Note: I have updated the pie crust to a coconut oil pie crust I made for another recipe.

Whenever I buy frozen pie shells to make quiche with, I use the other one to make healthy simple cherry pie..thats one pie thats actually easy as pie!

Coconut oil pie crust:

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour ( I imagine rye flour would work too)
• 2/3 cup coconut oil, solid and cold, but scoopable as you find it in winter, when its not melted into liquid (If not using butter flavored coconut oil, use Refined coconut oil for less coconut taste if you don’t like it)
• optional, 1 tbsp coconut butter in place of 1 tbsp of a tbsp of above oil, not melted, room temp (u wont taste the coconut, I’ve used more in it before) or cold palm fruit oil (note you can find an environmentally friendly palm oil, also if using red palm oil, it makes things orangey so you’ve been warned)
• 3-6 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Optional, tsp sugar

OR 1 frozen pie shell, dairy free and/or gluten free if necessary, or for paleo use an almond flour pie shell, frozen, storebought or homemade*see below

1. Mix the flour and salt either in a food processor attached with a dough blade or in a large bowl (ideally a bowl that you can easily get your hands into). Pulse a few times or mix by hand. Add coconut oil. Pulse or do it by hand and use a pastry cutter/pastry blender (or a fork) to cut the oil into the flour for about 35-40 seconds. It will look like wet fine crumble like wet sand with no chunks left and beads of fat smaller than a pea. If using food processor keeping stopping to scrape down the sides in this step and next steps. (note: a stand mixer can be used too to reduce handling with warm hands).
2. Add 3 tbsp ice water, adding only as much as needed to get it into a dough. Mix with wooden spoon or pulse. add an extra tbsp of ice water, adding one tbsp at a time only as needed to make it a dough(if you take off a piece it should be easy to roll into a ball), and mix with spoon or pulse. Only use as much water as needed for dough to come together and so it is not too dry nor sticky. Very briefly knead it with your hands (they add warmth though so not long and don’t overwork the dough!)
3. Place ball of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper (with one paper on top of the dough and the dough on top of one paper or on a plastic non-stick mat to prevent sticking as rolling, you can spray them lightly if needed) or use a marble board and use a rolling pin to roll it out as a disc shape.
4. Flip parchment paper over to gently turn out the dough over greased pie pan (greased with coconut oil of course! or disposable pie pans if sold out) and make short edges as this oil based crust doesn’t hold quite as strongly as buttery ones.
5. Flip the other rolled out dough disc to cover it, trim excess with kitchen scissors (fluting with fingers if desired, but its not necessary as long as its sealed, no fancy designs with coconut oil pie crust though!).
6. Can be made ahead, wrapped up in seran wrap, refrigerated for a day, or frozen and then thawed .
7. Paleo sub tip: if using almond flour, since almonds contain some fat you may want to decrease the oil slightly. You can also use a combo of almond and regular flour for better consistency.
8. If using a gluten free flour mix, use one with some xanthan gum, and do not freeze and thaw, its too crumbly. Also adding an egg can help and if so you may reduce the ice water. chill it 20 min before using.
9. If using whole wheat pastry flour you may need more water.

Pie filling:

3 cups frozen pitted cherries

1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional

lots of grated df dark chocolate for topping

1. Extra optional step to make lattice weave on top(this hack only works with regular non gf frozen shells). (I skipped it in the pic day as i already made quiche with the other pie shell): use a 2nd defrosted pie crust, take it out from aluminum tray and put on a floured board or non–stick mat.use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the crust to about 10-11” depending on size of your shell ie if its deep dish or not, then cut rolled dough into strips that can be latice weaved on top of the cherry filled second crust at the end. I usually dont bother as i use my second pie shell for quiche and i dont need that much dough/cherry pie usually, but if you want to cover your pie with a latice weave without the hassle of making pie dough this is a nice hack that can be used for this and other pies.
2. Preheat oven to 375. Put cherries in a sauce pan and cook until a lot of the juice has evaporated, take off heat and cool for a few mins. Take out frozen pie crust to thaw a few mins.pour cherries into it.Bake for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 35 to 42 minutes or until the crust is golden.tip gf pie shells are slighlty paler looking in the oven but when golden outside theyre done.Top with grated chocolate so that it will melt into some of the juice. Serve with coconut whipped cream or ice cream if desired

*Paleo pie shell:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl mix together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup shredded coconut(optional, for desserts),1 teaspoon maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Add 1/4 cup melted vegan butter or palm oil shortening ( I haven’t tried ghee here, it would be more salty which is ok for savory foods) and 2 tablespoons melted or liquid coconut oil plus 1/2 tablespoon water. Mix with dough cutter or your hands. A very coconuty variation is to use 3/4 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 tbsp more water.

Grease a pie pan and press dough down using the bottom of a heavy glass. Whisk one egg white and use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the crust. Bake for 12 min til barely golden then add cooked cherries as above and bake until fully golden, approx 25min. Keep in mind if you dont freeze it the baking time of the above cherry recipe will be less.