Having holiday food you LOVE doesn’t mean having to sabotage your health. Food is a gift. Food is life. Food is connection. Food is celebration. However, sometimes it does mean taking what is in front of us and turning it upside down. In this case, it means taking German Chocolate Pie and turning it upside down, both literally and figuratively.
If you are seeking better health or working to protect the health you have, you DON’T need to fear celebrating with food. The secret to having great health and enjoying food you love is simply understanding how your unique, divine body works so that you can support it with wonderful, delicious food that is in harmony with you. That does mean we need to avoid the refined, sugar-laden, processed, dyed, and commercial fake food that practically appears out of thin air in disease-inducing amounts this time of year. But it doesn’t mean we need to miss one ounce of yumminess. Celebrate with real, whole, authentic, living food from the Earth and you will bask in deliciousness, joy, and health. After all, celebrating the food the Earth gifts to us this time of year is what Thanksgiving is all about.
Here is a great example of how simple this healthy, joyful approach can be. One of the recipes I have seen circulating through social media lately is German Chocolate Pie. It looks great. But the recipe online has tons of refined sugar and processed ingredients that make your body’s biochemistry go haywire. So how about a version that can support your health? That is the kind of challenge I just can’t resist. So I created one. This recipe uses coconut milk, raw honey and dates for sweetness. It turns the recipe upside down, literally. So give it a try. See what true celebration tastes like. And pay attention to how you feel after you eat it. No sabotage, no hangover, no immune drop. Just joy. Enjoying good food AND feeling great after = true celebration.
No-Fail Whole Wheat Pie Crust (CF)
- 2 ½ c whole wheat flour (I love Kamut)
- 1 cup organic butter, ghee, or pasture-raised lard
- ½ t Utah “Real” salt or pink Himalayan salt
- 1 egg
- 1 T vinegar
- ¼ c ice water
Cut together flour, salt, and fat until the mixture is crumbly. You can use a fork, a pastry cutter, or a food processor. Mix together the egg, ice water, and vinegar. Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir just until the mixture holds together. Divide in half and form each half into a ball or flat disc. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Gently roll out each ball on a silicone baking sheet, wax paper, or plastic wrap into a circle, just larger than your pie pan. Lift the pie crust and carefully turn it upside down and center it over your pie pan. Remove the backing and allow the pie crust to settle into the pie pan. Flute the edges of the crust. Chill the bottom crust in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Poke the bottom with a fork to keep from puffing up. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Allow to fully cool, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to fill.
German Chocolate Filling (GF, CF)
Coconut/Pecan Layer:
- 1 cup Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 t vanilla
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- Pinch pink salt
Toast unsweetened coconut in the oven at 325° for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. In a food processor puree the dates with the coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the toasted coconut and pecans. Spread on the bottom of the cooked and cooled pie crust.
Chocolate Layer:
- 1/3 c honey
- ½ c organic corn starch
- 3 cups full fat coconut milk (or organic whole milk)
- ½ c cocoa
- 3/8 t Utah “Real” or pink Himalayan salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
In sauce pan whisk honey, cornstarch, coconut milk, cocoa and salt together. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until gently boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool until lukewarm. Pour the chocolate pudding on top of the date/pecan layer. Allow to set before serving. Top with shredded coconut, whipped cream or whipped coconut cream if desired.
If you would love lots more healthy, delicious holiday recipes, check out the holiday collection here.
