Crème Fraîche Blush Peach Pie
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free option ~
Crème Fraîche (krem ˈfreSH) is a type of thick cream made from heavy cream with the addition of buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt. I didn’t use any heavy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt… but the texture of this pie is as if I had. Before my years of dabbling in raw foods, I had no earthly clue that cashews could offer up such a wonderful texture and similar flavor when paired with the right ingredients.
Before my years of dabbling in raw foods, I had no earthly clue that cashews could offer up such a wonderful texture and similar flavor when paired with the right ingredients.
Before my years of dabbling in raw foods, I had no earthly clue that cashews could offer up such a wonderful texture and similar flavor when paired with the right ingredients.
If you are unable to enjoy the culinary miracle that cashews have to offer, you can use the flesh of Young Thai Coconuts, blended to a very thick consistency or you can use organic, BPA-free, canned, full-fat coconut milk. If you do use the canned version, place the can in the fridge and allow it to chill overnight.
The next morning, gently turn the can over and open it. Pour the liquid out (reserving for a smoothie) and scoop out the very thick coconut cream in the bottom. You will need 2 cups worth which might be 3-4 cans. Thought I would address this now since the question always pops up when discussing substitutions.
This cream pie has a wonderfully soft and smooth texture. Because I used fresh fruit, I choose not to freeze the pie. I don’t care for the icy mouth-feel of frozen fruit, plus I wanted the pie to have a fluffy-cream-like feel. You can make this pie ahead of time and freeze it. I would recommend transferring it from the freezer to the fridge the day before serving, so it can thaw. You can place the fresh diced peaches on top than or right before serving.
The base of the pie has a thick cream peachy flavor that married perfectly with the gentle firmness of the fresh diced peaches. The key is use perfectly ripe peaches. Anything less will create a lack of flavor in your creation, and nobody wants that! I removed the skin from the peaches that I used, and when I did, I was able to easily remove the skin just by grabbing it with my fingernails… that gives you a good idea as to how ripe they were. Enjoy the summer freshness of this amazing creampie! Blessings. amie sue
8/24/17 ~ I made this cheesecake today and removed the added sweeteners, replacing it with Markus Sweet which is made from Lohan Guo Monkfruit and Erythritol, a natural alcohol sugar found in the human body made from non-gmo plant sources. It has no effect on the gastrointestinal tract: no gas, no diarrhea. It’s zero calories, zero glycemic, and doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin. Great for diabetics. Does not feed Candida or yeast. A good option to make this pie with no added sugars. Enjoy, many blessings. amie sue
Ingredients:
Yields 9″ pie
Crust:
- 1 cups rolled gluten-free oats, soaked and dehydrated
- 2 1/4 cups shredded coconut
- 1/4 tsp (2 g) Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) liquid stevia
- 1/4 cup coconut butter, softened
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp (40 g) maple syrup (can omit)
- 1 cup (195g ) diced peaches
Filling: (4 cups batter)
- 2 cups cashews, soaked 2+ hours
- 1 1/2 cups organic diced peaches (300 g)
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (162 g) maple syrup (sugar-free opt. below)
- 1 tsp (5 g) liquid stevia
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla powder
- 1/4 tsp (2 g) Himalayan pink salt
- 3/4 cup (156 g) raw coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp (12 g) powdered sunflower lecithin
- 2 cups (418 g) organic diced peaches, divided
Topping:
- 2-3 cups more diced fresh peaches.
Preparation:
Crust:
- Line the base of the pan with plastic wrap or give it a light coating of coconut oil.
- This will aid in removing the cake from the pan.
- Place the oats, coconut, and salt in the food processor, using the “S” blade, and process until broken down as fine as you can get it.
- Add stevia, coconut butter, water, and maple syrup. Process until the batter sticks together when pinched.
- Loosely place the crust batter around the bottom of the pan.
- With a gentle hand, drag some of the batter up along the sides of the pan. Complete the edge first, then the base.
- Press the batter in firmly but evenly.
- I use a straight-edged measuring cup to do this… see photos below.
- Scatter 1 cup of diced peaches on the base of the crust. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
- Drain the soaked cashews and discard the soak water. Place in a high-speed blender.
- In a high-powered blender combine the; cashews, peaches, lemon juice sweeteners, vanilla, and salt.
- Due to the volume and the creamy texture that we are going after, it is important to use a high-powered blender. It could be too taxing on a lower-end model.
- Blend until the filling is creamy smooth. You shouldn’t detect any grit. If you do, keep blending.
- This process can take 2-4 minutes, depending on the strength of the blender. Keep your hand cupped around the base of the blender carafe to feel for warmth. If the batter is getting too warm, stop the machine and let it cool. Then proceed once cooled.
