This recipe is interchangeable: the fruit and whole grains can be changed according to the ingredients you may have on hand at any given time.
I like to make Breakfast Pies for Sunday mornings, but they can be made and served anytime!
Makes 2 “Pies”
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients:
A generous amount of fruit to fill the bottom of a pie pan. The fruit shrinks as it cooks, so use a heaping amount of fruit. Suggestions: thin slices of tart Granny Smith Apples, layered; frozen blueberries or raspberries; sliced peaches, layered.
Topping:
2 cups Rolled Oats
2 cups cooked whole grains: our favorites are farro, buckwheat, or quinoa [I always have cooked grains on hand in the refrigerator; or I freeze them in 2 cup amounts.]
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
3 Tablespoons ground flax seeds mixed with ¼ cup water; allow to sit for 10 minutes (or you may do this step the night before and allow it to sit overnight in the refrigerator)
2 cups Fruit Paste [Whenever I have 3-4 overripe bananas, I blend them in the Vitamix with 3-4 quartered apples, and at least a cup or more of dates or prunes. I store them in Ziplock bags (in 2 cup amounts) in the freezer. If you are diabetic, omit the dried fruit.]
Directions:
Place generous amounts of fruit in the bottom of the two pie pans. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, with clean hands, mix together the rest of the ingredients; making sure everything is thoroughly saturated but not soggy. Add more rolled oats and chopped walnuts if necessary.
Divide this mixture between the two pans of fruit. Gently press on top of the fruit. Garnish by pressing some dried or fresh fruit shapes or nuts on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a light golden brown
I make one pie to serve warm and store the other one in the freezer for later.
Note: You may shake together a bit of cornstarch with water to make a slurry mixture, stir in a bit more date paste—and then stir into the berries before cooking if you want the berries to “stick together..”
Enjoy!
Emily Boller, wife, mother, artist, and author is on a mission to create expressive works of art in her lifetime; and to bring awareness to the potentially harmful traps of diet-wellness culture.
In her free time, she loves to chase sunrises, grow flowers and vegetables, and can homemade soups.