GLUTEN FREE SOY FREE VEGAN or DAIRY FREE NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     The dairy full version of this pie was so amazing that I wanted to serve it for Thanksgiving.  My son is vegan so I decided to make both a dairy free and a dairy full version.  I made mini pies since they are much easier to serve.
     “How did it come out?”, you ask.  Really great!  There is very little difference in taste or texture between the dairy free and the dairy full versions.  I did have to adjust the recipe because the dairy free cream cheese was very tart.  My daughter-in-law can not eat soy or gluten and Daiya is the only dairy free brand that is also soy free.  Please read the recipe carefully so that you can adjust it if you use different brands of ingredients.
     I have been busy cooking all day, but I am pushing to get this post up today so that you too can enjoy this on Thursday.
     Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

GLUTEN FREE SOY FREE VEGAN or DAIRY FREE NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Makes one 9-inch pie or 15 mini pies

Ingredients
CRUST

2 Tbs.	Earth Balance Soy Free Margarine or other soy free GF, DF or Vegan Margarine - melted  OR use vegetable oil such as canola or olive
2 Tbs.	Shortening that is GF & Soy Free & DF or Vegan such as Spectrum organic on hydrogenated shortening - melted OR use vegetable oil such as canola or olive
2 cups / about 8 oz.	GF & DF or Vegan & Soy Free Chocolate Cookies  - finely crushed or ground in the food processor. I used one (6.3 oz.) box of Enjoy Life brand crisp Double Chocolate Chip cookies since they are GF and Soy free and contain no eggs or dairy.
3 Tbs.	Sugar
1/4 tsp.	Xanthan Gum

FILLING

8 oz.	DF or Vegan Soy Free Cream Cheese - at room temperature  I used Daiya brand since it has no soy and is vegan, DF and GF. If soy is not a problem just use any brand of vegan or dairy free cream cheese.
1 cup	Smooth Peanut Butter I used Organic unsalted peanut butter with peanuts as the ONLY ingredient.
1 recipe	Dairy Free Condensed Milk (recipe below)
4 tsp.	Lemon Juice
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup	Sugar (I had to add this because the Daiya cream cheese was quite tart and the condensed milk was less sweet than a traditional condensed milk.  Taste the peanut butter mixture before folding in the whipped cream.  Add the sugar if needed for your taste.  Adjust the amount if necessary.  You may prefer to use more or less or no sugar at all at this point.)
1 recipe	Coconut Whipped Cream (recipe below)

DAIRY FREE CONDENSED MILK
Ingredients

3 cups	Non Dairy Milk - I used Almond milk.  You can use coconut or hemp or whatever you like.
1/2 cup	Sugar - I used evaporated cane juice crystal.  For vegan be sure to use a vegetarian sugar.

COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
Ingredients

1 can/ 14 oz.	Full fat Coconut Cream - kept cold in the fridge overnight. I used Trader Joe’s brand and used the whole can.   If you use coconut milk (full fat) you will need 2 cans that are kept in the fridge overnight.  Drain off the liquid (and save for another use) and use only the solid part of the coconut in the cans.
1/4 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1 Tbs.	Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar

Directions

1. First make the Dairy Free Condensed Milk.
2. In a saucepan with a heavy bottom add the milk and sugar and stir.  

   

   Almond milk and sugar in a heavy bottom pan.

3. Cook over a medium low flame.  It can take 2 hours to reduce the milk to about 1 cup.

   

   Mixture simmering on low medium heat.

   
   

   

   After cooking down to 1 cup.
   It took about 2 hours.

   
   

   

   Measuring the diary free condensed milk.

4. Allow the milk to cool off and then pour into a glass jar and place in the fridge to cool completely.  You can make this ahead.  The condensed milk will keep for several days in the fridge.

   

   Dairy free condensed milk in a jar.

   
   

   

   What it looks like after sitting in the fridge for several hours.

5. Next make the crust. 
6. Grind the cookies into crumbs in the food processor.  Add the crumbs to a large bowl and mix in the xanthan gum and sugar.  Set aside. 

   

   Ground up cookie crumbs.

7. Melt the margarine and shortening.  Add the melted margarine & shortening (or oil, if using) to the crumb mixture.  Mix well.

   

   Melted margarine and shortening.

   
   

   

   Crumb mixture and margarine mixture well combined.

8. To make one large pie put the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.  Press the crumbs as evenly as you can along the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Set aside.  To make Mini Pies use paper liners in a muffin pan.  I scooped out the crumbs using a scoop that measured 1 1/2-inches.  Then I pressed the crumbs along the bottom and slightly up the side. Set aside.

   

   Crumbs scooped into paper liners in a muffin pan.
   Some of the crumbs have been pressed into to bottom
    and slightly up the side of the  liners.

9. Next make the filling.
10. With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. 

    

    Whipped dairy free cream cheese

11. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, condensed milk and vanilla.  Stir or beat until smooth.  I tried to use the electric hand mixer, but the batter was too thick and climbed up the beaters, so I used a silicone spatula to mix it.  There will probably be no problem mixing it if using a stand mixer.

    

    Peanut butter mixture.

12. In a separate bowl add the cold firm part of the coconut milk or the entire can of coconut cream, xanthan gum and confectioner’s sugar.  Whip with a hand mixer until thick.  Add the whipped cream to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture.

