can be served raw; neither the crust nor the filling need cooking.
- If using homemade or very fresh premade pumpkin pie spice blend, use 2 Tablespoons. Otherwise use 3 or 4 Tablespoons. Check intensity by tasting the filling once added in.
- Carla Hall’s Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice blend (this recipe is at several Web sites but uncredited): 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Combine. If any of these are whole, then grind everything together to combine. Makes about 1/4 cup.
- If there’s too much filling, use the extra as in smoothies, pancakes or muffins, or add to hot porridge such as oatmeal.
Adapted from the recipe of Heather Artripe, community outreach coordinator of Ozark Natural Foods, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
