A lovely raw butternut squash pie, of course without any added sugar, lactose, gluten and flour, stuffed with healthy fats, proteins and fibers.
I never really knew that you can eat butternut squash or pumpkin raw. It is said to be difficult to digest for some people, but I’ve just eaten half the pie and I’m still feeling pretty good! In case you are afraid of any digestive problems, you can also cook it first, which will also aid the mixing process (which is difficult when it is raw).
If you decide to make a non-raw version of this pie, I would advise to put the pieces of butternut in a pot and add water until the butternut is just under water. Once the butternut is cooked, you can use a stick blender to make a thick and creamy butternut mash out of it. Let this cool down for a while before mixing it with the other ingredients.
The base can be made with the nuts you prefer or happen to have. Pecans are rather expensive but do combine great with the taste of the butternut. Hemp seed makes for a great combination too.
The spices and dates need to be tasted and dosed. Dates can differ a lot and the amount mentioned in the recipe is basically an indication. If you have good fluffy sweet dates, you might need less. The spices you can add to taste.
1butternut squashor pumpkin (but butternut squash is sweeter)
250gramscashewssoaked in water for at least 4 hours
200gramscoconut oilodourless
vanilla
Crust
80gramshazelnuts
80gramspecans
50gramshemp seed
5medjool dates
Instructions
Crust
Put the cashews at least 4 hours before preparation in a bowl with water. Do the same with the dates, at least 30 minutes before starting the preparation.
Prepare a cake form. It's best to take a round form, which you line with baking paper on the inside. It's not necessary to grease it.
Make the crust by grinding the hazelnuts, hemp seeds and pecans (or whatever nuts you use) in a mixer. Wipe the dates dry, add and mix again. The crust is ready when it sticks together when you press it and you can easily make a ball out of it. Otherwise, add more dates.
Press the mixture into the bottom of the cake form, making a nice thick crust. Press well. If you have too much you can also decide to make a crust on the side or sprinkle some of the remaining crust on top of the pie.
Filling
Depending on the size of your butternut, use the flesh of half a big butternut or an entire small one. Open the pumpkin, peel it and remove the seeds.
Cut the flesh into pieces.
If you have vanilla beans, you can grind these in their entirety in the mixer. Do these immediately when the mixer is still empty. If you only use the inside or vanilla extract, it is better to add it later.
Grind the pieces of butternut in the mixer until they have become pulp.
Add the dates one by one. Mix well until you can see no more pieces of date.
Melt your coconut oil in a pan. Add cashews, coconut oil and spices. Mix well.
Your filling should be rather liquid and well mixed. If this is not the case, you can add more coconut oil and mix longer.
Poor the filling onto the crust. Refrigerate over night for ultimate stiffness and taste.