Good Food From The Heart

Pretty Pink Pitaya (Dragonfruit) Smoothie Bowl

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By Jennifer Provenza at Good Food From The Heart

Whole food plant based, oil free, sugar free, gluten free, nut free, soy free

This luscious pink pitaya (dragonfruit) smoothie bowl is sweet and nourishing and makes a perfect breakfast, snack, or even a healthy dessert.

Pretty In Pink

Oh, isn’t this smoothie bowl just the prettiest thing? Almost too pretty to eat. Not quite, though. Today is Mother’s Day and this makes a perfect smoothie for mom. (You don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day to make it, though.) Trust me, mom will appreciate it any day of the week! We had a wonderful day today. We went to my parents’ house for brunch and my in laws came too. My 99 year old grandmother was there as well (she lives there). We had a delicious brunch with Indonesian rice salad, fruit salad, a lovely green salad, and gingerbread chocolate chip muffins. Oh, and don’t forget the mimosas! My kids gave me the sweetest gifts, including drawings, a mug, and a homemade tote. And best of all, Ian accidentally bought me a $40 Starbucks gift card. He meant to spend $10. Oh well, it will certainly go to good use! My mom was even nice enough to take my puppy (and one kid) overnight. This meant I got the first full night of sleep in a week. Oh, that’s right! We got a puppy! She is a chorkie (half Chihuahah, half Yorkie). Her name is Coco and she is the sweetest little love in the world. However, now I’m back into the world of potty training and sleepless nights. I thought I left that behind when I decided not to have any more kids, but here I am…

Anyway, we had a wonderful day and I hope you all did too!

Ingredients

For this pink pitaya (or dragonfruit) smoothie bowl, you will need just a few ingredients and it is super easy to make. Plus, it’s just absolutely beautiful. Can you tell that pink is my favorite color?

Frozen Dragonfruit: Pitaya (also known as dragonfruit) can be bought pre chopped and frozen. My local store sells it. Sprouts also sells fresh pitaya, which you could chop and freeze. I used Sambazon brand. If you really cannot find pitaya, you definitely can substitute frozen raspberries or strawberries. Obviously, though, the flavor will be different.

Frozen Banana: I like to peel and pre chop up bananas and freeze them. Just make sure to wait until they are almost overripe to get that really sweet flavor.

Vanilla: I love to use a really good vanilla, like Trader Joe’s Bourbon Vanilla. It really makes the flavor pop.

Plant Milk: Any plant milk will work. Oat milk would be great. Almond milk would work well too.

Light Coconut Milk: This gives the smoothie a lovely richness and coconut flavor, without all the extra fat of regular coconut milk. You could use regular coconut milk if you want, however. You could also substitute any other plant milk you would like, but then you will lose the coconut flavor.

Toppings: The sky is the limit as far as toppings go. Ideas would be: dragonfruit, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, coconut, and granola.

pitaya dragonfruit smoothie bowl

How To Make This Pink Pitaya or Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowl

Well, this just couldn’t be any easier. Put all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend away. Make sure it is totally smooth, then pour into bowls and top with any toppings that float your boat. This is an excellent breakfast, but would really work for a snack or even a dessert, since it is so sweet. Very popular with kids and husbands too! Hint: for an extra delicious breakfast, pair it with my Matcha Green Tea Coconut Latte. And if you like smoothies, you might also try my Immune-Boosting Cucumber, Kale, and Celery Smoothie or my Strawberry Blackberry Banana Smoothie.

pitaya dragonfruit smoothie bowl

Pretty Pink Pitaya (Dragonfruit) Smoothie Bowl

This luscious pink smoothie bowl is sweet and nourishing and makes a perfect breakfast, snack, or even a healthy dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 232 kcal

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup frozen pitaya (dragon fruit) diced
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 1 1/4 cup plant milk
  • 3/4 cup light canned coconut milk

Topping Ideas

  • unsweetened coconut flakes
  • granola
  • dragonfruit pieces
  • chopped banana
  • berries

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Pour into a bowl and top with suggested toppings (or drink from a cup if you prefer).
Keyword smoothie

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Best Ever Vegan Lasagna

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By Jennifer Provenza at Good Food From The Heart

Whole food plant based, oil free, sugar free, gluten free

This plant based vegan lasagna is dairy free yet rich, melty, and flavorful. With no added oil, it is nutritious and makes a perfect dinner for special occasions or any time.

