Cuckoo For Raw Gluten-free Coconut Pie Crust

Gluten-Free Raw Berry Blueberry Pudding and Pie Filling

Carrie at Ginger Lemon Girl posted pictures on Facebook for her Gluten Free Raw Berry Blueberry Pudding and Pie Filling. There were lots of comments on the pictures asking for the recipe so she posted it on her blog a few days later.  There was no real cooking involved in this other than heating some water.  I was trying to wait for her to post her recipe for the raw almond pie crust she used, but after my husband’s strong dislike reaction to the Raw Almond Cream I made (an adaptation of Raw Cashew Cream from Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free) I figured I needed to make it out of something he loves.  Coconut!

I did make a few changes to the pudding and pie filling from Carrie’s original recipe.  I couldn’t get my hands on chia seeds in town and the place that I order from online was sold out.  Go figure.  Flax seeds are pretty good at turning things gelatinous, too, so I used those in place of the chia seeds.  I also used more blueberries than strawberries simply because that’s what I had.  Last, I used raw local honey as my sweetener because agave nectar isn’t a whole food.  It’s extracted from the agave plant the same way high fructose corn syrup is extracted from corn.

The middle was more like soft pudding about 5 hours after chilling.

We had the pie about 5 hours after I made it and put it in the refrigerator.  The sides were firm, but the middle was soft and spilled out as soon at I dished it out.  My husband wasn’t so keen on that part of it, but he loved the crust and even started a, “You know what would be killer?” conversation.  Yes, he was envisioning a pina-colada style pie.

Gluten Free Raw Berry Blueberry Pie with Almond Cream

I chose to add a big dollop of the Raw Almond Cream to my piece of pie.  As you can see, it buckled under the weight of the cream, which is pretty dense.  Sure it fell apart, but it was still good.  I figured I’d try it again the next day to see if it held up any better after being chilled longer.  More than 24 hours later, it was just as firm as Carrie’s.  Next time I make it, I either need to make sure I have chia seeds or I need to use more flax seeds.  Or even make sure the flax seeds gel more before I blend everything together.

Perfection!

I think I need to cut a piece for a snack when I finish this post.

I went with what I knew about making nut crusts and graham cracker crusts when I decided to make the crust not really knowing how well it would turn out.  My husband was a bit shocked when he asked where I got the recipe and I told him I made it up.  Score one for me!

Raw Gluten-free Coconut Pie Crust – yields 1 8″ pie crust

2 cups shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4-1 cup coconut cream

Mix together shredded coconut and coconut flour in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in the coconut cream with a pastry blender or two knives until coarse crumbs form.  Press into an 8″ pie plate and refrigerate while you prepare your pie filling.