Raw Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie

Nom nom nom.

These were way too fun to make.

Like really. Thoroughly enjoyable.

But even better to eat...you with my dear. ;)

Sorry, we are writing Fairy Tales in my classroom as of late, if you can't tell.

Just a little while ago, it was this beautiful girl's birthday. She turned 27. OMGAASH! She is so old!

Haha, just teasing big sis. I am turning 25 in just a few short months--which is crazy!

Anywhoozles (language from my husband, I apologize), I thought: Man oh man, I need to make something epic for this girl's big day. So I did, and it was glorious. (Insert Heavenly chorus here.)

We're talking layers of dense peanut butter cookie crust, banana soft serve, chocolate peanut butter cups, flecks of gold dust...you get the picture.

Literally.

"And it's happy to see you!" (quote from the movie Mulan)

Sorry, I couldn't resist. (Totally unintentional smile, by the way.)

Mmmm...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie

raw, vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

Base (inspired by my raw peanut butter cookies):

• 1 cup raw, whole almonds (or almond meal)
• 1 cup pitted medjool dates
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• couple pinches of salt (to taste)

In your food processor, blend the almonds until they resemble a coarse meal. Add the dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Process the ingredients until the mixture starts to form into a ball. This will take anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes (depending on the strength of your food processor). If it isn't coming together, add another tablespoon or two of peanut butter, stir, and process again. You can even add in a teaspoon of water. Spread at the bottom of 4 ramekins (or small glass bowls).
*Note: you will have leftover cookie dough--you can thank me later. :)

Banana Soft Serve:

• 4 bananas
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Blend ingredients together until a smooth texture is reached (a food processor works just fine, or a blender if you want to wash more dishes, ha). Pour banana mixture into ramekins (or small bowls) and set in the freezer for 2 + hours.

Peanut Butter Cups:

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Peanut butter

Mix together coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup, in a small bowl. Pour chocolate mixture into the bottom of the mini cupcake liners (no need for a mini cupcake pan), just enough to cover the bottom. Set these on a plate and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer and spoon a small amount of peanut butter in the middle of the cups (a small spoonful is perfect). Pour the rest of the chocolate mixture over top of the peanut butter. Try to cover peanut butter completely. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden the chocolate.

AND AT LAST!

Once everything is completed and ready to go, remove the ramekins and peanut butter cups from the freezer. Roughly chop the peanut butter cups. Place the peanut butter cups on top of the banana soft serve bowls. Use as many as you like. Serve and devour! :)

It was a fun day! To see pictures of the process of making this dessert, look below!

Devin pretending that our nephew Shem locked him out of the house. :)

Inspired by this recipe.

And of course by my peanut butter cookies.

"Raw" Peanut Butter Cookies (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free)

Okay seriously, I LOVE peanut butter. I have a slight obsession with the stuff. Sometimes after school, I come home and just dip a spoon into the jar. I deserve it---it's exhausting teaching 3rd graders! ;)

This weekend, my sister and her cute family came to visit us. It's her birthday on Wednesday and I wanted to make her something special. Both her and I are health-fanatics and don't eat the regular sweets that people enjoy on their birthdays---cake, ice cream, cupcakes, cookies, etc. I really wanted to make her something somewhat birthday-oriented, so of course my mind went straight to peanut butter! 

And the end result? Raw Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie. (That's a mouthful. Really it was, and it was delicious.) I will post the recipe later this week. Keep an eye out for it! For the base, I made this Raw Peanut Butter Cookie Crust. I had extra so I made little peanut butter cookies with the traditional criss-cross pattern.

Raw Peanut Butter Cookies

vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free

• 1 cup raw, whole almonds (or almond meal)
• 1 cup pitted medjool dates
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• couple pinches of salt (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you are using whole almonds, process them until they resemble a coarse meal in the food processor. If you are using almond meal, simply pour the almond meal into the food processor and you can move to step two!
2. Add the dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.
3. Process the ingredients until the mixture starts to form into a ball. This will take anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes (depending on the strength of your food processor). If it isn't coming together, add another tablespoon or two of peanut butter, stir, and process again. You can even add in a teaspoon of water. (That's what I had to do because my dates were a tad dry.)
4. Form the dough into bite-sized balls and place on a baking sheet (or plate) covered with parchment paper. Press each ball gently with a fork to make the classic peanut butter cookie criss-cross pattern.
5. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Those are my cute little peanut butter crusts just ready to be made into birthday pies!

 Thank you Sweetest Kitchen for the inspiration!