This dairy-free butterfinger pie is the perfect sweet treat that is bursting with peanut butter flavor and complimented by the occasional sweet crunch of a homemade butterfinger! A special obsession of mine has been to make every kind of pie I can think, but I want to make each pie so that I can eat it despite having dietary restrictions. Making this butterfinger pie dairy-free was quite simple, and making my own butterfingers to use in the pie was just as easy and really quite fun!
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Modern Pioneer Recipe
This dairy-free butterfinger pie is an allergy-friendly modern pioneer recipe! While pies do have heritage roots and were a popular food among the pioneers, this butterfinger pie in particular is probably not one they made back in the early days of pioneering. But never mind that, changing times call for different foods and this butterfinger pie happens to be a recipe that modern pioneers can enjoy making from scratch and eating!
Along those lines though, if you do want to switch gears and try a more heritage, back-to-our-roots kind of pie, then check out these pie recipes that are allergy-friendly but still stay true to the early pioneer days pies!
Now, back to the butterfinger pie. More than likely since you came to our blog for this recipe you are expecting a recipe that is allergy-friendly and compatible with a variety of dietary restrictions… well this pie recipe won’t disappoint! Yes, the pie does contain sugar, but what’s pie without sugar? And at least the sugars in this pie are all-natural and easier to digest.
Aside from containing healthier, more wholesome ingredients, this butterfinger pie is also….
- gluten-free
- dairy-free
- tree nut free
- egg free
- refined sugar free
- corn free
- grain-free option
Plus it is made using your very own homemade butterfingers! Don’t rush out and buy the sugar-laden, artificially dyed butterfingers. Just don’t do it. You can make your own right on the homestead, and they will be so much healthier for you!
Homemade Candy
While we are on the topic of store-bought candy, I want to make mention that butterfingers aren’t the only candy you can make at home! I have never had the traditional candies, chocolate’s or gummies that are made with refined sugars, artificial colors, and preservatives. And I have never been inclined to try any of them either.
When I do get curious about traditional candy, I go on Pinterest to see what recipes other people have come up with for look-alike candies. Usuaully they are made using healthier ingredients and I can then fashion my own recipe using ingredients that I have on hand to make my own candy!
Making homemade candy is actually what the early homesteaders would have done! A traditional candy recipe for homesteaders would have been making their own chocolate caramels or, in later years, homemade fudge. Here are a few recipes that I have created for substituting in homemade candy recipes:
- homemade peanut butter cups
- dairy-free caramel
- homemade marshmallows (or marshmallow fluff)
I have also made my own twix bars, but that recipe hasn’t quite made it on the blog yet! While there are some commercial candies that just can’t be made at home, there are also some healthier alternatives made by wholesome brands! Here are a few of my favorite healthier candy brands:
- Black Forest organic gummies
- Smart Sweets gummies
- Lily’s chocolate covered caramels
- UnReal chocolate gems and chocolate covered peanuts
- Lily’s salted caramel chocolate bar
Serving & Storing
Given the nature of the ingredients in butterfinger pie, it must be stored in the freezer for any prolonged storage time. However, it can be transferred to the fridge for a little while prior to serving. Letting this dairy-free butterfinger pie warm up a little at room temperature or in the fridge makes it easier to cut and serve.
If you like a soft pie, you can let the pie rest at room temperature or stay in the fridge for quite a while. The cocowhip that is in the pie won’t truly ‘melt’ at room temperature, it will just get very soft. That makes it nice for serving a creamy, smooth pie that isn’t frozen rock solid. The butterfingers in the pie also take on more flavor and are less hard when they unthaw and warm up for a little while.
This butterfinger pie is already a deluxe pie with all those crushed butterfingers on top! But if you want to spruce it up even more, say if you are serving it for a party or special occasion, then there are a few additional toppings you can add. Here are a few ideas:
- dairy-free chocolate syrup
- homemade peanut butter drizzle
- additional cocowhip or whipped coconut cream
And of course, feel free to add more crushed homemade butterfingers to the top of the pie too!
Recipe Questions
Can I use an alternative to SoDelicious CocoWhip?