Bring on the (Vegan) Lasagna, Baby!

Oh, lasagna. I could sing your praises forever. Lasagna is one of my all time favorite meals. Growing up in an Italian family it was always our go to special occasion dinner. For Italians, Christmas is not for turkey. It is for lasagna. Of course, traditional lasagna is not your most healthy dish. This vegan lasagne, however, is perfect for any time. You don’t have to wait until Christmas, because it is totally healthy and nutritious. With brown rice noodles, tofu ricotta, and cashew mozzarella, this plant based lasagna is a protein packed dinner with healthy fats and no oils. Perfect!

The weather here in California is perfect right now. It’s in the 70’s-80’s, warm with a little breeze, and the flowers are in full bloom. Still, I like to take advantage of those last cool evenings for a little comfort food, before moving on to summer favorites. But don’t worry, I’ve got you with tons of lighter summer fare in the days ahead.

In other news, we are planning to get a puppy! Tomorrow I am going to meet a sweet little chorkie (half chihuaha, half yorkie). She is a rescue and cute as can be! I am really hoping the adoption works out and I get to come home with her.

Ingredients

Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles: To keep this recipe gluten free, be sure to use brown rice lasagna noodles. Otherwise, whole wheat noodles are just as healthy. Flavor-wise, however, I find that brown rice pasta tastes a little more similar to regular pasta and I enjoy using it more for that reason. I use Jovial brand, but I have to order it online because the stores near me don’t carry it. I would also make sure that whatever noodle you choose has a wavy edge. That helps it not stick together when you boil it. Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of issues with the straight edged noodles sticking together, so now I avoid those varieties.

Best Cashew Mozzarella: For this recipe, you will want to use a recipe of my Best Cashew Mozzarella. My recipe is oil free and whole food plant based, so it will give you the best and healthiest results, but you could also use a different dairy free cheese if you prefer.

Creamy, Tangy, Tofu Basil Ricotta Cheese: You will also want to use my Creamy, Tangy Tofu Basil Ricotta Cheese recipe. Not only is it totally delicious, it’s also (of course) whole food plant based and oil free. If necessary, you could substitute another dairy free cheese. This is something you could easily make up to a day before and refrigerate.

The Best Oil Free Homemade Tomato Sauce: You will want to make a batch of my Best Oil Free Homemade Tomato Sauce for this recipe. I would not use a jarred sauce as the homemade sauce is what really gives this lasagna its incredible homemade flavor. My sauce is also oil and sugar free and much healthier than store bought sauces. You can definitely feel free to make the sauce ahead of time. It also freezes beautifully, so you can make a large batch and use it for several recipes.

So Good It’s Nuts Parmesan Topping: Finally, you’ll want to make a recipe of my So Good It’s Nuts Parmesan Topping. (Or use another dairy free cheese if you prefer). My recipe is free of oil and really flavorful. You can make this ahead and refrigerate or freeze as well.

How To Make This Vegan Lasagna

So, this lasagna comes together super easily. I’ll be real with you, though. It does take some prep work to prepare all the cheeses. This would be a good weekend or holiday meal because it is a bit time consuming. If you do some of the work in advance, though, it can be an easy weeknight dinner too.

A good tip is to make a big batch of homemade tomato sauce and freeze for later use. At the very least, you can certainly make the sauce a day or two before and refrigerate it until you are ready to make the lasagna. The tofu ricotta can easily be made the day before and refrigerated as well. I would not recommend freezing it, however, as that may alter the texture too much.

If you haven’t made anything in advance, start by making The Best Oil Free Homemade Tomato Sauce, Creamy, Tangy Tofu Basil Ricotta Cheese, and So Good It’s Nuts Parmesan.

When you are ready to make the lasagna, bring a large pot of water to boil. Optionally, you can salt the water. Make sure to use a really large pot or the lasagna noodles may stick together. For this vegan lasagne, I would not recommend using no cook noodles. Well, you can use them, but cook them first! Assembling a lasagna with uncooked noodles has never worked out well for me. It always seems to come out a little tough or dry or overcooked. Therefore, I’d go old school with it and just boil the noodles. Follow the directions on the box.

While the water is heating and the noodles are cooking, I like to make the Best Cashew Mozzarella Next, check the noodles for tenderness at the appropriate time. Drain the noodles and lay them out on a clean dish towel so they don’t get all stuck together.

