Raw Strawberry Pie

I've been wanting to expand on our raw food experiments for a few weeks, but I just haven't had the time, energy, or reason to really get into making some new things. I figured our family party for Mother's Day provided me the perfect opportunity to try out a raw dessert. So I decided to make a raw strawberry pie from Gone Raw. My friend, Lina, made this a few weeks ago and brought some into work, so I knew it was good. It ended up being so easy to make, too! Yes, there is some pre-planning (soaking the cashews) and down time (letting the crust and pie set up in the freezer), but aside from that, this was super quick and easy to make! It went over very well at my family party, too! This is definitely a keeper recipe! I can't wait to try out some other raw desserts!

Picture to come later... I'll warn you its not the best picture b/c I took it when it was still frozen, but you will at least be able to get the idea.

Raw Strawberry Pie

Crust:
2 cups almonds or pecans (I used 1 cup of each)
1/2-1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or half of a vanilla bean
4-5 medjool dates, pitted
pinch of sea salt

Filling:
2 cups cashews soaked 1-2 hours
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4-1/2 cup agave or honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
3/4 cup fresh strawberries
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Topping:
1-2 cups sliced strawberries

To make the crust, place almonds or pecans in food processor and process with the S blade until crumbled. Add coconut oil, sea salt and vanilla and pulse a couple of times. Add the dates last, one at a time and pulse until the crust holds together when you squeeze it between your fingertips. If the crust does not hold, add more dates (again one at a time). Press into oiled (with coconut oil) tart or pie pan. Chill in Freezer for 30 minutes before adding filling.

To make the filling, blend all ingredients well in a Vitamix blender if you have one (I used my food processor). Pour part of the filling into the pie crust, just enough to cover the bottom. Take some of the strawberries you cut up for the topping and scatter them on top of the filling. Pour the rest of the filling on top and place in freezer for 1-2 hours until firm. Decorate with the rest of your cut up strawberries.

This pie needs to stay refrigerated to keep its firmness so make sure you keep in cold up until serving. I put mine in the freezer overnight and the just kept it in the fridge (or in the cooler when we were on the road) in the morning.