If you can’t find SoDelicious CocoWhip in stores near you or if you don’t want to pay the price of dairy-free cocowhip, then an alternative is to make your own dairy-free cool whip! And I must admit, that is probably the more pioneer-ish way to go and is the healthier option. You can make homemade cool whip using full-fat coconut cream, there are plenty of recipes out there you can try!
If you are looking for SoDelicious CocoWhip, try looking at your local Meijer, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, health food store, or grocery co-op.
Is there a different cereal I can use in the homemade butterfingers?
You can pretty much use any crunchy cereal in your homemade butterfinger! You just want that slight crunch that the crushed cereal pieces add to the sugary peanut butter filling. I would recommend trying Arrowhead Mills buckwheat flakes as a substitute for crispy rice cereal. If you want a grain-free option, try using a grain-free cereal such as Forager O’s, 3 Wishes, or Go Kashi grain-free cereal.
What is the best peanut butter to use in this pie?
Any peanut butter will work in both the butterfingers and the pie! I like to use creamy, all-natural peanut butter, but crunchy peanut butter or homemade peanut butter would work too! Just make sure the peanut butter you use does not have any added sugars or fillers. Just straight peanuts and maybe some salt should be the only ingredients in an all-natural peanut butter!
What can I use for the crust of this pie?
There are many options of pie crust for this dairy-free butterfinger pie! For some sweet options, try making an oreo cookie crust using Kinnikinnick allergy-friendly chocolate sandwich cookies or make a cookie crust using Enjoy Life crunchy chocolate chip cookies. For grain-free options, try making your own homemade cookie crust (this cookie recipe works well) or use this grain-free pastry pie crust.
This dairy-free butterfinger pie is super easy to make and will be a hit with modern pioneers of all ages! Learning how to make your own homemade butterfingers is a bonus with this recipe too!
Dairy-free Butterfinger Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
- 2 cups crushed homemade butterfingers
- 4 oz. dairy-free cocowhip
- 1/2 cup powdered coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup organic coconut cream
- 1 9" pre-baked crust
Homemade Butterfingers
- 1 1/3 cups crispy brown rice cereal, crushed
- 1 cup organic peanut butter
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. organic blackstrap molasses
- 1 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
- extra crushed butterfingers for topping
Instructions
Homemade Butterfingers
- In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup and molasses to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and remove the mixture from the heat.
- Stir in the rice crispy cereal. Lightly grease a glass pan with coconut oil and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Place the pan in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- Once the cereal mixture has chilled, slice it into 1" strips. Line a cutting board with parchment paper and place each strip on the parchment paper. Place the whole board in the freezer.
- In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips over low heat. Remove the bars from the freezer and coat each bar in chocolate. This will be messy, but well worth the mess!
- Return the chocolate coated bars to the freezer and wait for the chocolate harden before crushing them for the pie or enjoying!
Butterfinger Pie
- Place the cocowhip in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to work with.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, powdered coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut cream. Beat with hand beaters until creamy and smooth.
- Fold in the softened cocowhip. Fold in the 2 cups of crushed butterfingers. Spread the pie filling into the pre-baked pie crust.
- Sprinkle more crushed butterfingers on top the pie and add a chocolate drizzle and peanut butter drizzle if desired. Chill for at least 4 hours.
- Let the pie set out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Nutiva coconut sugar
- Simply Organic vanilla extract
- Native Forest coconut cream
- Santa Cruz dairy-free chocolate syrup
- Barbara’s organic crispy brown rice cereal
- Wholesome organic blackstrap molasses
- Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
- Supplies: 9″ glass pie plate, hand held beaters, small seed grinder (for making powdered sugar)
This dairy-free butterfinger pie has a rich, creamy taste with the occasional crunch of homemade butterfinger! I love how the dairy-free cocowhip gives the pie a light, airy texture which compliments the subtle peanut butter flavor and crunchy butterfingers perfectly. Learning to make your own butterfinger candy for this pie is super easy and fun to do too! As a peanut butter fan, this butterfinger pie makes an amazing sweet treat that I can enjoy while still knowing that the pie contains wholesome, healthier ingredients!
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by Alexa
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