Ginger Cookie Crust

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– raw, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free –

There are many fun ways to use raw pie crusts. They can be shaped, pressed, rolled out, in small, big, medium-sized pans. Often I will split the dough into several portions and make different sized crusts and freeze them. Below, I shared some photos to give you some inspiration.

There are many wonderful recipes that you can create using raw pie crusts.  Everything in between sweet and savory.  With this recipe or any of the others, you can either make it for an instant dessert creation, or you can store blank crusts in the freezer for future inspiration. Just remove them from the freezer and load them up with your favorite fillings.  For a few ideas, you could use cheesecake fillings, raw chocolate pudding, blended Young Thai coconut meat, fresh fruit, or even savory ingredients.

Which pan should I use?

There isn’t an answer to this because the possibilities are quite endless.  Pie pans, Springform pans, baking pans, tart pans… be creative and start to look outside of the “pan” for ideas.

How do I prepare the pan?

If using a pie pan and plan on serving it straight from there, I would lightly dust the pan with finely ground nuts or oat flour.  If you use Springform pans or tart pans, wrap the base with plastic wrap. These little tricks will make it easier to remove a slice of pie.

Can I substitute any of the ingredients?

I, for one, am not going to stop you. :) But seriously, of course, you can. You can use any nut and/or dried fruit, but before you do, stop and think about the end flavor will be and will it compliment the filling. I always recommend adding salt because it helps to elevate the flavors. I will say that if you don’t have any Brazil nuts on hand, cashews will work in their place. I have made it both ways.

How to use this recipe:

With this recipe, I can make a flat crust for an 8-9″ pan.  The larger the pan, the thinner the crust.  Don’t go too thin or it won’t hold up. If you want to go up the sides of the pan, you will need to double the recipe. Or I can make 4 (4″) tart pan crusts.   It can be enjoyed instantly or dehydrated.

Ingredients:

Yields 2 cups crust batter

• 1 1/2 cups raw Brazil nuts, soaked & dehydrated
• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked & dehydrated
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

1. Line the base of the tart pan with plastic wrap.
2. Place 1/2 cup of crust batter in the pan and press the crust batter into the bottom and sides of the pan.
3. Remove the ring of the tart pan and place the crust on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator, slide the plastic-covered base out from underneath it.
4. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F), then reduce to 115 degrees (F) and continue to dry for 10+ hours.
   • My reasoning for starting the crust off at 145 degrees?  Click (here) to read why.
   • The crust won’t get “Crispy-dry,” so don’t have that expectation.
   • Dry times always vary due to humidity, the machine, how full it is, and how oily the nuts got during processing.  So please check in on them periodically.

Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan