Pumpkin-credible No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Cinnamon, Spice, & Everything Nice

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Leaves crunching under foot, vibrant hues of burnt orange and bright yellow line the streets and storefront windows, hats, gloves and scarves come out of hiding, and the scent of pumpkin and cinnamon spice fills every Starbucks, Bath & Bodyworks, and crowded kitchen. The days are getting shorter, the weather is chilly, and it's time to begin thinking about holiday plans. 

As you begin to get invitations from friends, family, and co-workers, the stress that comes with planning, indulging, and dealing with the aftermath starts to set in. Fear not! I've got the perfect recipe to wow your loved ones with--and it's healthier and easier to make than the classic fall favorite--pumpkin pie.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  Albert Camus

Fall In Love WIth Whole Foods

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Traditional pumpkin pie is made with refined sugar and white flour, both of which cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and are void of any fiber. Two other essential ingredients in the classic version are egg and cream, which are high in unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Removing the animal products from your diet can cut down on your risk for Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Let's look at some plant-based upgrades!

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Replacing your pie crust ingredients with nuts and coconut will cut down on saturated fat and give you more heart-healthy, unsaturated fat, and eliminates cholesterol all together. Dates and raisins are fantastic unrefined sweeteners that are packed with fiber, to help stabilize blood sugar. By ditching the unnecessary animal products in the filling, you can amp up the nutrient content by including more whole foods--namely, bananas, dates, and nut milk, and of course, fresh (not canned) pumpkin!

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Pumpkin-credible No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Spice up your holiday season with this crowd-pleasing twist on a fall favorite! Raw foods are full of living enzymes and void of chemicals, fillers, and other processed junk that mucks up our insides. This creamy, smooth, raw vegan pumpkin pie tastes even better than the original, and it's better for you! Indulge in a little slice of whole food heaven and leave your stomach-ache at the door! 

raw vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined-sugar-free, cholesterol-free, pumpkin-credible!

time: 20 min // serves: 8-10

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ingredients crust

• 10-12 pitted Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup raw, unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

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ingredients filling

• 4 cups chopped pie pumpkin (peeled & seeded)
• 10-12 pitted Medjool dates
• 1 ripe, speckled banana
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup raw, unsweetened coconut flakes (save for topping)

method

1. Place all crust ingredients in a food processor and process about 1 minute, or until a crumbly texture is achieved.  
2. Press crust firmly into the bottom and along sides of a 9" pie pan and place in the refrigerator to chill and firm up.
3.  Place all filling ingredients (except coconut flakes), into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy texture is achieved.
4. Using a spatula, pour filling into crust and smooth top. Dust with remaining coconut flakes and place back in the refrigerator for an hour or so to chill and firm up. Slice in and enjoy with family and friends!

note

• In my YouTube video, I use 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. I halved the ingredients on the blog--I recommend going easy on the spices and giving the filling a taste test. Blend in more spices accordingly.

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A Slice of Fall Fashion

Fall means it's time to break out the boots, hats, scarves, and gloves and warm up with hues of navy, bronze, burgundy, and accents of gold. The evenings are getting chilly, and the morning frost has me running back inside to throw on a jacket, but I'm loving the 70-degree, sunny afternoons that leave the option for showing a little leg. Haha! 

Below is one of my go-to autumn afternoon picks: A long-sleeved, navy-striped cotton dress with a skinny gold belt, accompanied by a floppy brown hat that I snagged on my last trip to New York, and a pair of tan zip booties.

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Maybe I'm biased, but Dusty always looks good in his work clothes, so I couldn't help but snap a photo of him taking the first bite of the pie--after all, I made it for him! A washed out chambray button-up, a broken-in pair of faded navy pants, and scuffed up biker boots are the status quo for this hunk! P.S. I've got him convinced to keep growing his hair out, and I'm eagerly awaiting the first man-bun...which I'm sure I'll be forcing him into letting me try out on him! (I'll be sure to snap a pic when I do!)

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SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

Any way you slice it, this pie is pumpkin-credible! I hope that you enjoy this better-tasting, healthier version of a fall classic with family and friends. Finish the year strong by adding some spice to your life--step outside of your comfort zone, say yes, jump in, and try new things!

Don't forget to subscribe to my monthly motivational In The Raw newsletter at the bottom of the website to stay up-to-date! Be sure to check out the EatMoveRest YouTube channel to watch me whip up this delicious recipe! Leave me a comment to let me know how your no-bake pumpkin pie turns out! Share your photos on Instagram with #EatMoveRest.

As Seen On YouTube

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For more seasonal recipes, check out these tasty blog posts:

Designed For Your Lifestyle,

Erin 

Raw Vegan Rainbow Glow Fruit Pizza: Dessert Upgrade 2.0

Homemade Upgrades

We all love dessert, and contrary to popular belief, you don't have to go without it when switching to a plant-based diet. If you're wanting to improve your lifestyle, it's all about making upgrades--from the foods you eat, to the way you move your body, to the quality of rest that you get. When you cut something bad out, replace it with something good. For example, eliminating dairy milk might mean replacing it with almond milk. Chemical-laden moisturizers might get tossed out and replaced with coconut oil. You might opt to unplug your devices at bed time and read a book instead. You get the idea!

