I’m not 100% vegan, though the more I learn, the more I think that it may be the life for me. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with vegan desserts. I want to make yummy animal-free desserts made of whole food that’s as good to eat as it is to think. No funny stuff like food coloring or margarine or additives (to me this defeats part of the purpose of going vegan). No, I want to understand all of the ingredients I put in my desserts.

My first attempt at a vegan pumpkin pie was a bit of a failure, and my most recent attempt at a lemon-blackberry tart received mixed reviews. Despite all this, one recipe has been loved by all: the oat-nut crust from the Whole Food Bible.

This crust is like an oatmeal cookie in crust form. It smells delicious and tastes good by itself (this is a good thing, especially if what you put in the crust doesn’t turn out as yummy as you had hoped!).

Vegan Oat-Nut Pie Crust

Makes one 9-inch pie crust

1/2 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup whole walnuts or pecans
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of sea salt
3 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.
2. Bake the almonds and walnuts or pecans on separate baking sheets until they are fragrant and toasted: about 8 minutes for pecans or walnuts, 10 minutes for almonds. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Raise the oven temperature to 375 F / 190 C.
3. Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until they become coarse meal. Empty into a large mixing bowl.
4. Grind the almonds and walnuts or pecans into a coarse meal and add to the oats, along with the flour and salt.
5. In a small bowl, whip together the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add to the oat-nut mixture and mix well. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
6. With cold, wet hands, press the crust mixture into a well-oiled tart or pie pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.