Paleo and Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Pie Crust or Cookies

Celiac.com 06/23/2016 - This is a very versatile gluten-free recipe. This paleo and gluten-free brownie pie crust can be made into a crust or simply eaten as gluten-free cookies. It is also totally OK to consume it raw since it is made out of all vegan ingredients. Based on the feedback I've received, it tastes delicious when prepared raw.

This crust/cookie recipe is a wonderful base to build upon. I create a lot of raw cheesecakes with the crust and any leftovers are made into little cookies for later. The chocolate flavor in this is quite light so it won't overpower the other flavors you may want to work in with it.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
The only piece of machinery required is a food processor and this healthy recipe comes together easily. Nuts are the real star of this recipe though. I purchase nuts in bulk since I use them for homemade nut milk as well as many baked items and as an on-the-go snack. Certain nuts offer a variety of health benefits you would have never even thought of. Almonds for example, which are used in this recipe, rank highest out of all tree nuts in protein, fiber, calcium and vitamin E. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almonds
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1 ½ cups dates, chopped
• ¼ cup 100% cacao powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2-4 teaspoons water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
2. Place almonds in food processor and grind until somewhat fine.
3. Add pecans or walnuts and grind until somewhat fine.
4. Add the remaining ingredients excluding water. Pulse in the food processor.
5. Add water until mixture isn't flaky, just until dough holds slightly together.
6. Line a 9” spring form pan with waxed paper.
7. Add dough mixture to the pan and spread over the top of the paper. If you are doing crust up the sides of the pan, you will need to line the sides of the pan as well. Press firmly.
8. Bake for 15-17 minutes.
9. OPTIONAL: do not bake if you are on a raw diet.
10. Enjoy!