4 Healthy Pies and Recipes

Pi day (314) was yesterday, and it made me think a lot about pie, and just how tasty a good pie can be. (I am sure that I am not alone in this thought). Despite the fact that pie can be oh-so-delicious, a regular pie is loaded with tons of calories and stuff that’s generally bad for your body, and that is the downside. I was skeptical about sharing a bunch of pie recipes in honor of Pi day because I thought that my readers would find the idea somewhat cheesy (pun intended), but after much thought, I decided that I would do it anyway. In honor of Pi day (which was yesterday), I have chosen to share four healthy pie recipes with those of you out there who love pie as much as I do, but want to keep your waistline small (Who says you can’t eat your pie and have it? lol). These pies are nutritious, delightfully delicious and don’t have that many calories at all which is just great! Happy reading, and don’t forget to drop a comment on which recipe you loved the most.

Gluten-Free Choco-Avocado Banana Pie

Chocolate, avocado, and banana may sound like an odd combination at first glance, but the creamy texture of an avocado combined with the rich taste of chocolate go together so well with the sweetness of banana that you’ll forget that it’s healthy. What I love about this pie is that it is light, and therefore, doesn’t give you that bloated feeling that some pies often give. It has a healthy amount of fiber, healthy sugar (from the banana), protein, sodium, and carbs.

Ingredients

• 2 medium size avocados
• 3 large bananas
• ¾ cup dutch processed cocoa
• ¼ cup milk of choice
• 1 T molasses
• Crustchocolate chip cookie dough (no chips)

Instructions

• Prepare cookie dough (without chocolate chips)
• Press dough into a pie pan and bake covered with foil and beans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Remove beans and foil paper
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes
• Ensure that the crust is crisp
• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to make a suitable filling for the pie.
• Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
• Place pie in the freezer for about 4 hours or until it’s set.
• Take it out and thaw for 30 minutes before you serve.
• It is best served cold.

Vegan Key Lime Pie With Blackberry

This pie is 100% vegan and is made with avocados and cashews that make it enhance it’s rich and creamy taste. The blackberries and lime give this pie a tart flavor that is perfect for the summer. What I love the most about this pie is that it is loaded with Vitamin C, and is also rich in fiber as well (thanks to the blackberries). Lime, which is also included as an ingredient in this pie has amazing nutritional advantages as well. It is rich in dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, and phosphorous. Not only is this pie super delicious, but it is low in calories as well. This is definitely a pie to bake for family reunions or hanging out with friends during the summer.

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ Nabisco original cracker crumbs
• ½ cup melted organic butter
• 1 ¼ cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 tablespoons of melted organic coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of lime zest
• 1 cup of fresh lime juice
• ½ cup of corn syrup
• ½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup of blackberries

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Stir together the Nabisco cracker crumbs and butter.
• Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, and allow to cool.
• Place drained cashews, avocado, coconut oil, lime zest and juice, sweetener, and milk into the bowl of a blender.
• Blend until it is completely smooth.
• Add more sweetener to more lime juice, to reach desired tart or sweetness (based on what your preference for taste is).
• Pour ¾ of the lime filling into the crust and smooth the mixture nicely out with a spatula.
• Add blackberries to the blender and puree until it is very smooth.
• Place dollops of blackberry mixture on top of the green mixture and swirl in.
• If you would prefer to decorate with blackberries instead of swirling, pour the entire batch of lime filling into the crust and smooth it out.
• Press blackberries into the top in any design you like.
• Cover the pie neatly with a plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours until it is firm.
• To remove from springform pan, run the sides under warm water and release.
• Slice the pie into wedges.
• Remove from freezer and allow it to thaw for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Taco Paleo Pie

Who doesn’t love a good taco? Taco Bell has made it almost irresistible. If you are a taco lover and a pie lover, then you have come to the right place! Keep reading to get informed on how you can take taco pie hybrid that is simple to make and only takes a few healthy ingredients! If you have ever heard about the paleo diet and would like to get on board, this may be a good opportunity to test it out and see, because this delicious pie falls under the Paleo diet umbrella. I love the fact that this pie is a combination of both Mexican and American delicacies. It is a unique recipe which takes very little time to prepare, and it is especially rich in protein and sodium. This particular pie has two procedures that need to be followed when you’re about to make the pie. The first procedure is for the pie crust, while the second procedure is for the pie filling.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ¼ cup of melted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp Paleo cooking fat
• ½onion, chopped
• ½ cup homemade barbecue sauce
• ½ cup of spinach or (any leafy green) washed and nicely chopped
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1 avocado (optional)
• Add a dash of organic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Pie Crust Procedure

• In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, butter, and salt.
• Blend in all the ingredients until the dough texture takes shape.
• Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish
• Press it out evenly into the dish and completely cover the surface.

Pie Filling Procedure

• Preheat your oven to 350 F.
• Melt the cooking fat in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Sauté the onions in the cooking fat until they become slightly translucent.
• Add the ground beef to the skillet.
• Cook until the beef has thoroughly cooked.
• Mix the barbecue sauce in with the beef and season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.
• Cook for about 2 more minutes on medium heat.
• Remove from the heat.
• Pour the beef into the pie crust
• Place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cover the surface of the pie with chopped spinach, a quarter of a lime, and an avocado if applicable.

Greek Yogurt Fruit Pie

I saved the best for the last! This is my favorite item on the list because it is so pretty and actually tastes as good as it looks! This pie involves no baking and is very easy to put together. Slicing the fruit is probably what will take you the longest to do, but if you plan ahead of time, and slice the fruit a night before, you’ll have this ready in about 30 minutes tops.

Ingredients

• 1 and ½ cup of dried cranberries (soak them in warm water for five minutes before using)
• 1 and ½ cups of salted walnuts.
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt (Use any flavor of your choice)
• Assorted sliced fresh fruit (Based on what your preference is)

Instructions

• Spray the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish with a nonstick spray.
• line the pan with parchment paper on top to avoid the taste of the nonstick spray getting on the pie.
• Drain and chop soaked cranberries before using.
• Pulse the cranberries and walnuts together until it forms a thick dough.
• Press the dough evenly into the prepared pie dish.
• Carefully spread the yogurt on top of the crust.
• Decorate with fresh fruit of your choice.
• Slice nicely according to your preference and serve.
• Eat!

Note: Depending on how busy you are, you can choose to make the crust a day in advance, just make sure you cover it nicely and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready, you health champ, you!