Gluten-Free Thanksgiving - Desserts

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

Whether you are forced to be gluten-free due to an allergy or sensitivity, or you choose to be gluten-free for improved health, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't be enjoying incredibly tasty meals and desserts.

I have prepared complete Thanksgiving meals and not one person could tell it was a gluten-free meal, especially the desserts!

Nut Crusted Pumpkin Pie
serves 8-10

Ingredients

Crust:
2 1/2 c nut of choice (walnuts work well as do macadamia nuts or a combination of nuts!)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tblsp organic butter or ghee. melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In food processor, blend nuts, baking soda and salt until finely ground.  Drizzle in butter and pulse until thoroughly mixed.
Dump into a tart pan and press with your fingers until evenly distributed, including up the sides.
Place tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. (placing the tart pan on a cookie sheets prevents crust from burning)
Remove from oven, fill with pie filling and put back in oven to bake.

Filling:
15 oz can of pumpkin
1 c canned coconut milk (this does NOT impart a coconut flavor, it makes the baked filling velvety smooth!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
pinch of sea salt
3 tblsp pure maple syrup
1 tblsp arrowroot powder (look in the spice section)
3 eggs, whisked

Mix all ingredients until blended, pour into pre-baked crust. 
Do NOT overfill - you could possibly have extra filling.
Bake for 50 minutes (center of pie should be rather firm and wiggle just a little it when moved around.
Let cool completely prior to cutting.




Pecan Pie Bars
makes 24 bars

Crust:
1 3/4 c blanched almond flour (if you can't find almond flour, you can grind raw almonds in your food processor until finely ground)
1 egg
1 tblsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp arrowroot powder (look in spice isle at grocery store)
1/4 tsp sea salt

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until a dough ball forms.  Line a 10x15 inch glass casserole dish with parchment paper (easy clean-up, no sticking!), press dough evenly throughout the dish and bake 15 minutes.

Filling:
10 pitted dates
2 eggs
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c pecans, chopped

In food processor, combine ingredients and process until smooth.
Pour filling mixture over partially baked crust.
Sprinkle with pecans evenly over the top.
Bake another 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting.




Apple Crisp
serves 6

Ingredients

5 med apples
1 1/2 c almond flour
1 tblsp cinnamon
3 tblsp raw honey, melted
4 tblsp coconut oil, melted
dash of sea salt
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400
Wash, core and thinly slice apples. (apple corer is nice!)
Layer apple slices closely together in 8x8 baking dish
Squeeze lemon juice over top of apples
In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients until you have crumbly mixture
Spread crumble topping on top of apple slices
Bake for 50 minutes