You may be wondering… “what is Crio Bru?” ~~ well, it’s basically brewed cocoa beans! Which is simply a fancy way of saying that it’s seriously the truest form of “hot chocolate” there could possibly be! Here’s little snippet from their web site:
“Created by the ancient Incas and rediscovered for today, Crio Bru is the ultimate superfood, a delicious all-natural coffee alternative made from the finest fair trade cocoa beans, roasted and ground and brewed just like coffee. But unlike coffee, it’s 99% caffeine free, high in antioxidants and theobromine for a focused, Honest Energy™ boost that will keep you feeling great all day, without jitters or sleeplessness. As for the taste and aroma, it’s like the best dark chocolate; enjoy it with your favorite sweetener or creamer, or just as it is, hot or iced: natural, earthy, uplifting!”
We are not coffee drinkers, but instead enjoy ourselves a cup of this amazing elixir every single morning! We love it so much we packed our french press all the way to Maui last year (twice) to ensure we could have our daily cup before we hit the beach! To say we are huge fans would be an understatement! Head on over to the Crio Bru web site and have a peak…pretty sure it’ll be a hit at your home or office too…even if you drink coffee, this will be something fun to add to your routine!
Alright, so one morning last month I just had the thought…why not make a Crio Bru pie!! We always used to have a chocolate cream pie for Thanksgiving, but have not for several years since enjoying the Paleo lifestyle. This year is different, since Crio Bru is chocolate…tada, it very easily turned into a base for this paleo version of chocolate cream pie! Now, if you don’t drink Crio Bru (get and bag and start) you could probably do the same thing with brewed coffee…total guess there, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It would then be called a “coffee cream pie?” or maybe a “mocha cream pie?” ~~ that I’m not sure of, but you get where I’m going. Get that french press out and brew up a double strength batch and get this pie started!!
The ganache layer is totally optional and does contain a bit of butter, but you could swap out and use coconut oil. If this seems like too much work, you can skip it. Other than that, this pie is completely dairy free if you also use whipped coconut cream up on top. Our tummies are ok with a bit of full fat cream, so we use that.
crio bru (aka chocolate) cream pie
decadent paleo Crio Bru (chocolate) cream pie
Credit: backporchpaleo.com
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked paleo pie crust
- Ganache (optional bottom layer)
- ½ c dark chocolate chips
- ¼ c full fat coconut milk
- 2 T butter or coconut oil
- ¼ c maple syrup
- Crio Bru layer
- 1 13½oz can full fat coconut milk
- ¾ c + 2 T (divided) double strength brewed Crio Bru
- 6-7 T maple syrup (depends on how dark you like your chocolate!)
- 1 T great lakes grass-fed gelatin (orange canister)
- ¼ c coconut cream (the thick part of the coconut milk at the top of the can once it’s been refrigerated overnight)
- dark chocolate for garnish (optional)
- whipped cream or coconut cream for garnish (optional)
Directions
- If adding the ganache layer to the bottom, start here…if not skip to step #4
- In a double broiler or a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, add chocolate chips, coconut milk, butter and maple syrup…as it melts, whisk to combine.
- Once ganache ingredients are melted and smooth, pour into the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust and place in fridge to set up.
- In a small sauce pan combine, coconut milk, ¾ cup double strength Crio Bru and maple syrup, warm over low heat.
- In a small bowl, add gelatin and pour the 2 tablespoons of Crio Bru over the top and let it soften up for a few minutes.
- Once gelatin is softened, scoop into the small saucepan with the main coconut milk mixture and slowly stir over medium heat until all gelatin is dissolved and mixture is smooth.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small glass bowl and place in refrigerator until nearly set. Depending on how warm it is this could take several hours…just keep an eye on it.
- Once gelatin mixture is just about set, whisk it about to loosen it up a bit and then add the thick coconut cream…whisk until completely combined and smooth. You can use an electric mixture if you need to.
- Pour this mixture into the pie crust…if you are doing the ganache layer, just make sure the ganache is completely set before adding the Crio Bru layer.
- Place pie in refrigerator until set, this can take upwards of 5-6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream (or coconut cream) and shaved chocolate.
- Store any uneaten pie in refrigerator and eat within a day or two…the crust will become soggy and the ganache will start to “weep” – it will still taste fine, but the texture could be a bit sloppy!