Now, you are ready to assemble the lasagna. If necessary, use a few spritzes of non stick spray on the bottom of your lasagna pan. Follow with a coat of tomato sauce. Then, place a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the lasagna pan. Add another layer of sauce and then place dollops of the tofu ricotta spaced about an inch apart all over the surface of the noodles. Add a good drizzle of the cashew mozzarella over the surface of the noodles and top with another layer of noodles. Continue in this pattern until you are out of noodles. Depending on the size of the pan and how many noodles you boiled, you should have between 3-6 layers. For the top layer, add a heavy sprinkling of the nut parmesan all over the top of the lasagna.

This plant based lasagna will wow your guests. Even people who are used to eating lasagna made with regular cheese will love this. It is so rich, creamy, and substantial. The ultimate comfort food.

If you love pasta, be sure to also try my Oil Free Vegan Basil Avocado Pesto Pasta.

best vegan lasagna
Best ever vegan lasagna

Best Ever Vegan Lasagna

This plant based vegan lasagna is dairy free yet rich, melty, and flavorful. With no added oil, it is nutritious and makes a perfect dinner for special occasions or any time.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 446 kcal

Equipment

  • lasagna pan
  • Large pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 recipe tomato sauce
  • 1 recipe cashew mozzarella
  • 1 recipe tofu basil ricotta
  • 1 recipe so good it's nuts parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 boxes brown rice or whole wheat lasagna noodles

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain and lay out on a clean kitchen towel. (I do not recommend using no boil noodles, as the end result is usually not tender enough, in my opinion). While the noodles are cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Pour a drizzle of tomato sauce into the lasagna pan so that it covers the surface of the pan. Next. lay down a layer of lasagna noodles. Pour more sauce over the noodles, covering the surface. Put a small spoonful of tofu basil ricotta every inch or two over the surface of the noodles, using 1/3 of the cheese. Drizzle/spread some cashew mozzarella over the surface of the noodles as well, trying to spread it around evenly and using about 1/3 of the cheese.
  • Layer with more noodles and add more sauce as well as another 1/3 of each type of cheese. Continue with a third layer. (If you have more noodles and cheese or are using a smaller pan, you might do up to six layers). On the top layer, finish with a heavy sprinkle of So Good It's Nuts Parmesan Cheese.
  • Bake for about a half hour until the lasagna is bubbly and starting to turn golden on top.
Keyword lasagna

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Vegan Oil Free Banana Bread

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By Jennifer Provenza at Good Food From The Heart

vegan oil free banana bread

Whole food plant based, oil free, sugar free, soy free

This vegan oil free banana bread is made with whole wheat. Warm, soft and full of delicious fresh baked goodness, it is free of added sugars and makes a perfect breakfast or afternoon snack. Healthy banana bread: what could be better?

Vacay Time

We had such a great vacation last weekend for my older daughter’s birthday! We all needed the break desperately and I honestly didn’t mind taking a few day off of cooking. (Even though cooking is my passion!) We drove down to San Luis Obispo, which was maybe a little far for a weekend trip at 4 1/2 hours. But, it was totally worth it! We stayed at the kitchy and pretty much all pink Madonna Inn, which was M’s dream come true. The best part in my opinion, though, was the pool! It was as warm as a bathtub and offered gorgeous views of the hills. Me and the kids spent one whole morning alternating between the pool, hottub, and lounge chairs where we sipped mango smoothies. So nice! We also got to spend a beautiful day at the beach and enjoy an amazing vegan breakfast at Bliss Cafe! I had a delectable cashew yogurt parfait with berries and homemade granola, topped with coconut whipped cream. Mmmm… I wish I lived closer so I could try out the amazing looking breakfast tacos my mother in law ordered.

Anyway, as soon as we got back from the vacation, I was rejuvinated and ready to get back into the kitchen. And what was I craving? Banana bread! Banana bread is a favorite with my whole family, but the way I used to make it in the past was basically cake. I’ve also tried ways to make it oil free that seemed to make it taste free too. Luckily, I had the inspired idea to try almond butter, which is my secret pie crust ingredient too. And it totally worked! This whole wheat banana bread is healthy and vegan, but tastes every bit as good as mom used to make.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: This is an absolute essential for this recipe, as regular flour will not be healthy and regular whole wheat flour will be grainy and not very tasty. White whole wheat flour will work in a pinch, however. In fact, that’s what I used as my store is still out of whole wheat pastry flour. If you need a gluten free bread, you could definitely try substituting gluten free flour, but I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t vouch for the results.

