Most pies are made from white sugar, white flour and butter, but this one is made from gluten-free oats, flax seeds and fruit. You can even eat it for breakfast; I do!

Crust Ingredients:

1¼ cups gluten-free oats

¼ cup ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon

4 ounces of sulfite-free dried apples

8 ounces of pitted dates

1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

Crust Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a high-powered blender, grind oats and seeds, and then transfer to a food processor fitted with the “S” blade.

2. Add the spice and dried apples and process until they are finely ground.

3. Add the dates a few at a time, until mixture start to stick together and you can easily clump it into a ball. Add the vanilla and briefly process again.

4. Press evenly into a 9-inch spring-form pan.

Filling Ingredients:

4 tablespoons chia seeds

4 tablespoons lemon juice (add zest if using fresh)

3 pounds apples (before peeling)

1 cup date paste (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon apple pie spice or cinnamon

1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Filling Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds and lemon juice, and set aside.

2. Peel the apples and then finely chop them. (To finely chop the apples, you can use an ulu or mezzaluna tool, or briefly pulse them in the food processor fitted with the “S” blade.)

3. Stir in the date paste, spice, vanilla, and chia seed-lemon juice mixture, and mix well.

4. Pour evenly over the crust, and sprinkle with the coconut. You can chill this pie and eat it raw; warm it in a food dehydrator for several hours; or bake it at 350°F for 50-55 minutes (or until the coconut starts to brown). Serve hot, warm, cold, or at room temperature, with or without pear whipped cream.