Raw pumpkin pie, no baking

Who can resist a slice of really velvety pumpkin pie over the holidays? Here Irish moss, a seaweed that creates an airy texture with no added fat, combines with coconut oil to recreate the melting quality of a real pumpkin pie. Fresh ginger and warm spices complete this raw version, with no baking.

Ingredients

Base

• 2 cups (203 g) cashews
• 1 cup (116 g) pecans
• ¼ cup (38 g) coconut sugar
• 4 pitted and chopped medjool dates (58 g)
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon mineral-rich salt

Filling

• 2 ½ cups (375 g) butternut squash or pumpkin
• 1 cup (226 g) pumpkin seed milk (see below)
• ½ cup (110 g) Irish moss gel (see below, or replace with ½ cup pumpkin purée and ¼ cup water)
• ½ cup (178 g) coconut nectar
• ¼ cup (73 g) coconut butter
• ¾ cup (165 g) coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) fresh ginger juice (or 2 teaspoons powdered ginger)
• 2 teaspoons (12 g) vanilla
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (1 g) nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon (1 g) clove
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons lecithin (non-GMO)
• 8 drops of vanilla liquid stevia
• ¼ teaspoon (2 g) mineral-rich salt

Pumpkin seed milk

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup filtered water

Irish moss gel

• ¼ cup (40 g) unsoaked Irish moss (to be soaked overnight or for 8 hours in 4 cups of water, then rinsed thoroughly)
• 1 cup filtered water

Method

1. Make the base: in a food processor, combine all the ingredients until you have a texture that holds together and comes away easily from the sides.
2. Line the bottom and sides of a 23 cm springform tin with this mixture, pressing well. Chill.
3. For the filling, blend all the ingredients except the coconut oil and the lecithin in a high-speed blender until smooth.
4. Add the coconut oil and the lecithin, then keep blending until you have a creamy, glossy mixture.
5. Pour the filling over the base and freeze for up to 4 hours to set, then transfer to the fridge overnight before serving.
6. For the Irish moss gel, blend the soaked and rinsed moss with the water in a high-speed blender until smooth, then chill for at least 3 hours, until the gel is firm to the touch.
7. For the pumpkin seed milk, blend the seeds with the filtered water, then strain through a nut milk bag.

Tip

This pie is best eaten fresh, within two days; unlike classic raw cheesecakes, it does not freeze well over time. Make the Irish moss gel the day before: it keeps for a week in the fridge and also serves to thicken smoothies and creams.

FAQ: your questions about raw pumpkin pie