Vegan Coconut Cream Pie (Gluten Free)

Whenever my parents come to visit Logan and I go into full on tidy / cleaning mode. My dad is a bit of a neat freak and is very observant. It's a gift and a curse. I’m less observant. No, scratch that. I pretty much experience life as an impressionist painting, with no hard lines. For example, when I walk into a party I more feel the energy of the room. I might not notice the dust on the windowsill. Or the color of the curtains. I'm more interested in connecting with people. I want to get deep into conversation,  dance around, belly laugh. All my ENFP's hola back. So getting my place “ship shape” (as dad would say) has always been a challenge. One that — so far — has resulted in my total freak-out-meltdown on the morning that they’re coming into town. Including the cries. Including the temper-tantrum. Including the trying-to-blame-other-people-for-my-mess.

But no more, my friends. I’m done with that. I figured out — with Logan’s help — that I’m golden if I 1. very simply plan out when I’m going to clean, and 2. ask for help. No stress. It helps that our house is more organized than it used to be, too. I can manage the mess when I know where everything goes.

I’m proud to say that were NO meltdowns this past weekend. In fact I even had time to make a coconut cream pie! My papa freaking LOVES coconut. More than me, probably. And yo me and coconut are practically in a relationship. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, my friends.

Vegan Coconut Cream Pie

This vegan coconut cream pie is everything I dream of in a coconut confection. It’s silky, pure coconut flavor with dreamy overtones of vanilla. The filling is creamy and decadent. Sticky medjool dates round out the light flavors with brown-sugar-like depth. The crust is oat and pistachio, sweetened with maple syrup. It’s lightly sweet and dense, like biscotti.

Best of all, it’s easy. Both the crust and the filling come together in the blender (or food processor). You bake the crust, spoon in the filling, and pop it in the freezer. Top it with toasted coconut and voila. A (totally healthy) rad treat.

It should be noted that I also made this pie out of frustration. I couldn't find a reliable, delicious, healthy vegan coconut cream pie on the internets. And that, my friends, is like a bat-signal. The absence of information on the web is like a beacon in the sky saying please god someone make this thing. So I did!

Be careful. You’re friends and fam might keep asking for it again and again (mine already are). Ye be warned.

Vegan Coconut Cream Pie (Gluten Free)

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Renee Shuman (Will Frolic for Food)

Prep time: 8 hours 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 8 hours 50 mins

Serves: 12 servings

A classic, simple, silky coconut cream pie -- made without eggs! Note: you can boil the cashews to soften them, as directed in the recipe. OR you can soak them overnight. It's up to you!

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1/3 cup roasted unsalted pistachio nutmeats
• 1/4 cup coconut chips or flakes
• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• pinch sea salt
• Filling
• 1.5 cups cashews
• water
• 2 cups coconut cream (skimmed from the top of 2 13.5 oz cans chilled coconut milk)
• 10-12 fresh medjool dates, pitted (depending on preferred sweetness)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• coconut chips, toasted

Instructions

For the crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 9" tart pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a high powered blender OR a food processor fitted with an S blade: combine the pistachio nutmeats, coconut, and oats.
3. Grind until you have a semi-fine flour blend.
4. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, and sea salt. Blend until the mix comes together as a malleable dough.
5. Scrape the dough out into your tart pan. Fold in any flour in the blender / food processor that might not have incorporated.
6. Press the dough into the tart pan evenly, pressing it up the sides of the pan to create your crust edges. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork.
7. [i]If you're working in a very warm environment (over 80F) you might want to set the crust in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm it up before baking.[/i]
8. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden at the edges.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

For the filling

1. Add the cashews to a small sauce pot and add enough water to cover.
2. Simmer the cashews for 20 minutes, until soft enough to easily cut with the edge of a fork.
3. Drain the cashews, discarding the water.
4. Add the softened cashews to the bowl of a high powered blender (or food processor). Add also the coconut cream, dates, vanilla, and coconut oil. Blend on high until the coconut cream filling is totally creamy and emulsified. You may still see some tiny specks of date.
5. Spoon the filling into the (cooled) pie crust.
6. Set the pie in the freezer and freeze for 6-8 hours up to overnight, until the filling is firm. If freezing overnight you may want to wrap your pie in cellophane to protect it from ambient scents, which will affect the flavor.
7. To serve, let thaw 5 minutes. Top with toasted coconut. Eat immediately.

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