As selective as I am about what I put into (and on) my body, I’m sure you can guess that I’m equally selective with what goes into (and on) my son’s body, too. To be clear, I don’t approach things like diet from a really rigid and restrictive place. Nothing about that feels good to me. Instead, I do my best to get expansive and creative about it.

I started dreaming about what I was going to make for Ocean’s 1st birthday celebration when he was about 6 months old because I was (and still am) clear about the foods that really support and serve who he is, and those that don’t. Instead of a dairy and sugar-heavy dessert, I knew I was going to make him a fruit-based pie with a yummy nut-based crust.

The results? He devoured it and fully enjoyed it – without the sugar highs and lows most kids go through on their birthdays. And, if I’m completely honest, mommy and daddy enjoyed the pie, too… 😉

This recipe can be created in stages, or all at once. For example, I made the crust a week in advance, and I stored it in a sealed container in the refrigerator until I was ready to press it into the pie plate and assemble the pie. I put the rest of the pie together on the day of Ocean’s birthday.

Truth be told, I think this pie was made in about 15 minutes – including the blueberry décor! And really, the decorating part of it will likely be the part that takes the most time. The rest of it is really quick work.

I hope you enjoy this yummy dish and share it with your loved ones. They will love it, and they will love you for it, too.

Ocean’s Super-Nutrish-Ultra-Delish Mango Pie

Prep time: 25 minutes (likely much less)
Yield: one 10” pie

Pie Crust:
1 ½ cups raw pecans
½ cup raisins
10 pitted Medjool dates
¼ cup carob powder
Pinch high mineral salt

Pie Filling:
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen mango, thawed
½ cup dried mango, cut into 2” pieces, placed into a small bowl and covered with purified water to soak for 15 minutes

Pie Décor:
Sliced fresh blueberries, strawberries, blackberries
Sliced kiwi fruit, mango, or other fruit of choice
Shredded and unsweetened coconut
Chopped macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds
Additional carob powder

Pie Assembly:

1. Soak the cut dried mango pieces in a bowl of purified water (enough to cover the mango) for 15 minutes. While it soaks, prepare and then press the pie crust into the pie plate.
2. Place the pecans and salt into a food processor and process until the pecans are broken down into small pieces – approximately ½ cm in size.
3. Next, place the remaining pie crust ingredients into the food processor and process until the pecan pieces are the size of very small pebbles and all of the ingredients begin to stick together.
4. To press the pie crust into place, loosely arrange the processed crumbled pie crust into a pie plate so that the crust comes up the sides of the plate.
5. Press the crust into the sides of the pie plate. Then press the crust into the part of the pie plate where the bottom of the plate meets the sides. Finally, press the crust into the bottom of the pie plate, doing your best to keep the thickness of the crust fairly uniform throughout.
6. Once the pie crust has been pressed firmly into place, pour the mango pie filling into the crust, and using a rubber spatula, spread the filing throughout the crust so that it’s evenly distributed and fairly smooth on top.
7. Decorate the pie with the toppings of your choice: sliced fresh fruit and/or berries, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, additional carob powder, etc. Let your creativity and imagination flow freely with this, and have fun!
8. Cover your decorated pie and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.
9. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Super-Nutrish-Ultra-Delish Mango Pie will keep for 3 days.