Raw desserts are some of my favourite foods to make of all time, and I usually like to whip up a batch for an entire week’s quota of natural, high energy, nourishing, delicious snacking. Enter my newest dessert obsession: raw cacao banana pie.
When made with wholefood ingredients, desserts can be highly nutrient dense and enjoyed in abundance, even for breakfast. Raw foods can be particularly beneficial during the warmer months when refreshing ingredients are in season. Some raw foods can be tougher to digest and assimilate for some individuals, so my advice would be to check in with your intuition as always, and make any substitutions as needed.
The cashews are soaked and activated to ease their digestive burden and increase the bioavailability of the nutrients, and the macadamia nuts are naturally very low in antinutrients like phytic acid, meaning you won’t necessarily need to soak them (though by all means, soak them as well if you prefer to)!
Today I’ve teamed up with 51raw of Northern Rivers, Australia (a magical place) to bring you this epic raw cacao banana pie recipe using their 100% organic raw cacao bananas as the garnish! We’ve been Instagram mutuals inspiring each other from across the globe for a very long time, and I’m incredibly honoured and humbled to introduce them to you here today.
51raw is a brother sister team rediscovering human health through a balance of wholefoods and connecting with Nature, who intend to emanate vitality. They are a lifestyle brand with an online platform to share research and their own experiences of healing through organic wholefoods and cleansing techniques.
I wholeheartedly align so much with their offerings, philosophy and approach to vibrant health, and I swear their dehydrated cacao bananas contain some sort of addictive drug in them as I cannot stop consuming them (…nature’s drug!). High off life, that’s where we’re at. 🙂 The certified organic ladyfinger bananas are sourced from a banana farm 10 minutes away from where they reside, and their ergonomic bamboo on-the-go cutlery is 100% biodegradable and completely uncoated, meaning no traces of petroleum or phthalates from any varnish will make contact with your food or your mouth. From the earth, right back into the earth: very inspiring, if you ask me.
What a time we live in, to have access to abundant whole foods, healing and tasty remedies from the Earth! There is no better time than now to restore balance, remember the old ways and reconnect to who we really are. Celebrate and continue carving out your path of purpose, vitality and superior health, embodying the change you desire to experience. Be the light illuminating the darkness. Love, hope, trust that all is happening for you, you are exactly where you need to be right now in the evolution of the earth. This raw cacao banana pie is so incredibly delicious, you’ll impress your friends and family with this secretly healthy recipe. You’ll effortlessly look and feel your best when you nourish your body and enjoy Nature’s wisdom, abundance and gifts!
Ingredients for this raw cacao banana pie:
- Raw, unprocessed cacao is a sacred food, super high in magnesium, rich in iron, chromium, zinc, copper, vitamin C, omega-6 fatty acids, serotonin, tryptophan (precursor to serotonin and melatonin, balancing our emotions and promoting happiness), and anandamide (produces heightened happiness. Ananda means joy, bliss and delight in Sanskrit). Cocoa is cacao’s processed cousin and does not contain the same medicinal properties.
- Bananas are rich in potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, fibre, and melatonin (which helps with our sleep quality and patterns). Also a source of folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E, all in perfect balance with Nature’s codes.
- Cinnamon has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic qualities (particularly Ceylon cinnamon). It boosts the immune system, is rich in fibre and manganese as well as vitamin E, vitamin B6, magnesium, niacin, potassium, zinc, and copper.
How to make this raw cacao banana pie:
- All you need to do is soak, blend, and refrigerate the pie! No baking required.
- Soak the raw cashews for 4 hours or up to overnight to activate and soften them
- Blend up the crust in the food processor to reduce it into a fine sticky crumble, and press it into the pie pan
- Blend up the filling and pour it into the crust, flatten it out
- Refrigerate or freeze, then top with 51raw’s cacao bananas and a sprinkle of raw cacao nibs!
Tips to make this pie:
- Raw, fresh nuts are best stored in the refrigerator for several months to keep them from going rancid in the pantry.
- Medjool dates are ideal for making the crust, but deglet nour dates or another dried sticky fruit such as apricots are just as effective. Use the same amounts of whatever dried fruit you’re using. The dates are the glue that holds together the crust, giving it a sweet flavour.
- Once the pie is assembled, refrigerate for at least 4 hours to harden the filling and make it easy to slice and serve!
- Freeze the pie for up to 4 months for longer term storage.
Raw Cacao Banana Pie
Ingredients
Raw Cacao Banana Pie Filling
- 2 cups organic raw cashew nuts, soaked at least 4 hours or overnight then drained
- 2 medium ripe organic bananas
- 1 cup filtered or spring water
- 1/2 cup organic maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp organic vanilla bean
- 1/4 cup organic carob powder
- 1/4 cup raw organic cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp ground organic Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup virgin cold-pressed organic coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp organic cacao butter chunks, melted
Coco-Macadamia Crust
- 1/2 cup organic macadamia nuts
- 1 cup organic shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/3 cup organic medjool dates, seeds removed
- 1/2 tsp organic vanilla bean
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Garnish
- 1-2 51raw organic dehydrated cacao bananas, chopped into bite sized pieces
- sprinkle of raw organic cacao nibs
Instructions
- Make the crust. In a food processor, reduce the macadamia nuts into small pieces. Add the shredded coconut, dates, vanilla and sea salt. Blend to reduce into an evenly consistent crust that is sticky enough to be formed into a ball.
- Make the raw cacao banana pie. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-9 inch pie plate with the coco-macadamia crust. In a food processor, reduce the cashew nuts into small pieces. In a saucepan, gently melt the coconut oil and cacao butter into a liquid and let cool to room temperature, but still runny.
- To the food processor, add the bananas, filtered water, maple syrup, vanilla, carob, cacao, and cinnamon. Blend to reduce into a smooth paste, this may take a few minutes.
- Add the melted coconut oil and cacao butter to the mixture, and blend to incorporate evenly for about 30 seconds.
- Quickly pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Smooth out the mixture and and refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours to allow the pie to set. You could also freeze it for 1-2 hours, if you'd like.
- When the pie is ready, garnish with 51raw cacao bananas and raw cacao nibs, slice and serve with 51raw uncoated bamboo cutlery!
Notes
- I prefer to let the cacao butter and coconut oil melt to room temperature before placing them into the plastic vessel of the food processor in order to minimize any chemicals from warmed plastic leaching into the food.
- The raw cacao banana pie keeps for 10 days in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- The crust can keep up to 2 weeks solo in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container, if you’re making it ahead of time.
- You may have extra chocolate filling after you fill in the pie crust, a perfect opportunity to eat it with a 51raw bamboo spoon or include it in an organic fruit bowl with some grass fed or coconut yogurt!
- For more 51raw products and useful life tips, visit the 51raw website.