Almond Butter: Be sure to use unsweetened almond butter for this recipe. Raw or roasted will both work. Don’t skip this ingredient, as it replaces the butter in this recipe with a healthier source of fat. You could definitely replace it with another nut butter, but it might change the flavor. I think peanut butter would probably be delicious, but it would definitely add a peanut butter flavor to the banana bread. If you need a nut free option, sunflower seed butter would work too!

Banana: My kids hate finding actual pieces of banana in their banana bread (the horror!), so I like to puree the banana before adding it to the batter.

Applesauce: Be sure to use unsweetened apple sauce. You also can replace this ingredient with an additional pureed banan if you prefer.

Liquid Stevia: As usual, with a diabetic in the house I prefer to use a sugar free sweetener, but you can definitely replace this with the maple syrup option.

Dark Chocolate Chips: This recipe tastes really good with the addition of the dark chocolate chips. Try to use the lowest sugar option you can find. This ingredient is definitely optional, but if you leave out the chocolate chips, you will want to increase the sweetener to taste. I love Guittard chocolate chips, personally.

vegan oil free banana bread

How To Make This Vegan Oil Free Banana Bread

This banana bread is very simple to make and will give you a delicious result that you can enjoy for breakfast, snacks, pack in kids’ lunches, and even bring to events. It’s that good. Start by mixing all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, as I said before, I always like to actually puree the bananas in a food processor so my kids don’t find any dreaded pieces of banana in their banana bread. Lol! If you don’t have picky kids, feel free to just mash the bananas with a fork.

Next, mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and add the pureed banana. Finally, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until it is well combined. At this point, you can add any additional ingredients, such as the dark chocolate chips or chopped nuts, if you would like. Again, if you choose not to add the chocolate chips, I would probably double the amount of sweetener.

Pour into a greased or non stick loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. In my oven and with my loaf pan, that took 30 minutes, but it could take longer if you have a smaller loaf pan.

This vegan oil free whole wheat banana bread tastes absolutely amazing with some coconut whipped cream on top, but it is great on its own as well. Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or foil and it will stay good for a couple of days. We don’t usually have many leftovers in our house, though. It would be amazing with my Best Cinnamon Spice Mocha Latte!

vegan oil free banana bread

Vegan oil free banana bread

This healthy vegan banana bread is oil free and made with whole wheat. Warm, soft and full of delicious fresh baked goodness, it is free of added sugars and makes a perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 251 kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • loaf pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup almond butter
  • 1 cup pureed banana (about two bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon liquid stevia (or 2 tablespoons maple syrup)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  • Peel two bananas and puree then in the food processor until completely smooth. This will avoid any whole pieces of banana in the bread.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the banana puree, the liquid stevia or maple syrup, the applesauce, the almond butter, and the vanilla.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and free of any pockets of dried ingredients. Add the dark chocolate chips and stir. If you omit the chocolate chips, you may want to increase the amount of sweetner. Pour the mixture into a greased loafpan.
  • Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  • Makes a great breakfast or a decadent dessert served with coconut whipped cream on top.
Keyword bread

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Sugar Free Plant Based Mixed Berry Pie

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By Jennifer Provenza at Good Food From The Heart

sugar free plant based mixed berry pie

Whole food plant based, oil free, sugar free, soy free

This lightly sweet and tangy pie is melt in your mouth delectable but sugar free, plant based, and completely healthy. Perfect for your summer picnic!

Bring on Spring!

I cannot even tell you how happy I am that it is finally spring! And I have pretty bad hay fever. But, whatever. I’m ready to take some antihistimines and hit the park! The weather is absolutely beautiful and after a long, hard winter (mentally, not weather wise), I am SO ready to get outside and enjoy time with my family. C, my five year old, is playing T ball this year, which is beyond adorable and gets us all outside a ton. We are also planning a weekend beach trip for M’s birthday next week. I cannot wait!

