Frozen Beet White Chocolate Pie with Pistachio Crust
This frozen beet white chocolate pie is creamy, lightly spiced, and a gorgeous natural magenta color on a nutty pistachio crust. This delicious pie can be topped with whipped cream ghosts with eyes and served for Halloween, topped with sugar hearts and served for Valentine’s Day, or as a unique holiday pie.
It is currently 7 am and I am sitting here with a slice of this beet white chocolate pie and a cup of coffee. Apparently, I cannot write about this pie or look at pictures of it without tasting it. It is that good! I really hope you give it a try and taste its deliciousness for yourself.
A Quick Glance at this Beet White Chocolate Pie with Pistachio Crust
- Natural coloring. There’s no food coloring in this at all.
- Make-ahead. The filling is blended, poured, and frozen, so you can make it weeks ahead.
- 10 Ingredients. Most of which can be found at your grocery store.
- Serves 8. It yields 8 slices, no judgment as to how many you consume.
- Delicious. If you love beets, you will love this pie. However, I must add, the beet flavor isn’t dominant.
- Pretty enough for company. A deep ruby red/magenta filling on a green crust looks lovely for Valentine’s Day, holiday tables, or any Halloween party.
Inception…
This pie happened by accident. I have been working my way through refreshing some old content on here, retaking photos and redoing posts. Well, I was going to refresh these beet bowls for Halloween and had the ingredients ready to go. But then an intrusive thought pushed through, cajoling me to make an icebox pie similar to this pistachio cheesecake.
I bulk roast beets, so I had a roasted beet as well as some pistachios, so I gave in to those thoughts. I made this pie and froze it. I was a bit reluctant to taste it. So, this pie hung out in my freezer for almost 2 weeks. Then, yesterday, I decided to give it a try. I was so pleasantly surprised at how delicious it turned out. Currently, I have only 3 slices left. There are 2 of us here, and less than 24 hours of cutting into this, so I’ll let you do the math!
What is in this beet white chocolate pie?
For the crust, you will need
- Pistachios: I used raw pistachios. You can roast your pistachios for about 8-9 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit before grinding them, for a deeper flavor. However, that’s not necessary for this.
- Coconut oil: I like the taste of coconut and the way coconut oil tends to harden when chilled, so I used it.
- Sweetener: I used granulated sugar. If you prefer to limit your sugar intake, monk fruit could be used.
For the filling
- Roasted beet: I love beets, so I often roast 4 or 5 at a time, wrapped in foil, in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour, until they soften. I roasted the beet at the same time as the beet I used in this beet soup.
- White chocolate: a white chocolate bar or white chocolate chips would work. I used Nestle’s white chocolate chips. I have not made this recipe with a dairy-free or sugar-free white chocolate alternative, so I cannot suggest an alternative.
- Coconut milk: only the solid part. This separates easily if the can of coconut milk is chilled for 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Sometimes, in the winter, I find that most of my coconut milk separates in the pantry, with the solid rising to the top. I have not made this with an alternative such as whipped heavy cream or any other milk alternative.
- Spices: Cardamom and ginger give this treat a cozy flavor that pairs beautifully with white chocolate.
- Pure vanilla extract: this adds a smooth layer of flavor to the filling.
- Salt: just a pinch to tie all the flavors together.
- Sweetener: I used some granulated sugar as I wanted a sweeter pie. However, if you prefer a less sweet one, add less or leave it out. I will say that when the filling is first blended, it tastes a bit more earthy and less sweet. But as it chills, it sweetens up, and the beet flavor mellows out.
Notes on a few ingredients
- Coconut milk: refrigerate the can ahead of time (overnight is easiest) so the thick cream rises and the thin liquid stays behind. Scoop out only the solid part for this. It has been my experience that if you use any or all of the liquid part, this pie will melt quickly once taken out of the freezer.
- White chocolate: a good-quality white chocolate with real cocoa butter gives the best flavor and texture. Regular white chocolate contains milk, so look for a dairy-free white chocolate if you need this pie to be dairy-free. I am lactose intolerant, but I popped a probiotic before enjoying multiple slices of this, and didn’t have any issues.
- Roasted beet: roast it ahead so it has time to cool down a bit.
Instructions
Make the crust
- Grind the pistachios. Add the pistachios to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend/process the pistachios until they look like flour. Do not over-grind. You do not want pistachio butter. I had a few chunks of pistachios in my pistachio flour, but they didn’t cause the crust to crumble, so no worries if your pistachio flour is a bit imperfect.
