If you’ve never made a buckeye pie, you’re in for a treat with this easy-to-follow recipe. Traditionally, this Midwest-inspired dessert is a combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter, but this version pairs all-natural almond butter with dark chocolate to create a sweet, creamy pudding pie that’s perfect for any occasion. The best part is the homemade pie crust, which calls for crunchy, crumbled up cookies for a unique gluten-free base. Make it vegan by opting for plant-based milk and/or nut-free by substituting sunflower seed butter for almond butter.
Makes one 9” pie
Ingredients
Crust
1 box Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunchy Cookies
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. vegan margarine, butter or coconut oil
Pudding
3 cups milk
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 cup Vitacost Almond Butter
1/3 cup Vitacost Organic Maple Syrup
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Ganache
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
1/2 cup milk
Optional garnish
1/2 cup Vitacost Organic Raw Almonds, toasted & crushed
Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare crust, pulse cookies in food processor until crushed and crumby. Add sugar and margarine and pulse until evenly combined.
2. In 9” pie plate, firmly press mixture onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides. Bake 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare pudding in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Combine preferred milk and arrowroot, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling; about 6-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and whisk in almond butter, maple syrup, sea salt and vanilla.
5. Pour into heat-safe bowl, lay plastic wrap on surface (this prevents a skin from forming) and place in refrigerator to cool for a couple hours or overnight.
6. Heat small saucepan on low and add chocolate morsels and preferred milk to make ganache. Whisk until melted and remove from heat.
7. To assemble pie, pour half the ganache onto pie crust base. Gently spread up the sides. Scoop almond butter pudding on top.
8. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour then pour remaining ganache on top (you may need to warm ganache again slightly to make it pourable). Garnish with the crushed almonds and chocolate morsels if desired.