We had a wonderful Easter holiday with our family last week and for dessert I made this delectable sugar free mixed berry pie which is totally plant based and free of oil! I mean, healthy pie?! I kid you not. This pie is actually good for you. The only fat comes from almond flour and light coconut milk in the crust and the crust is also completely whole grain. There is no added sugar other than what comes from the fruit. I was actually a little bit nervous to serve this pie for a holiday because I thought it might not be sweet enough for a celebration. But, it totally was! Everyone loved it and the whole thing was devoured in about .5 seconds. I’m pretty sure most people ate more than one piece. (Myself included!)

sugar free plant based mixed berry pie

Ingredients

Berries: For this pie, I used a mixture of blueberries and raspberries and it came out great. You could definitely substitute other berries. I topped it with fresh blackberries, which would be great in the pie as well. This recipe will work equally well with fresh or frozen berries. If you use frozen berries, no need to defrost them before making the pie.

Powdered Stevia or Coconut Sugar: I used a powdered stevia to sweeten the berry mixture. I like stevia because it’s a natural no calorie sweetener and because my husband has diabetes, we try to avoid sugar. I use Sweet Leaf brand Coconut sugar will also work great in this recipe, as it’s an unrefined sweetener. Trader Joes sells this, which is where I usually buy it.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon brings out the sweetness, so I would not skip it, since this pie is pretty low in sugar.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Make sure to get whole wheat pastry flour, as regular whole wheat flour will not give you a good result. Whole wheat flour is much more nutritious than white flour. White whole wheat flour will work in a pinch. (I actually used this, as my local store has been out of whole wheat pastry flour for months). I like Bob’s Red Mill brand.

Oats: The crumb topping calls for oats. Try to find organic if possible.

Almond Flour: The almond flour replaces butter in this recipe, giving you a healthy protein rich fat. Yay!

Light Coconut Milk: Also adds some healthy fat and helps bind the mixture together.

Liquid Stevia or Coconut Sugar: I used liquid stevia to sweeten the crumb topping, but feel free to substitute coconut sugar if you prefer.

How To Make This Sugar Free Plant Based Mixed Berry Pie

Before you begin, you will want to make a recipe of my Healthy Whole Wheat Pie Crust. Do not bake the crust until after you have filled it with the berry mixture and crumb topping. Once you have the pie crust ready to go, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

healthy oil free whole wheat pie crust

Next, in a large bowl, mix the berries, vanilla, cinnamon, flour, and stevia or coconut sugar. Pour the berry mixture into the pie shell.

In a small bowl, mix together the oats, flour, almond butter, cinnamon, light coconut milk, and liquid stevia or coconut sugar. Use your fingers to really mix it together into a crumbly texture and then sprinkle it evenly over the whole surface of the pie. Optionally, you might spray the top of the pie with some non stick spray. This will give it a more golden color as it bakes, but is not necessary.

Bake the pie for about 30 minutes, until it is golden in color and the berry mixture is bubbling. You might need to cover the top with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

This pie is delectable served warm with nice cream or coconut whipped cream on top. I also like to top it with additional fresh berries. This is a perfect pie for picnics, spring holidays, summer barbeques, the fourth of July, etc… It is also healthy enough to enjoy the next day for breakfast. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.

sugar free plant based mixed berry pie
sugar free plant based mixed berry pie

Sugar Free Plant Based Mixed Berry Pie

This lightly sweet and tangy pie is melt in your mouth delectable but sugar free, plant based, and completely healthy. Perfect for your summer picnic!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 306 kcal

Equipment

  • pie pan

Ingredients
  

For Filling

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 packets powdered stevia or 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

For Crumb Topping

  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 tablespoons light coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia or 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1 dash cinnamon

One Recipe Healthy Oil Free Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the berries if they are fresh. Pour all the berries into a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla, cinammon, stevia or coconut sugar, and flour. Stir. Pour the berry mixture into your unbaked pie crust.
  • In a small bowl, mix the oats, flour, stevia or coconut sugar, almond butter, light coconut milk and cinnamon. Use your fingers to really mix it all together into a crumbly texture. Cover the top of the pie with the crumb mixture.
  • Optionally, if desired, spray the top of the pie with a few sprays of nonstick spray to make it turn a golden color. It's good for all of the crumb topping to be moistened so you don't end up with any dry flour on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pie is lightly golden and the berry mixture is bubbling. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil.
  • This pie tastes great served warm with non dairy ice cream or coconut whipped cream on top.
Keyword dessert, pie

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Healthy Oil Free Whole Wheat Pie Crust

by 1 Comment

By Jennifer Provenza and Good Food From The Heart

healthy pie crust

Whole food plant based, oil free, sugar free, soy free

This tender, warm, healthy oil free whole wheat pie crust is easy to make and works perfectly for savory or sweet pies alike. With a blend of almond flour and whole wheat flour, this pie crust is healthy enough to enjoy any time!

