Let’s face it, not everyone is a fan of Christmas pudding. Try something different this year with our inclusive Vegan Christmas Pie! With an aquafaba meringue topping, it’s a tasty vegan recipe that’s *slightly* healthier than the traditional Christmas pud. Give it a go and see what you think.

Ingredients

For the base:

150g almond flour

1 scoop Pea Protein Classic Vanilla

65g ground almonds

30g sorghum flour*

30g coconut flour

45g Nutristrength coconut oil, melted

65g vegan butter, room temperature

Juice 1 orange

½ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

*It has a light colour and texture and a mild, sweet flavour, a great ingredient for gluten-free baking. You can use gluten-free oat flour instead.  

For the cranberry filling:

250g fresh cranberries

150g blueberries, frozen

1 tsp vanilla powder

Juice & zest of 1 large orange

70g natural sweetener *

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp agar agar powder

20g Nutristrength coconut oil

½ cup water

*I used natural erythritol. Some adjustments may be needed when using a different type of sweetener/brand. Taste to adjust sweetness.  

For the vegan meringue:

1 tin organic aquafaba (chickpea liquid from 1 tin)

150g powdered erythritol

¾ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the almond, coconut and sorghum flour then the ground almond, cinnamon, salt and protein powder. Pour into your food processor and add melted coconut oil, soft vegan butter and freshly squeezed orange juice.

3. Process the mixture until the dough resembles a coarse meal. If necessary, to bring the dough together, you can add the 1-2 tablespoon of water.

4. Transfer the dough into a standard pie/tart tin and press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides. Press well to compact the crust.  Prick it with a fork a few times.

5. Bake for 10 minutes until the pastry begins to look dry and pale in colour. Set aside to cool.

6. Put the cranberries, blueberries, sweetener, juice of an orange, agar agar, ginger and ½ cup water to a saucepan. Lower the heat and simmer the cranberries, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until they've popped and the mixture is quite thick. Let cool it slightly, then add coconut oil, vanilla and puree until completely smooth.

7. Fold in the cranberry pie filling into your baked pie crust.

8. Place your aquafaba, ½ of the sweetener, xanthan gum and cream of tartar into your stand mixer and whisk on max speed until doubled in size and fluffy. Add sweetener gradually, tablespoon by tablespoon, whipping well after each addition. Whisk until smooth and fluffy with stiff peaks. Cover the pie with the meringue topping.

9. Reduce the heat to 160°C and bake the pie for a further 20-30 minutes until the meringue has browned. The baking time will depend on the amount of meringue on your pie and how it’s piped on. Thick layers will take longer to bake. Alternatively (quicker), you can use a blow torch if you own one.

10. Finally, remove from the oven. Let cool completely to set the meringue. Enjoy!