Raw Apple Pie

 
I want to shout it from the rooftop.  I want everyone to know how delicious and easy to make this decadent vegan apple pie is. Not only does this apple pie not have an ounce of cholesterol or cruelty, it's also raw.  Yes, a raw vegan Apple Pie!

I'm writing this with the memory of the lovely pie still on my taste buds.  Maxx and I just finished the last slice.  I'm surprised that it lasted so long; a whole 4 days!  While this pie, being so healthy, is guilt-free, I still prefer to enjoy my desserts slowly, savoring every morsel.


 I shot a video of myself making the pie...but it didn't turn out as well as I would have liked (I shot it by myself with 2 cameras...).  Basically that's unfortunate news because I don't have time to reshoot until the weekend.  It's good news because I've got a fantastic excuse to pick up more apples from the Green Market and make this pie again!  Why not make raw apple pie a staple of my diet?  Apples are at their peak; and their nutritional value is preserved when eaten raw as opposed to baked in a pie.  When made with love, this pie is not only delicious, but it makes you feel really good too.
 

Raw Apple Pie

(This recipe was inspired by Susan of Rawmazing.  I hope to try her version of the pie also, but I wanted to create my own version that doesn't require a dehydrator, making it more accessible.  I saved the skin from my apples and dehydrated it after marinating it in the left over marinade from the sliced apples.  I highly recommend this! In the photos the pie is garnished with mint, dry cranberries and the dehydrated apple skins.)  

Filling:

3 apples, peeled & cored

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp sprouted oat flour (or old fashioned oats ground into a flour)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

dash sea salt 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

Thinly slice 2 of the apples lengthwise creating very thin strips.  Place the strips in a large bowl and toss with 1 1/2 tbsp of the lemon juice, oat flour,  pumpkin pie spice, salt and maple syrup.  Toss well to coat; careful to not break the apple strips.  Pour the remaining lemon juice onto the third apple, to keep it from oxidizing and turning brown.  You will be pureeing this apple after you've made the crust. 

To puree, dice apple and place in food processor with a dash of pumpkin pie spice.  Blend until a chunky apple sauce consistency is reached. 

Crust:

2 cups walnuts, soaked & dehydrated if possible

10 pitted dates, chopped

dash sea salt

2 tbsp oat flour

In a food processor add walnuts and blend until they're all crumbled, about 10 seconds.  Add chopped dates and pulse to combine.  Remove the lid and scoop out about two tablespoons of the mixture.  With your hand form it into a ball, if it sticks together without crumbling apart then the crust is ready.  If it crumbles, place it back into the processor, add a teaspoon of maple syrup or another date, and pulse again.  

Lightly cover the bottom of your pie plate with oat flour to prevent the crust from sticking too much.  Remove the crust mixture from the food processor, form it into a large ball and place the ball in the center of the pie plate.  Flatten the ball in the plate, covering the bottom as well as the edges to create the pie crust. 

Pie assembly:

Now that your crust is ready, spread the pureed apple onto the bottom of the crust.  Layer the sliced apples on top of the puree creating a spiral of apples.  Start near the edge of the crust and work your way around and into the center so that all of the apples have been laid into the crust.  

Enjoy immediately or allow the pie to sit for a couple of hours.  The latter is recommended because the filling will have a chance to soften and take on the flavors of the spices even more; that is, if you can wait.  If you have a dehydrator, place the pie in the dehydrator at 105° for 2 hours then enjoy!