- For sugar-free use, 1/2 cup (81 g) Markus Sweet, powdered instead of the sweetener listed above.
- With a vortex going in the blender, drizzle in the coconut oil, and then add the lecithin. Blend just long enough to incorporate everything together. Don’t over-process. The batter will start to thicken.
- What is a vortex? Look into the container from the top and slowly increase the speed from low to high, the batter will form a small vortex (or hole) in the center. High-powered machines have containers that are designed to create a controlled vortex, systematically folding ingredients back to the blades for smoother blends and faster processing… instead of just spinning ingredients around, hoping they find their way to the blades.
- If your machine isn’t powerful enough or built to do this, you may need to stop the unit often to scrape the sides down.
- Pour the batter into the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of diced peaches, letting them sink a bit into the filling.
- Chill overnight or for 6-8 hours in the freezer. Remove the day before serving, storing it in the fridge.
- Pile on the 2 cups of diced peaches on top, making an attractive mound.
- Store the cheesecake in the fridge for 3-5 days.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- To learn more about maple syrup by clicking (here).
- What is Himalayan pink salt and does it really matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
- Click (here) to learn why I use stevia.
- Is coconut butter the same as coconut oil? Click (here) to find out.
- Why I use lecithin… click (here) to read about it.
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Line the pan with plastic wrap.
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Loosely place the crust batter in the pan.
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Gently spread and press the crust into the sides and base.
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Use a straight edged measuring cup to even it out.
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Spread 1 cup diced peaches on the base of the crust.
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Pour in the filling.
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Spread and tap on the counter to bring up bubbles.
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Sprinkle more diced peaches on top, letting some sink in. Place in freezer.
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Remove once firm and decorate.
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Slice, serve, and eat!
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Pure genius! Thank you for yet another masterpiece! :)
Your welcome Andrea :) Your so sweet. Blessings and keep in touch! I hope you give the pie a try. amie sue
Hi, this looks amazing! How much lecithin did you use? It isn’t on the ingredients list:)
Ps: There isn’t any liquid lecithin in where I live, can I use lecithin granules instead and if so how much would you recommend?
Ooops, thanks for catching that… I slipped a gear. hehe I added it in… 2 Tbsp and yes you can grind the granules down to a powder. That is what I use. I always use the sunflower based because I can’t eat soy but either can be used. Blessings! amie sue
You mention lecithin in your filling directions but I could not find the type of lecithin you use or the amount in the ingredient list.
Love your recipes, I learn a lot from you!
Gudula
Thank you Gudula… I caught that already and added it in. :) Enjoy,amie sue
Hi Amie Sue,
I want to do this pie and noticed lecithin in the recipe but cannot find the “amount of lecithin” in the recipe filling. Could you please clarify. With thanks
The recipe is amended… thank you Joanne! Keep me posted if you give it a try. amie sue
Hi. I have two questions. You said we can substitute a different sweetener if not comfortable with agave. Did you mean the stevia? I don’t see agave in the recipe. And then when blending, you were talking about adding lecithin. But i didn’t see lecithin listed in the ingredients. So how much do we use? Thanks for another awesome sounding recipe!!
Hello Lorie…
I added the lecithin into the ingredient list, a slip up on my behalf. I haven’t tried making a whole like these with just stevia. You will lose a lot of liquid volume if you replace the agave with just stevia which will throw off the whole recipe. You could use maple syrup in its place, though its not raw. If you want to use only stevia, please let me know how it goes. My husband can’t handle stevia so when I use it, it is in just small amounts where he doesn’t detect it. Have a great day, amie sue
Hi Amoe-Sue! I think Lori is referencing that stevia is in your ingredients list, maybe you meant agave there? Can’t wait to try this :)
Hi ladies. That is what I meant Laurie. I personally dont care for stevia at all!!
Oh, goodness, how did I misunderstand you! Sorry. The amount of stevia in this cake is so little that it isn’t detected, it just elevates the other sweetener, giving it brightness. You can omit if you don’t want to use it though. amie sue
Hi again, Regarding substitutions…..for medical reasons I can only use sweeteners that won’t antagonize candida. So typically I use stevia, although you responded to another question that substituting stevia for the liquid sweetener would reduce the volume & change the whole outcome of this recipe. The only liquid sweetener I can use is Yacón syrup. The taste is somewhat stronger than the maple syrup you recommend, more like a barley malt syrup or a mild molasses. In your opinion, would this significantly alter the final taste of this pie? Thanks. :)
Hello Andrea,
I am familiar with Yacon syrup… it would change the coloring (due to its dark brown, thick color) and flavor (due to its richness in a particular flavor note)… not to say that would be a bad thing it just won’t be like the pie I created. It’s worth experimenting with since these are your dietary limitations. Sorry to hear that you have candida. Blessings in your health and healing journey. amie sue
Thanks, Amie Sue. I’ll give it a try & let u know. :)
Please do… it’s impossible for me to try all the different substatutions designing recipe, so hearing how others have to adapt recipes due to medical reasons will help others along as well. :) amie sue
Hi again,
Can I use 2 tablespoons of liquid sunflower lecithin (its kinda pasty) instead of the powder??