Perfect Pie Crust

There is nothing like a perfect pie crust! But despite the saying “easy as pie” it can be a challenge to get your crust perfect. At the same time, the traditional perfect pie crust is really, really bad for you. It’s loaded with butter and white flour and is really something you would only want to reserve for very special occasions. This healthy pie crust, on the other hand, is something you can feel free to enjoy much more often. Hint: it’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast! (Not that I’ve ever done that or anything).

Pie is one of those dishes that evokes so many childhood and family memories. Backyard barbeques for the fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas desserts, potlucks with friends, picnics in the park… Pie is perfect for any occasion. I love that this crust can be used to make savory meals such as pot pie or quiche if you simply omit the sweetener. And, with the sweetener added, it can be used for fruit pies, cream pies, pudding pies, etc… The sky is the limit.

We just finished Spring Break and it was so nice to spend lots of time with family. My neice, L, was visiting us, along with my brother and his wife. She is 2 1/2 and hilarious! When she saw our cat (Mrs. Sparkles), her eyes lit up. She assumed that her other aunt’s black cat, Shadow, must have come on the trip with her. She called our cat shadow for the entire trip. Anyway, since I was hosting Easter in our backyard, I wanted to make an easy dessert that would also be totally delicious and I decided to make a pie. This crust was honestly an experiment the first time I made it. I had NO idea if it would turn out to be good or not. Luckily, it met with an enthusiastic reception from the entire family. Whew!

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: This recipe calls for whole wheat flour because it is much healthier than white flour. However, it’s really important to use whole wheat pastry flour. Regular whole wheat flour will not give you a good result. White whole wheat flour can be used in a pinch. (My grocery store has been out of whole wheat pastry flour for months, so that is actually what I used this time). You could definitely try substituting a gluten free flour if you can’t have gluten, but I haven’t tried that, so I can’t vouch for it.

Almond Flour: In this recipe, almond flour substitutes for the fat that would normally be found in the butter. However, you get a healthy whole food fat instead of a really unhealthy animal fat. Plus, you get protein.

Salt: I like to use sea salt.

Liquid Stevia or Coconut Sugar: Make sure to omit this ingredient if you are making a savory pie. Liquid stevia is a natural no calorie sweetener that works great in this recipe. I like to use Sweet Leaf brand. Another option for an unrefined sweetener (which will have calories) is coconut sugar. I like Bob’s Red Mill brand. Trader Joes carries both sweeteners. I tend to use liquid stevia because my husband has diabetes and should not eat sugar. Either will work great in this recipe.

healthy oil free whole wheat pie crust

How To Make This Healthy Oil Free Whole Wheat Pie Crust

You guys. This pie crust is so easy. So easy. Like, it literally could not be easier. Simply put all the ingredients, except the light coconut milk, into a food processor and process until combined. Then, add the light coconut milk and process until you have a ball of dough. Now, here is the best part. You DON’T have to chill or roll out this pie crust. Nope. Just put the whole ball of dough in your pie pan and use your fingertips to spread the dough out over the sides and bottom of the pan. Feel free to flute the edges or press with fork tines. This recipe will give you enough for just the bottom crust. If you want to cover the pie with a crust, double the recipe. Unfortunately, you will have to chill and roll out the top crust. That’s why I usually do a crumb topping! Keep it simple, baby. Try this pie crust for my Mixed Berry Pie for your next event!

healthy oil free whole wheat pie crust
healthy oil free whole wheat pie crust

Healthy Oil Free Whole Wheat Pie Crust

This truly healthy pie crust is made of whole wheat and almond flour and works perfectly for sweet and savory pies.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine pie
Servings 8 pieces
Calories 172 kcal

Equipment

  • pie pan
  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia or 3 Tablespoons coconut sugar (omit for savory pies)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons light coconut milk

Instructions
 

  • Put whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, stevia or coconut sugar, and salt into the food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the light coconut milk and process until you have a ball of dough.
  • Put the dough into your pie pan and use your fingers to spread it out over the sides and bottom of the pan. Optionally, flute or use a fork to make a design around the edge.
  • Cook according to directions for the pie you are making. You may need to cover it with foil if the crust is cooking too fast or starting to burn.
Keyword dessert, pie

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