Dessert Upgrade 2.0 Features

1. This is by far my favorite dessert--raw vegan or not! You will be shocked and delighted at how good it tastes!
2. It's not as daunting of a recipe as you may think. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it was to whip up! Making your own fruit art design is the best part! ;)
3. This crowd-pleaser is the perfect Memorial Day Weekend dessert to bring to any social gathering!

Dessert Upgrade 2.0 Bug Fixes

• For this recipe, the typical refined-sugar, cookie crust is replaced with a naturally sweet, date and pecan combination.
• The dairy-based cream cheese is replaced with a decadent, cashew cream. 
• The one thing that doesn't need replacing is, of course, the fruit! You obviously still won't want to eat the entire pizza in one sitting, but your body is likely to be a lot happier with you after indulging in this not-so-guilty pleasure!

A Classic Disaster

Growing up I didn't really have any interest in helping out in the kitchen, in fact, I loathed it. I'm not sure what happened, but having your own food blog might possibly mean that you spend more time in your kitchen than you do sleeping in your bed. Apart from my extreme aversion to anything domestic in the kitchen, there was always one exception to my disinterest--fruit pizza! I always loved buying the tube of cookie dough (and inevitably eating a fair share of it raw), topping it with a sweet, cream cheese frosting, and the best part--decorating it with every variety and color of fruit imaginable! It was the best thing ever. Ever. Like, eat half now, okay, fine, I'll eat the rest now, too. 

Enter: indigestion and remorse.

...and who likes acne, weight gain, bloating, and an upset stomach? The list goes on... 

Does anybody else get frustrated that the best-tasting foods have to be some of the most disastrous to our bodies?! Well, it doesn't have to be that way!

Live To Eat + Eat To Live

Fast forward to present.

Suffice it to say, over the past few years, I've learned a thing or two about eating clean. There are people who eat to live and others who live to eat--I'm the latter. I eat a lot, and I needed to find a way to eat a lot without making myself sick. Switching to a plant-based, mostly raw food, lifestyle has allowed me to enjoy as much food as I care to eat while maintaining a heathy body weight, clearer skin, and better digestion. What's not to love? Plants are your friend!

Two of my favorite things about eating plant-based are:

1. Pushing the envelope in regards to creativity in the kitchen.
2. Feeling no remorse after a meal.

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Raw Vegan Rainbow Glow Fruit Pizza

raw vegan, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, guilt-free!

Who says you have to compromise taste to make a healthy dessert?! This heavenly fruit pizza is anything but a guilty pleasure and will be sure to appeal to just about anyone--vegan or not! A creamy, decadent cashew cream sits atop a sweet, crumbly date and pecan crust that makes the perfect palette for creating your own rainbow fruit art design on top. The more colors, the better!

Ingredients:

for the crust:

• 2-3 cups raw pecans (almonds and walnuts work great, too!)
• 15-20 pitted medjool dates

1. Add nuts of choice to food processor and pulse until a fine meal is formed.
2. Make sure pits are removed from dates and add a few at a time while food processor is running. 
3. Continue adding dates until sticky, gooey consistency is achieved. More dates may be needed depending on the size of them. 
4. Press crust firmly into bottom of a spring form or pie tin in one even layer. 

* Note: You may want to cut a round piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of your spring form to keep the pie crust from sticking.

for the cashew cream frosting:

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract

1. Place all cashew cream frosting ingredients, except water, into blender. With blender on low, start to blend gradually, adding water until thick, cream cheese-like spread forms, and cashews have become creamy.
2. Spread frosting over crust. If less is desired, save some as a fruit dip in a tupperware in the refrigerator.

fruit toppings:

• strawberries, oranges, mangos, kiwis, blackberries, raspberries, etc.

1. Slice fruit into desired shapes and sizes and create design by pressing gently onto frosting.
2. Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.
3. Freeze any leftovers and enjoy for a few weeks!

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Upgrade Your Life!

Keep striving to make upgrades to your lifestyle--namely--the foods you eat, the way you move your body, and the quality of rest that you get! Don't bite off more than you can chew, literally--sustainable change takes baby steps. The momentum will build, and before you know it your upgrades will become habits--second nature--a lifestyle--and it will begin to come naturally to you! Be patient, enjoy the process, and give yourself a pat on the back every time you do something to improve your daily life! 

Until next time, enjoy the long, Memorial Day weekend with friends and family, just vegging out, (and fruiting out!) with this guilt-free, crowd-pleasing dessert! 

Remember to subscribe to my monthly In The Raw newsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest blog posts and news. 

*Eat Move Rest apparel is coming and subscribers will get exclusive pre-order info and an early bird discount! ;)

Designed For Your Lifestyle,

Erin