Tasty AND Healthy - SUGAR FREE Choco-PB-Banana Pie recipe

Recently I had a person living near me ask for a Sugar free pie, preferably one that has chocolate, peanut butter and bananas as primary ingredients. Hmmm... that's a tall order since commercial peanut butters often have sugars added in. So I put on my Bing search hat, and got to work.

I hit pay-dirt on a blog that inspired me and I bookmarked it. See the original recipe here (to be fair to the lady who came up with it first!)

Ingredients:
1 c. salted peanuts
1/3 c chopped dates
2 Tbsp. dark chocolate cocoa powder
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5 frozen bananas (I threw whole bananas into the freezer, and then took them back out about an hour before I needed them)
2 (more) Tbsp. dark chocolate cocoa powder
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1 (more) c. salted peanuts
unsweetened almond milk ("some" - I had to wing this part a bit)


Directions:

1. To make the crust, blend the nuts, dates and cocoa powder in a food processor until it forms a "doughy" consistency. Line the pie plate with this dough. Put the crust in the freezer while making the 2nd layer.

2. Again in the blender, mix the 2nd cup of peanuts with the almond milk - I made mine a little too thick, so add enough to make it come out like a peanut butter creme consistency. Put this layer on top of the pie crust. Return the pie to the freezer while making the 3rd layer.

3. In the food processor (again - I didn't bother to wash it out in between, just scraped it well with the neon spatula you see above, since it was all going into the same dish and I'm all about not having too many MORE dishes to wash!), puree the no-longer-so-frozen bananas with the cocoa powder until smooth and custardy. Put this layer on top of the peanut butter creme layer.

4. Freeze for about 2 hours until set. About 40 minutes before you need it, take it out so you're not serving it rock hard. The Spoonful-of-Sugar-Free lady topped hers with chopped peanuts, sliced bananas and sugar free chocolate shavings. Yum!

This alligator-style piece is the one I cut for my 8 year old - the cream on top is heavy whipping cream I got for a good price and whipped up, sans sugar. This recipe is not super sweet like most American pies and desserts are, but if you want just a taste of something sweet without the unhealthier elements, and if, like me, you shy away from the artificial sugar substitutes, this is a good one to try!

The family weighs in...

Bruiser (8 years old): MORE!!!
Maestro (13): It's good, but a little too much peanut butter.
Jeff: It's good for being sugar free, but not my first dessert choice. (His "first dessert choice" is usually cheesecake!)
Buttercup (4): I don't like it.
Me: Okay, bring your plate here then and I'll finish it.
Buttercup: I ate it all.

Hmmm... so how much did she not like it, really?? You decide!

Tillie