    

    Coconut whipped cream added to the peanut butter mixture in the bowl.

13. Add 1/4 of the coconut whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and stir or mix until smooth.
14. Next fold in the rest whipped coconut cream using a silicone spatula.

    

    Beginning to fold the coconut whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.

    
    

    

    The pie filling after the coconut whipped cream is completely folded in.

15. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust if making a large pie or scoop out portions into the prepared muffin tins if making mini pies.  Smooth out the top of the pie or mini pies.  Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    
    

    

    Scooping the filling into the prepared muffin pan.
    Some of the tops are smoothed out.

16. You can make this pie ahead and freeze the whole pie or mini pies well wrapped.  For mini pies first freeze them in the muffin pan so that they keep their shape.  When the mini pies are firm place them in containers or baggies and return them to the freezer. Thaw in the fridge the morning of the day you plan to serve the pie.  Left over slices can be frozen and thawed as needed.

    

    Mini pie after several hours of chilling.

17. For a fancy presentation you can drizzle melted chocolate over the pie or mini pies.

GLUTEN FREE SOY FREE VEGAN or DAIRY FREE NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PIE Makes one 9-inch pie or 15 mini pies Ingredients CRUST 2 Tbs. Earth Balance Soy Free Margarine or other soy free GF, DF or Vegan Margarine - melted OR use vegetable oil such as canola or olive 2 Tbs. Shortening that is GF & Soy Free & DF or Vegan such as Spectrum organic on hydrogenated shortening - melted OR use vegetable oil such as canola or olive 2 cups / about 8 oz. GF & DF or Vegan & Soy Free Chocolate Cookies - finely crushed or ground in the food processor. I used one (6.3 oz.) box of Enjoy Life brand crisp Double Chocolate Chip cookies since they are GF and Soy free and contain no eggs or dairy. 3 Tbs. Sugar 1/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum FILLING 8 oz. DF or Vegan Soy Free Cream Cheese - at room temperature I used Daiya brand since it has no soy and is vegan, DF and GF. If soy is not a problem just use any brand of vegan or dairy free cream cheese. 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter I used Organic unsalted peanut butter with peanuts as the ONLY ingredient. 1 recipe Dairy Free Condensed Milk (recipe below) 4 tsp. Lemon Juice 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1/4 cup Sugar (I had to add this because the Daiya cream cheese was quite tart and the condensed milk was less sweet than a traditional condensed milk. Taste the peanut butter mixture before folding in the whipped cream. Add the sugar if needed for your taste. Adjust the amount if necessary. You may prefer to use more or less or no sugar at all at this point.) 1 recipe Coconut Whipped Cream (recipe below) DAIRY FREE CONDENSED MILK Ingredients 3 cups Non Dairy Milk - I used Almond milk. You can use coconut or hemp or whatever you like. 1/2 cup Sugar - I used evaporated cane juice crystal. For vegan be sure to use a vegetarian sugar. COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM Ingredients 1 can/ 14 oz. Full fat Coconut Cream - kept cold in the fridge overnight. I used Trader Joe’s brand and used the whole can. If you use coconut milk (full fat) you will need 2 cans that are kept in the fridge overnight. Drain off the liquid (and save for another use) and use only the solid part of the coconut in the cans. 1/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum 1 Tbs. Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar Directions First make the Dairy Free Condensed Milk. In a saucepan with a heavy bottom add the milk and sugar and stir. Cook over a medium low flame. It can take 2 hours to reduce the milk to about 1 cup. Allow the milk to cool off and then pour into a glass jar and place in the fridge to cool completely. You can make this ahead. The condensed milk will keep for several days in the fridge. Next make the crust. Grind the cookies into crumbs in the food processor. Add the crumbs to a large bowl and mix in the xanthan gum and sugar. Set aside. Melt the margarine and shortening. Add the melted margarine & shortening (or oil, if using) to the crumb mixture. Mix well. To make one large pie put the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Press the crumbs as evenly as you can along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside. To make Mini Pies use paper liners in a muffin pan. I scooped out the crumbs using a scoop that measured 1 1/2-inches. Then I pressed the crumbs along the bottom and slightly up the side. Set aside. Next make the filling. With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, condensed milk and vanilla. Stir or beat until smooth. I tried to use the electric hand mixer, but the batter was too thick and climbed up the beaters, so I used a silicone spatula to mix it. There will probably be no problem mixing it if using a stand mixer. In a separate bowl add the cold firm part of the coconut milk or the entire can of coconut cream, xanthan gum and confectioner’s sugar. Whip with a hand mixer until thick. Add the whipped cream to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture. Add 1/4 of the coconut whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and stir or mix until smooth. Next fold in the rest whipped coconut cream using a silicone spatula. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust if making a large pie or scoop out portions into the prepared muffin tins if making mini pies. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can make this pie ahead and freeze the whole pie or mini pies well wrapped. For mini pies first freeze them in the muffin pan so that they keep their shape. When the mini pies are firm place them in containers or baggies and return them to the freezer. Thaw in the fridge the morning of the day you plan to serve the pie. Left over slices can be frozen and thawed as needed. For a fancy presentation you can drizzle melted chocolate over the pie or mini pies.