For the crust:
- 2 cups raw pecans
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil
- 1 Tbs. of almond butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, grade B
- 1/8 tsp. pink himalayan salt
For the filling:
- 2 cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours, overnight is better)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, grade B
- 4 Tbs. coconut water
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- 1 cup zucchini (peeled & diced)
- 1/2 cup almond butter (or Nut Butter)
- 1/4 cup of Coconut Palm Sugar (If you don’t have coconut palm sugar just use another 1/4 cup of maple syrup for a total of 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 tsp. pink himalayan salt
- The juice of one medium lemon
For the toppings:
Chocolate Sauce
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted
- 4 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of pink himalayan salt
- 6 crushed sun butter cups either pre-made or homemade
Directions:
- Prepare the crust by placing the pecans in a food processor and grind them into fine meal. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients, and process again until well combined.
- Line the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper, then press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. If you have residual oil from the almond butter and coconut oil, just blot with a paper towel. Place the pan in the freezer to set, while you prepare the filling.
- In a high-powered blender, process the raw cashews until they are blended. Then add the coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut water, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and then add the remaining ingredients, zucchini, almond butter, coconut crystals, salt, and lemon juice. For the lemon juice I go by taste as not to overdo it with lemon flavor. I started by juicing 3/4 of the lemon, mixing and tasting, and adding more. Add as needed to your preference then blend again until a super smooth and creamy batter is formed. If your batter is too thick try adding a little more coconut water until the desired smooth creamy batter consistency is reached.
- Pour the filling into the frozen pie crust and use a rubber spatula to smooth out the top. Allow to set for 4-5 hours in the freezer or overnight. Remove about an hour or so before serving so it can thaw a bit. Then add your crushed Sun Butter Cup toppings and chocolate sauce. For the chocolate sauce combine the ingredients together in a small bowl and stir. Then pour desired amount on each slice as you serve. Enjoy!
Notes:
For this recipe you can do one of two things. You can either use pre-made Sun Butter Cups like Sun Cups brand or make your own Sun Butter Cups from scratch using my recipe here. The Sun Cups brand are available at health food stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts. They aren’t technically 100% Paleo because there is milk powder in the ingredients, but they are faster and easier. This is where I think the 80/20 Paleo person would benefit. I won’t tell the Paleo Police if you don’t! If you are looking for true Paleo Sun Butter Cups try my recipe, they’re delicious!
Paleo Nut Butter Cups
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips (soy free, dairy free)
1 cup sunflower seed butter (Sunbutter, Trader Joe’s or any nut butter you prefer)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/3 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1. Line a cupcake pan with silicone cupcake liners.
2. Melt your chocolate chips. What I find works best is to put the chocolate chips in a large stainless steel bowl over a boiling pot of water and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
3. Then take a spoon sized dollop of melted chocolate and put it in the bottom of the silicone liners. Use the spoon to coat the bottom and sides of the liners by spreading the chocolate around and kind of twirling the cup lightly around the spoon. Coat the bottom and the sides well, I went halfway up the sides of my silicone liners. Then place the pan in the freezer to harden while you prepare your nut butter filling.
4. Put the nut butter, coconut oil, raw honey, sea salt, and vanilla in a food processor and mix until combined.
5. After your chocolate has hardened in the freezer, put a dollop of nut butter filling into the center of the cups and freeze again for about 30 minutes.
6. After your nut butter filling is solid use a spoon to coat the tops with the rest of the melted chocolate (by this point you may need to re-melt your chocolate if it’s started to harden, no biggie). Then place in the freezer again until hard.
7. Store nut butter cups in the refrigerator between stuffing your face with them. Enjoy!