Mini Pumpkin Pies with Chocolate Graham Crusts

9 Oct 2012

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Recipes
Alisa
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I confess, my food styling and creativity abilities aren’t the strongest. I know, I know, I can sense your complete and utter shock. Fortunately, I am good at creating darn tasty recipes, and I think you will agree once you try these cute little pumpkin pies. These relatively healthy treats are actually SO cute that even I was able to eek out a fun and very edible presentation with a play on the pumpkin aspect …

Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Pies with Chocolate Honey Graham Cracker Crust

What do you think? In my book, this dessert is perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving, and beyond. Though indulgent, this recipe is lower in sugar than your average dessert, comes in pre-portioned little servings, and is packed with some nutritious ingredients to help you stick with a healthy eating plan, even through the holidays! Oh, and did I mention that these little pies are a wonderfully easy no-bake treat that you can make ahead?

To up the yum factor, I made chocolate honey graham cracker crusts for the pie shells. The crusts can be optionally baked. I made it both ways (the “puffier” crusts are the baked ones) and both were quite good. The no-bake chocolate honey graham cracker version has a denser, more chocolaty taste, while the baked one is more like a chocolate cookie crust. The one pumpkin isn’t smiling though as I cracked his noggin a bit when removing him from the pan, so be sure to let the baked crusts cool completely and remove with care to keep your pumpkin pies smiling.

This healthy treat recipe is naturally dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free, and even soy-free – right down to the chocolate graham cracker crust! The filling is also vegan and gluten-free. For an all vegan and gluten-free treat, you can use other crumbs in place of the grahams – like perhaps making crumbs out of that scrumptious new Buckwheat & Hemp cereal or even Organic Brown Rice cereal.

mini-pumpkin-pies

Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Pies with Chocolate Graham Crusts

This is an all-natural and even organic recipe that is dairy-free and soy-free.

Ingredients

Chocolate Crusts:

  • 4 whole organic honey graham crackers (makes about 1 cup of crumbs)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

  • 1/3 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons pumpkin puree (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish (optional):

  • Mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. For the crusts, preheat your oven to 350ºF (if baking crusts) and grease 6 muffin tins (I use silicone muffin cups, which don’t need to be greased).
  2. Place the honey graham crackers, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a spice grinder or food processor and whiz until powdered.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the honey graham cracker mixture with the coconut oil and maple syrup, and mix with a fork until well combined.
  4. Press the mixture into the muffin cups pushing it slightly up the sides to make small pie crusts.
  5. At this point, you can either chill the crusts or bake them for 10 minutes in your preheated oven.
  6. If baked, let them cool before popping them out of the pan.
  7. To make the filling, combine the cashews, sugar, spice, and salt in your spice grinder or food processor and whiz until finely ground. It may clump a little, that is fine.
  8. Blend the cashew mixture with the pumpkin, oil, maple, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
  9. Pour the filling into the cooled or fully chilled crusts, and place them in the refrigerator to set up.
  10. You will probably have leftover filling; don’t worry, it tastes yummy on it’s own and can be made into parfaits, blended into smoothies, or just enjoyed by the spoonful!
  11. If desired, garnish the little pies with the mini chocolate chips and even make cute jack-o-lantern faces.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

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Alisa

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