This raw pie is rich, creamy and mouth-watering. In Traditional Chinese Medicine coconut is warming in nature, sweet and strengthening to the heart and brain. It’s an excellent source of saturated fat! It’s been proven that diets high in good fats, like coconut, and protein (ketogenic diet) and no carbohydrates (other than veggies) improves brain function by 25% (source: “Primal Body Primal Mind”) and is used in the treatment of such dis-ease patterns as epilepsy, Alzheimer, heart disease, high blood pressure, traumatic brain injury, ADD/ADHD, Autism and Aspergers. Coconut butter is warm, sweet in flavor and nourishes yin. Goji berries support the liver, blood, liver yin and nourish the eyes.

Ingredients

Macadamia Coconut Crust:

  • 5 or 6 Medjool date paste (must make this first by food processing the pitted dates into a ball or almost ball). If using Goji berries, soak them for 10-15 minutes and add them to the dates while you make the paste.
  • Just under ¼ cup liquid vanilla
  • 1 cup raw coconut flakes
  • 1 ½- 2 cups raw macadamia nuts
  • ½ cup almonds or ¼ cup almond meal (raw- ground almonds) or pecans or walnuts
  • 1/8 tsp salt (optional- ½ cup cacao nibs and or ½ cup goji berries (soaked for 10 minutes)

Coconut Filling:

  • 2 ¼ cups-ish coconut milk. I usually don’t measure; I use the meat of two or three young coconuts (thicker meat is better but not necessary) and the water of either one or two, depending on how abundant it is. You need about 2 cups of coconut water.
  • 2 tsp liquid vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp lecithin
  • 3/4 – 1 cup coconut oil (melted)
  • ½ cup coconut butter (melted) (I prefer Artisana brand)

Instructions

Macadamia Coconut Crust:

(I alter nut and coconut amount to get the right consistency.) Add all ingredients to date paste and process. Press into glass pie plate and freeze while you make the filling. It’s ok if it’s sticky.

Coconut Filling:

Blend all but lecithin, coconut oil and coconut butter. When smooth then add lecithin, oil and coconut butter and blend again until smooth and creamy, this may take 4 minutes. Don’t use cold coconuts or coconut water as it will curdle the mixture. Gently bring everything to room temp or warmer.

Retrieve your pie plate with crust from the freezer and pour the coconut filling into it. Refrigerate. If you are in a hurry to serve, you may freeze for 20-30 minutes and then refrigerate. It needs about 3 hours to set, but overnight is best.

Optional Topping: ½ cup coconut flakes and a drizzle of melted and mixed raw cacao and cacao butter. You can use raw cacao powder or raw cacao paste. Melt and mix 2 heaping Tbsp of cacao powder with 1 Tbsp cacao butter on low heat. You may add 1 tsp honey to sweeten the chocolate but it’s not necessary.

Better Option: Drizzle individual pieces with traditional Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette (it’s thick and scrumptious).

Bon Appetit!