Creamy, Dreamy Pistachio Pie

I started working on veganizing this layered pudding dessert years ago. The original recipe was a very un-vegan creation starring a shortbread pecan crust, cream cheese and whipped topping, Jell-O instant pistachio pudding and more whipped topping piled on top. My family always used to eat it on St. Patrick’s Day, and it has been one tradition I really didn’t want to give up. My attempts (up to now) to make it vegan were all catastrophic failures. Never mind the fact that it was full of processed, refined food products and sugar, the pudding layer was absolutely impossible. Jell-O pudding does not work with any non-dairy milk I have ever tried. And just so you know, adding xanthan gum to instant pudding and non-dairy milk makes a viscous, inedible mess. Don’t try it. This story does have a happy ending! This year I completely departed from the original recipe and recreated it from the ground up using healthful, plant-based ingredients.

Don’t be scared because this dessert contains whole grains, several different kinds of nuts and is sweetened with just a touch of raw agave syrup because you won’t know it when you try it. It tastes absolutely sinful. Just don’t ask me about the fat content. Hey, it’s a dessert. Something’s gotta give!

Three things are rather necessary (but not deal breakers) in order to create this dessert successfully. 1) A Vitamix blender. You will be able to get away with using a food processor, but your pudding layer might be a little grainy. Like I said, not a deal breaker. 2) Really good vegan cream cheese. You should be able to eat it right out of the container and not be able to tell that it is vegan. I have recently discovered that Trader Joe’s makes one that fits this requirement. 3) Canned coconut cream that has been in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Once again, Trader Joe’s is a great place to find this. (I buy several cans at a time and store them in the fridge so I can make whipped cream at a moment’s notice). If you can only find full fat coconut milk, put 4 cans in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to prepare the recipe, use the solid cream scooped off the top of the liquid.

Before starting this recipe, soak 2 cups of cashews in filtered water for 4 hours. Drain and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them (no longer than one day).

I submitted this recipe to the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck.

Creamy, Dreamy Pistachio Pie

Crust

½ cup whole grain spelt flour

¼ cup raw pecans, finely chopped

¼ cup softened vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)

1 tablespoon raw agave nectar

1. Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Lightly coat a 9” pie pan with non-stick spray.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl.

3. Using a rubber spatula, spread the mixture into the prepared pan. The dough will be rather soft and sticky, but don’t worry. Just spread it as evenly as you can across the bottom of the pan.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Layer

8 ounces vegan cream cheese

2 tablespoons raw agave nectar

1 cup refrigerated coconut cream

1. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and agave together until smooth and fluffy
2. Add the coconut cream. Mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until very fluffy. Scrape the sides down as needed.
3. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator while you are preparing the pudding layer.

Pudding Layer

3 tablespoons raw agave nectar

1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

¾ cup non-dairy milk

2 cups cashews, that have been soaked for 4 hours

6-8 drops natural green food coloring (Adding 2-3 fresh baby spinach leaves instead also works for a nice green color)

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend on high speed until silky smooth.

2. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 14 ounce can refrigerated coconut cream

1 tablespoon raw agave nectar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer, on the highest setting. It should form a thick whipped topping fairly quickly (1-2 minutes). Be careful not to overmix, as the heat from the mixer may cause the coconut cream to melt.
2. Spread the whipped topping over the pie.

To finish the dessert, sprinkle ¼ cup finely chopped pistachios over the whipped cream. Refrigerate the pie overnight to give the pudding layer time to set. Slice and enjoy!

Tags: desserts, Food, plant based, recipes, St. Patrick's Day, vegan, vegetarian