Yes you can Joanne. Use the same measurement. Keep me posted how it goes. Enjoy, amie sue
Absolutely beautiful and scrumptious! Sad that I don’t have any to eat right now!
Looks so amazing. A must try. Love your skill and artistry in the kitchen, and your generosity in sharing.
Thank you Gayle… your always so sweet. Blessings, amie sue
Hi Amie Sue,
I just made this awesome recipe….it is basking in my freezer at the moment for 6-8 hrs as specified. I so look forward to tasting it. Will of course let you know the outcome of all my work!!!1 :)
That is wonderful to hear Joanne. I look forward to your report! :) amie sue
This is an absolutely divine pie. So easy to make and so good. My peaches were not as ripe as I would have preferred so do make it with “very” ripe peaches. Just the same it turned out pretty to look at and wonderful to taste and just as important for me, it is not overpoweringly sweet. It reminded me of coconut cream pie with peaches! And I like that. Thanks so much for another winner Amie Sue…..and a great one to bring when you are guesting at someone’s house. THUMBS WAY UP! :)
Thank you so much Joanne. I loved hearing from you! I am thrilled that you enjoyed the pie. I too liked that it wasn’t too sweet, it really allowed for the peaches to shine through. :) I appreciate that you took the time to share this with me. Many blessings, amie sue :)
PS….I think this would also work with nicely ripe mangoes….what do you think?
Absolutely… just about any fresh fruit would work! :)
Wonderful pie! The coconut flavor is definitely an added bonus! It’s always funny how people cannot seem to figure out how this is raw and love the fact that it’s not bad for you AND it tastes delicious!
Thank you so much for all your yummy recipes (I’ve tried quite a few, Teriyaki kale chips is one of my favorites!) and all the extra info you always provide to make sure the end result is as good as your beautiful pictures!
Good morning Utanja… I really loved hearing from you. :) Yes, I know just what you mean. I had Bob take a raw Pecan Cheesecake dessert to a music jam last night and no one could believe that it was dairy-free, etc. I always love that. Your words were so uplifting this morning. Thank you so much. Have a blessed day! amie sue
hello :).. 2 things..can I do with out the lecithin and the coconut oil? Thanks
That’s a tough on Chelle. You can omit the lecithin and not have an ill effect on the outcome but the coconut oil adds to the creamy texture and helps it to set up. You can use pureed young Thai coconut meat and see how that goes, but it won’t set up as well. You may need to keep the pie in the freezer up until serving. Happy holidays! amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue,
For the crust, can I use coconut oil instead of coconut butter?
Good morning Juliana,
Yes that would be fine if you don’t have the coconut butter. The butter adds more a richness but both help the crust to set up. Enjoy and keep me posted how it goes. :) amie sue
Hi Amie Sue,
I made this cake last weekend and it was a hit. So delicious, thank you.
I have a high powered blender, but when I mixed the cashews and had a vortex going to add the coconut oil, the mixture got extremly hot. Does this not ruin the cashews? I did not have it run all that long.
Good day, Nickidu… Goodness, it shouldn’t be getting hot let alone extremely hot. Is your machine working properly? I usually keep my hand cupped around the base of the blender carafe to monitor the temperature. It can get warm to the touch at times, but never hot. If it should start to feel too warm, stop the machine and let things cool down, especially if you are aiming to preserve the “rawness” of your ingredients.
Did you soak the cashews to help soften them prior to blending? See if this issue arises again, if it does then I would question the function of the blender. Let’s see if we can troubleshoot this together. :) blessings, amie sue
Hi Amie, I did soak the cashews like you said. I think it’s my blender. It got extremely hot and not for the first time. I could barely touch the container and there was steam coming out the top. I have a Health Master Elite Blender by Montel Williams and I think you are right. Time to toss it out and get a better one. Thanks, Angie
Good evening Angie,
I think we found the culprit then. I haven’t heard of the blender before so I don’t know much about it. I highly recommend a Vitamix. I have been using mine for a decade now. I know a high powered blender can be an investment but there are certain items that are worth it, and this is one. If you have a tight budget, look on Craigslist or if you are on Facebook, so if your area has a local Facebook Virtual garage sale page. Best of luck! blessings, amie sue