Salted Caramel, Pecan and Chocolate Ganache Pie

This article is from our guest blogger Luca Bogen, find more of her amazing recipes here

So Christmas is here and it’s time for lots of chocolate and pies! I’m definitely not a fan of Christmas pudding, but I am a huge fan of chocolate, caramel and nuts (yum), three ingredients that to me pretty much sum up the flavour of the Christmas season. Deliciously rich and smooth chocolate ganache on top of sticky salted caramel, toasted pecans and held in a crumbly biscuit base – mmmmm I smell Christmas coming! And, what’s even better, of course this recipe is vegan and contains no refined sugar or gluten so you can indulge in chocolate pie guilt free. Yes Please!

Ingredients

Base:

140g Gluten Free Oats (regular oats can be used here if you don’t want to use gluten free)

40g Sunflower Seeds

40g Pecans + 80g Pecans for layering and decorating

50ml Melted Coconut Oil

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

40ml Agave or Maple Syrup (I used agave for this recipe)

Salted Caramel Layer

250g Dates

1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

50ml Coconut Milk

50ml Water

Chocolate Ganache Layer

80g Raw Cacao Powder

100g Almond Butter

2 Tbsp melted Coconut Oil

3-4 Tbsp Agave or Maple Syrup (I used agave for this recipe)

250ml Coconut Milk

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Soak your dates for the caramel layer in a bowl of hot water and set aside.

Lightly toast the sunflower seeds and pecans on a baking tray lined with baking paper for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Make sure you toast the pecans for layering and décor (80g) on a separate tray. Once toasted remove and let them slightly cool.

Blend the oats and the cooled toasted oats until flour forms; add the rest for the base ingredients until dough forms. If the dough isn’t sticking add a little water until you find a dough consistency.

Gently roll the dough out into a small ball and then press into your pie tin until the whole tin is covered. Make sure the base isn’t too thick, as you need space for a few layers on top. I used a non stick pie tin but you can use baking paper if necessary.

Tip: Using ceramic baking beans to bake your base layer will ensure a smooth layer. If you don’t have any, and I used to do this before I purchased some, you can bake without and then gently spoon out a bit of your base once it comes out of the oven to create an even layer.

Pour your ceramic baking beans over the base and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Whilst your crust is baking you can start making the caramel. Your dates should be soft by now so remove them from the water and remove any pips. Blend your dates in a blender with the rest of the ingredients and then transfer to a saucepan and gently heat whilst stirring until you have a smooth caramel sauce.

Once your base layer has cooled slightly, spread an even layer of the caramel onto the pie base and then layer with toasted pecans. You can save a little caramel here to use for decorating.

Next blend your chocolate ganache ingredients together in a blender until smooth and pour over the pie until it fills the pie tin.

Set the pie in the fridge over night and in the morning your ganache will have set beautifully. Drizzle the remaining caramel over the pie with a few toasted pecans to decorate, remove from the pie tin and serve immediately.

Your pie should keep for 2-3 days in the fridge but it is best eaten fresh. Enjoy at your Christmas dinner party with vegan ice cream or heated hazelnut milk poured over a slice. 

Love always, 

Luca xxxx

This post was originally found on Consume Positivity, please visit for more great ideas and recipes