PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE BANANA DREAM PIE

As you might have noticed, last Saturday was March 14, 2015. That means it was Pi Day! (3.1415926 if you count the time.) That only happens once every 100 years and it also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday. So, naturally my friends and I had a huge pie potluck on Saturday night to celebrate, and it was a great success if I do say so myself. We had a vegan sweet potato lentil shepherd’s pie, 2 different kinds of Thai pot pie, 2 kinds of pizza, a jalapeño popper pie, a Frito pie, a Boston cream pie, an apple pie, a key lime pie, and plenty of champagne. This raw vegan banana cream pie was my contribution, (and I apologize for the bad photograph, but it’s hard to have a proper photoshoot with guests around.)

I hope you had a fun Pi day as well!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Dream Pie

Makes 1 9″ Pie

Crust:

1/2 cup cacao, ground

1 big cup of raw nuts, I used almonds

9 pitted dates, soaked in warm water for 1 hour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil

a dash of salt

Filling:

1 cup raw almond butter

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave

1 dash salt

1 and 1/2 bananas

1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 5 hours

1/3 cup coconut cream (refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk over night, then scoop out the thick white cream, reserving the clear liquid for another use.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

juice of 1 lemon (mine was not very juicy, you might only need half, taste after the first half to check)

1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave)

a dash of salt

a tiny pinch of cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 banana, thinly sliced

1 can of coconut cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave

1/2 banana, thinly sliced

1 recipe for magic shell chocolate sauce

Start by combining all the crust ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until a ‘dough’ forms. Press this into the bottom of a pie pan and stick it in the freezer.

Combine the almond butter, maple syrup and salt, and beat with a fork until combined. Spread this on the crust layer and refreeze.

Next, blend all of the remaining filling ingredients together, pour this onto the crust, put back in the freezer.

Wait 1 hour or up to a week for the banana filling to freeze.

Then, scoop the thick creamy part of the coconut milk out of the can, reserving the clear liquid for another use. Put it in the bowl of your stand mixer, or use some good old fashioned elbow grease and beat it by hand with a big fork. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and beat until combined and fluffy.

Take the pie out of the freezer and pipe (or just scoop) the coconut cream on top. I used a $5 pastry bag from the store. Lay the banana slices in a circle around the pie. Put the pie in the fridge while you make the magic shell chocolate.

Drizzle the chocolate over the pie. Keep it in the fridge. I like to serve it after it’s been taken out of the freezer and thawed about 1 hour in the fridge. It depends on how soft you like the filling, but this gives a firm cheesecake consistency.

You could always sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top, or add some instant coffee to the crust. It may take some time but this is easy as pie!