Raw Apple Pie

What’s more American than apple pie? The Fourth of July calls for every “All-American” treat we can muster – and apple pie is one of them. This year, instead of ending the holiday with pie, here’s a healthy recipe that allows you to begin the holiday with pie! And it’s not necessarily what you’d expect.

No-bake, no-cook, and no-dehydrator-required! The only requirement I had for this apple pie was it to be totally cinnamon-y, gooey and sweet! This pie might not look that traditional, but is it delicious! It’s practically just as sweet as the baked stuff, but is simply perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Nuts and oats make up a hearty, filling crust, while the sweet apples are folded into this delicious caramel sauce:

With a bit more cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, this caramel transforms into a sweet apple pie filling. It’s hard to believe how tasty this pie was with what it is made of. There is nothing but whole, beneficial foods in this recipe!

One of the best benefits – there’s no high maintenance crust to deal with and not a ton of ingredients. No baking means the fresh, raw enzymes in these ingredients are fully intact. Simple, healthy and totally raw has never been so rewarding. You can eat this pie guilt-free for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Raw Apple Pie (vegan, raw and gluten-free)
Print Recipe

Crust:
7 Dates, soaked in just enough water to cover for at least 1 hour
1 1/3 cups Raw Walnuts, soaked for 5-6 hours
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Natural Butter Extract, optional but recommended!
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
21/4 cups Oats or GF Oats

Apples:
5 Large Apples (mix of sweet and tart)
1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Cinnamon Caramel Filling:
10 Dates, soaked in just enough water to cover for 1 hour
2 Tablespoons Coconut Butter
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
2/3 cup Raw Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
3-4 Tablespoons Date Water

Directions:

Soak nuts and dates and reserve date water.

Peel and slice apples. Slice 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices, so they will soak up a lot of the moisture and get nice and soft. Alternately, you could throw them in the food processor and chop into small pieces, but these rough chopped pieces do not yield a true apple pie appearance. Squeeze lemon juice over them, stir to coat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine all the filling ingredients and mix until totally smooth, at least 5 minutes. Add a bit more date water as needed, but this mixture should be a thick caramel looking sauce. Pour this over the apples and mix to fully coat.

Without cleaning out the food processor, add the 7 soaked dates and pulse until crumbly. Add the walnuts, salt and butter extract. Pulse until just mixed. Add the maple syrup and oats and pulse until combined, but not over mixed so the walnuts release their oils and become buttery. The crust should be smooth, but damp enough to hold together. Add a bit more oats to reach the right consistency if needed.  Dump the mixture into the bottom of the pie dish, reserving 1/4 cup for later. Firmly press the mixture to the base of an 8-inch pie pan.

Next, pour the caramel apple filling to the crust. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup of crust over  pie. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired. Cut into the pie and enjoy! Keep pie covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pie becomes more soft and moist after the first day.