HOLIDAY CHEATERS
Let’s get real here. The holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving, Christmas, they’re coming and they’re bringing ALL THE SUGAR. So many parties. So much food. What are we gonna do? Have a “cheat”?? NO, we’re not!
I know you still wanna enjoy some delicious treats around the holidays, but you *don’t* wanna regret it afterward.
To me, the conventional desserts filled with So. Much. SUGAR are just not worth it anymore. Been there, done that. My stomach will be hurting for days if I eat a bunch of white sugar. Ughhh. I hate it.
If you’ve committed to a healthier lifestyle or a low-carb diet, you don’t have to give in just because you’re tempted. There’s a way out! And I’ve got a solution.
Instead of planning on “cheating” and living with the misery and discomfort (and disappointment in myself), or simply foregoing dessert altogether (noooo, I can’t) I’m making my OWN fully compliant (and much healthier) treats. Problem solved.
FAMILY APPROVED
Pie for me, pie for you, pie for all.
I TOTALLY get it. If it’s Thanksgiving dinner and you’re in charge of bringing a pie, you want it to be GOOD. Impressive even. Same for me.
Don’t fret. We’ve got a winner here.
I’ve tested this pie on my (sugar/gluten/dairy-eating) kids and hubs with rave reviews, so I’m betting it will be a hit with your family, too.
It tastes just as good as a sugar-laden pie, so they probably wouldn’t even know the difference.
No one has to know it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free unless they need to 😉 Shhhhh it’s our little secret. Hahahha.
EASY AS PIE
Gluten-free baking is *not* for the faint of heart. Especially when it’s ALSO grain-free, egg-free and sugar-free on top of that! It’s quite a challenge, friends.
So I want to make this as EASY as possible for ya. My gluten-free crust has:
- no cutting in butter
- no chilling the dough
- no waiting
- no rolling
- no skills needed!
It’s so simple!! Just mix together the ingredients and press into a pie plate.
And the result? A strikingly similar crust to the “real deal”.. it’s buttery, crisp, a little savory, and is the perfect compliment to the sweet chocolate filling.
A Dairy-Free Chocolate Dream
How do you make chocolate cream without any dairy or eggs? My favorite solution is COCONUT CREAM.
If you’ve never used it, it’s found in a can of coconut milk. Chill the can 24-48 hrs and the cream rises to the top. It doesn’t taste coconutty to me, but then again I do LOVE coconut.
If you’re ok with dairy, by all means, just use heavy whipping cream. They’re interchangeable here.
I amped up the richness here by adding in a good bit of creamy ALMOND BUTTER. Mmmm. It has a neutral flavor that perfectly blends into the chocolate, and really makes the chocolate nice and thick.
YOU DESERVE HEALTH
SO, don’t be that girl that gives into eating JUNK just because it’s staring you down. Stand strong. Weight-loss goals, a commitment to a better lifestyle, a commitment to your health and a promise to YOURSELF. I’m about to preach up in here. Gettin’ fired up! lol Listen, sister. Those momentary pleasures of eating the garbage are NOT WORTH IT.
Resist the temptation, but also don’t deprive yourself of enjoying some delicious treats.
Make your own pie that’s MUCH healthier than the SAD pies everyone else is eating. And join me in eating pie that doesn’t destroy your health and well being. Let’s eat pretty pies with no regrets 😀
Cheat-Free Chocolate Pie (Low-Carb, Gluten & Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 Tbs avocado oil
- 2 Tbs ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbs granulated monk fruit or coconut sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Filling
- 1 1/4 cups coconut cream from a can of coconut milk part coconut water is ok
- 1 3 oz bar dark chocolate sugar-free for keto
- 1/4 cup natural almond butter
- 2 Tbs granulated monk fruit or coconut sugar
- 2 Tbs cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 375. Grease a pie dish with oil. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix flax & water and set aside to thicken. Stir in oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt, and monk fruit.
- Pour wet mixture over dry and mix well with a fork until a dough forms. Add a small splash of water if it's too crumbly.
- Press dough evenly into pie dish. Prick all over with a fork to prevent bubbling.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before filling.
To make the filling:
- Add all ingredients except chocolate to a mixing bowl and whip with a hand mixer until silky smooth.
- Melt chocolate and gently fold into whipped cream mixture by hand (do not overmix)
- Taste and adjust with a little more cacao, salt or sweetener.
- Spread filling over crust. Cover and chill pie until set (at least 4 hours)
- Garnish with whipped coconut cream (see notes for recipe)
- Enjoy!
Notes
does this taste like coconut or just chocolate??
Doesn’t taste like coconut to me, but I do love coconut. You can add a tsp of espresso powder and/or almond extract to bring out the chocolate flavor if you like.
This looks amazing! Do you have a way to cut down on some calories in the crust? I follow THM, but I still have to count my calories or I gain.
Thanks!
Well, I’m not sure how to cut it down and still have the same outcome. You could replace the oil with water to cut calories, but it will not be as crisp.
However… Each slice is only 179 cal as is (according to myfitnesspal) 🙂 That’s quite low, imo.
Hope that helps!
That’s a small slice:) I’ll see what I can figure out
Does the coconut cream need to be refrigerated prior?
Yes refrigerate prior (especially if you are using a can of coconut milk and not just coconut cream, so the cream separates)
Hope you enjoy!
I made this… my first experience with monk fruit (used the brand you recommended) and I am beyond impressed! I’ll proudly make it again next week for Thanksgiving! I’m vegan, my Mother in Law is low carb and a relative is gluten free. I didn’t think it was possible to make one thing we could all eat but this is it! Even without the whip it’s very rich tasting and chocolate forward, not coconutty like a lot of vegan desserts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ahh I’m so glad! Doing a happy dance over here So thrilled it worked for all your family. You are welcome!
Isn’t that monk fruit so good?? I can’t get over the taste!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Erica.
This pie is WONDERFUL! I have made it twice; both times it was PERFECT.
The only variations from the recipe were that I use regular white sugar and I have tried it using muffin papers and a muffin pan for individual pies for Thanksgiving–these were a total hit! I found that the muffin-sized crusts still needed the full time to bake.
I know that I’ll be making this at least once during Advent. This recipe has quickly become a favorite. Thank you!
Yay So happy to hear!! Love the individual pie idea! You are so welcome.
I am allergic to coconut. Can you recommend a substitute for your recipes? I do eat butter. Thanks.
Whipping cream should work fine for coconut milk. 🙂 Butter is a good sub for coconut oil.
If you make it, let me know how it turns out!
Can I substitute and egg for the flaxseed?
Yes, that should work. Replace the egg and 3 Tbs water with 1 egg (keeping 1 Tbs water.)
Add a little extra water as needed if it’s too dry or almond flour if it’s too wet/sticky. 🙂
Can you substitute Swerve for the sweetener instead of mink fruit?
Yes 🙂 That should work fine (the powdered version may dissolve better), Always taste and adjust as needed. Hope you enjoy!