After the success of Uncle Howards Chocolate Ganache Tart, we have become increasingly interested in raw, healthy, gluten free sweets.  They are easily made, quick to clean up, and surprisingly rich. The best part is indulging in something decadent and flavorful without worrying about one’s health. One slice of Blueberry Banana “Cream” Pie leaves us more satisfied than most desserts that are loaded with sugar, dairy, and gluten: remarkable!

Blueberry bushes in Maine are starting to flower. But, the baskets of berries from southern climes are too hard to resist while we wait for local roadside stands to offer local fresh-picked. This is an amazingly satisfying way to enjoy what’s now in the markets.

BLUEBERRY BANANA CREAM PIE – one 9″ pie or tart; serves 10-12

Click Here To Print Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

7 oz. pitted dates

9 oz. walnuts

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 peeled bananas (6 oz.)

4 oz. raw unsalted organic cashews

3/8 cup (3 oz.) coconut oil

juice of 2 small organic lemons

1/8 cup (1 oz.) honey

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

8 oz. fresh organic blueberries, rinsed and dried

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a food processor blend the dates, walnuts, and sea salt until the mixture just starts to come together to make a (dough). Press into a 9″ pie plate or tart pan with removable sides.  Wipe the bowl of the food processor clean – don’t need to wash it.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the blueberries, to the food processor and blend until very smooth, scraping down as needed.

3.  Spread 1/3 of the mixture onto the date/walnut crust.  Scatter 1/3 of the blueberries.  Repeat twice, spreading gently so as not to crush the berries. Chill for 2-3 hours uncovered, or covered overnight.

Serve with blueberry sauce and revel in the “ooohs and ahhhs” from your guests!

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh or frozen organic blueberries

Juice of 1 lemon

Bit o’ lemon zest if you want to take the time to grate it

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine the blueberries and lemon juice in a small sauce pan and cook over a medium heat until the berries begin to burst and the mixture beings to thicken.

2.  Add 1/2 cup of the water and continue to cook, breaking any berries that haven’t yet burst with the heat.

3.  Puree the mixture in a blender, adding the rest of the water as needed to get as smooth a consistency as possible.

4.  Stir the sauce through a small gauge sieve over the sauce pan to remove the skins.

5.  Return to the heat and add water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.  Cook only for a minute or two.  Cool and put into a squeeze bottle to apply to each slice of pie after it’s been served.

Washed blueberries in a ceramic berry bowl

Make certain they’re dry before adding to the pie

Weighing the dates

Cleared the scale and added the walnuts

Ingredients come together as a dough

Pressing the crust into a 9″ pan with a removable bottom

Lemon zest

Juicing after “zesting”

Weighing the cashews

Honey plus lemon juice plus coconut oil

Adding the salt before processing

Adding the top layer of banana “cream”

Blueberries scattered on top

Blending the cooked berries

Into a fine sieve to separate the skins

Stirring it through into the sauce pan

All that was left

A first taste without sauce

Small slice

Generous portion

Yum!