Gluten-Free Macademia Nut Pie Crust

Lately we have been inspired by the Raw Food movement. Raw food recipes use nuts and seeds to re-create foods like crackers and pie crusts without using processed ingredients (most notably there is no all-purpose flour). Whether or not you follow a raw food diet, there are many principles and recipes that can be applied to gluten-free cooking. Case in point, this pie crust.

This pie crust uses macadamia nuts and pecans as the base. It works extremely well with pies whose fillings do not require baking–e.g. cheesecakes, key lime, fresh fruit pies etc. Using the natural oils from the macadamia nut as the binder, refrigeration keeps the crust bound together. The final product has a consistency similar to a graham cracker crust but less crumbly.

Ingredients

• 2 cups macadamia nuts
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Add the macadamias and pecans to a food processor and grind until fine (about1-2 minutes).
2. Add kosher salt and vanilla and process for an additional 15-30 seconds to combine
3. Remove the mixture to a 9×9 pie pan and using your hands or a spatula move around to fill the pan and form the crust.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour before adding your filling.
5. To cut the pie, soak the pie pan bottom in warm water for 1-2 minutes to make it easer to separate the crust from the bottom of your pie pan.

How Not to Screw It Up

1. Make sure you purchase unsalted and unroasted nuts. It’s easy to accidentally get the roasted or flavored kind, especially when buying them in the bulk aisle of your grocery store.
2. Despite the previous post I made on this blog, do not toast the nuts. Use them raw.
3. We’ve been using a glass pie pan. You definitely have to soak the pie pan in shallow very warm water before cutting. Otherwise, the crust will stick.
4. If you don’t want to deal with slicing the pie and bringing your creation to possible destruction, you can make this crust and put it into indivdual ramekins like a tart. Basically, you create about 6 individual servings of pie.

Ideas for Pie Fillings

Feel free to send me your suggestions. As I work with this crust more, I will continue to update this recipe with additional fillings. In the meantime, here is one to start:

• Strawberry Honey