- Mix. Melt the coconut oil in a bowl in the microwave and stir it into the ground pistachios with the sweetener.
- Press. Press the mixture firmly into a 9.5-inch pie pan. I used my hands to do this. You could also use the back of a spoon. You can also use an 8-inch springform cake pan or tart pan. However, if you want to be able to remove this pie easily, then line it with plastic. Parchment paper might not work as well.
Make the filling
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- Melt. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it at 30-second intervals. It took me 2 rounds of 30-second intervals.
- Blend. Add the roasted beet, melted white chocolate, solid coconut cream, cardamom, ginger, vanilla, salt, and sweetener to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top. Or, use a fork and dribble a design through the top. Then, cover the top with plastic wrap.
- Freeze. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight, until firm.
Serve
- Rest and slice. Take the pie out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes, then slice.
- Enjoy quickly. Eat within 30 minutes, or return the slices to the freezer until you are ready to enjoy them.
Tips for the best frozen pie
- Let the pie sit for 5 minutes before slicing so the knife glides through.
- Return any leftover slices to the freezer promptly. This pie is best enjoyed straight from the freezer and does not hold its shape for long at room temperature.
- Press the crust firmly so it holds together when sliced.
Storage
Keep the pie wrapped in plastic in the freezer until you are ready to serve it. I kept this for 2 weeks in the freezer before I cut it. Once sliced and out of the freezer, enjoy within 30 minutes. Or, return the slices to the freezer.
What to serve with it
I like to serve this pie topped with a dollop of non-dairy whipped topping. A sprinkle of chopped pistachios and white chocolate bits can also be added.
Or, separate some eggs, saving the egg yolks to use later; beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, add the egg whites in a wreath shape, and use a culinary torch to scorch the egg whites. Drizzle on some pistachio butter and melted white and dark chocolate for an elevated look.
This pie is rich, so a small slice goes a long way. Serve it with a cup of tea or coffee.
I would strongly suggest that you don’t use canned beets in this pie. Canned beets tend to have a mushier texture and milder flavor, their texture and taste do not work well in this pie.
A roasted beet gives this pie the best texture and flavor. A boiled beet is more water logged and will alter the texture of this pie.
When the filling is first blended, you can taste a hint of the beetroot. However, after it has chilled, the beet taste is barely there. And, that beet taste unites with the flavors of cardamom, ginger, white chocolate, and coconut milk to result in a creamy filling that is as delicious as it is beautiful.
The thick cream gives the filling its richness, while the thin liquid would make it looser.
Yes, this beet white chocolate pie can be made 2 weeks ahead. When you take it out of the freezer, enjoy it within 30 minutes otherwise it will melt and loose it’s shape.
The other ingredients are dairy-free, but standard white chocolate contains milk. I have not tried a dairy-free white chocolate, but if you do, please do let me know how it turns out.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup pistachios
- 2½ tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons sweetener
Filling
- 1 roasted beet
- ¾ cup white chocolate
- 1 can coconut milk solid part only (after refrigeration)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sweetener
Instructions
Crust
- Add the pistachios to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend/process the pistachios until they look like flour. Do not over grind. (See notes in ingredient section of post above for more on pistachio flour.)
- Add the coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl, microwave it for 30 seconds to melt it.
- Then stir it into the ground pistachios with the sweetener.
- Press the pistachio mixture firmly into a 9.5 inch pie pan with your hands or the back of a spoon.
Flling
- Make sure to chill a can of coconut cream for 2 to 4 hours, preferable overnight.
- If you do not have a roast beet, then roast one until soft. Usually baking it at 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes is enough.
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave it at 30 second intervals. it took me 2 rounds of 30 second intervals.
- Roughly slice the roasted beet and add it to a blender along with the melted white chocolate, the solid coconut cream (not any of the liquid), cardamom, ginger, vanilla, salt, and sweetener. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top. Or, use a fork and dribble a design through the top. Then, cover the top with plastic wrap.
- Freeze. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight, until firm.
Serve
- Rest and slice. Take the pie out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes, then slice.
- Enjoy quickly. Eat within 30 minutes, or return the slices to the freezer until you are ready to enjoy them.
Notes
- Refrigerate the coconut milk beforehand and use only the solid part.
- Let the pie sit for 5 minutes before slicing so the knife glides through.
- Return any leftover slices to the freezer promptly. This pie is best enjoyed straight from the freezer and does not hold its shape for long at room temperature.
- Press the crust firmly so it holds together when sliced.
