Sunseed Chocolate Caramel Pie

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Lightly oil a 9-inch glass pie dish.
2. To make the crust, put the cookies in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the buttery spread and maple syrup. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
3. Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish. Using a flat bottom (such as from a glass), press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while preparing the filling.
4. To make the filling, put the sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, buttery spread, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until well-combined. Stir in the Mini Chips, sunflower seeds, and tapioca starch. Stir in the hot water.
5. Pour the mixture into the crust, spreading evenly, careful not to break the bottom of the crust. Use aluminum foil to wrap the edges of the crust so they do not burn (do not cover the filling) Bake for 25 minutes, until the filling is slightly firm to the touch. Cool at least 45 minutes. You can enjoy the tart warm, but the filling will continue to firm as it cools.
6. Serve as desired, storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and any other leftovers to the freezer.

Laurie Sadowski is the author of three cookbooks devoted to gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly baking. Using baking chemistry as a basis, everything is developed—and guaranteed—to taste ‘just like the real thing’. For more, visit lauriesadowski.com.