Healthy Pie Crust {Just Walnuts, Cocoa Powder, & Dates!}

Who here likes pie?  If you’re not raising your hand or nodding your head in agreement, I’m not sure we could be friends 😉  {Kidding, of course we can.}

I’ve got a family of pie fans in my house.  I’m partial to chocolate or pecan, the hubby loves apple and cherry, and though my son has only had an occasional bite, I think he likes strawberry the best.  (He’s been devouring a strawberry pie we bought over at Nourse Farm the other day). 

I really enjoy making homemade versions of these for us to eat.  If you like to make these sweet desserts as often as I do, you might want some healthy pie crust options to add to your repertoire. 

Traditional store-bought pie crust is usually full of white flour, lard or partially hydrogenated oils, and a most likely a few fillers and preservatives.  Of course, there isn’t anything wrong with having that occasionally.  Heck, I like making a lightened up quiche some weekends and I still go for the convenience of store-bought pie crust.

But for sweet pies, this chocolate walnut healthy pie crust works so well for a better-for-you option.  And honestly this one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever come up with, but I love it so much that I think it deserves its own dedicated post.

Here are the ingredients:  walnuts, dates, and cocoa powder.  That’s it!  Blend those three things up in a food processor and you’ll get a crumbly texture that sticks together, lending it perfectly to being pressed into a pie dish.

It’s ideal for those with certain dietary limitations, since the crust is vegan, gluten free, and grain free.  And it’s just a nice clean ingredient option for those who like to bake (and eat) desserts often.

I’ve been using this healthy pie crust like crazy when I make a no-bake chocolate coffee pie (photo above – recipe coming very soon!).  But I also think this crust would work well with your favorite (healthy or not-so-healthy) versions of these pies:

• Peanut butter pie
• No-bake pumpkin pie
• Ice cream pie
• Banana cream pie

I haven’t done this with any baked fillings, but I’d imagine it would work just fine.  If you experiment with that, let me know!

You can also do a non-chocolate version of this healthy pie crust and there are a few different combinations depending on your taste preferences:

• 1 1/4 cup Walnuts + 1 cup Dates
• 1 cup Walnuts + ½ cup Dates + ½ cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup Walnuts + ¾ cup golden raisins
• 1 1/2 cup walnuts + 2-3 tbsp softened butter + (optional) 2 tbsp sugar

You can adjust these amounts as needed – for example, if your pie crust isn’t quite holding together, add a little bit more dried fruit or butter to get that stickiness.  

The non-chocolate versions can work well with any type of sweet pies!  But there’s something about the chocolate one that I just love.

Give it a try soon and let me know what ya think!

5 from 3 votes

Print

Chocolate Walnut Healthy Pie Crust

Prep Time

10 mins

 

A delicious 3 ingredient healthy pie crust - that just happens to be vegan, gluten free, and grain free!

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12

Author: Snacking in Sneakers

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shelled walnuts
• 15 small pitted dates (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine walnuts, dates, and cocoa powder. Pulse several times until the mixture is crumbly and starts to stick together.

2. Lightly grease a pie plate with cooking spray or coconut oil. Press the crust mixture down into the pie plate.  Add your fillings and enjoy!

Share with me:  What’s your favorite kind of pie?  Do you ever make your own pie crust or do you use store bought kinds?  Have you ever tried a nut-based healthy pie crust like this?

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