A Naturally Sugar-Free & Vegan Apple Pie

Okay - this one was reeeeally fun to make. Adapted from Wellness Dove, this recipe was everything I needed and more for the holidays! Our family is a funny mish mash of dietary needs - we have the vegans, the keto-flirters, the dairy and gluten-free meat-eaters, the pescatarians, the organics-only, and the classic omnivores that insist on calling themselves carnivores. Needless to say, holidays can be challenging. This recipe is wonderful because, while it isn't gluten-free it can be easily made so using oat flour instead of whole wheat flour. You can also easily find and use organic ingredients, and it is naturally plant-based making it workable even for the "carnivores." With the abundance of leftover ingredients that often accumulate after preparing unique holiday dishes - apples, dates, cinnamon - this recipe offers a simple way to utilize those extras while ensuring everyone is happy. Happy holidays, friends! xo.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats (rolled is important, do not substitute for steel cut!)

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (plus extra for topping)

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates, chopped into small pieces

• 2 large or 4 small apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

• Juice of half a lemon

• 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Chop the pitted dates. Peel, core, and slice the apples roughly the same size as the dates.

3. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, whole wheat flour, walnuts, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

4. Add wet ingredients. Pour in the chopped dates, sliced apples, lemon juice and water. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

5. Add parchment paper to your pie pan.

6. Dump the pie mixture into the lined pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.

7. Add walnuts on top. Sprinkle extra chopped walnuts over the pie for decoration.

8. Bake for 40 minutes. The pie is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Cool before serving. Let the pie cool slightly to set before cutting into slices.

   
   

Tips for Making it even better:

• Serve with a dollop of vegan ice cream on top.

• Slather on a heaping spoonful of vegan whipped cream for the sugar lovers

• Pair with fresh fruit like berries or sliced bananas

• Add peanut butter for a creamy, salty element

Some notes on nutrition:

• Natural sweetness from dates means no added sugar.

• Whole wheat flour and oats provide fiber.

• Walnuts = healthy fats

• Cinnamon has antioxidant properties.