No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Pie

Step 1

Before You Begin: Place the cashews in a small bowl and add water to cover them by about 1 inch. Set aside to soak for at least 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 2

Crust: Place the 8 chopped dates into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the oats and process until crumbly. With the machine running, add 2 tablespoons of apple juice. Continue to process until mixture begins to adhere together. If necessary, add more juice a teaspoon at a time, but be careful not to add too much. You want it to be sticky but not wet. Press into the bottom of an 8-inch pie pan and up the sides about 1 inch. Set aside.

Step 3

Filling: Drain the cashews and place them in the blender (a Vitamix or other high-speed blender works best, but others should be able to do a good job). Add the tofu, 2 dates, lemon juice, chia seeds, and lemon rind. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds inside; add them to the blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.

Step 4

Taste the filling mixture and add sweetener to taste. (I increased the lemon flavor by using lemon-flavored stevia.) Leave the mixture in the blender as you continue with the next step.

Step 5

The next steps require you to work quickly. Heat the 1/2 cup of apple juice in a small sauce pan. As it’s heating, sprinkle it with the agar powder. Stir and heat until agar dissolves and juice begins to boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute after boiling. Quickly, add the agar mixture to the contents of the blender. Put the top on the blender and blend at high speed until well-blended. Scrape down the sides and blend again briefly. Pour into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate until chilled and set.

Step 6

Top with sliced strawberries before serving.