This savory layered Earth Day pie is vegan and gluten-free. I wanted to make something special in honor of Earth Day and I was inspired by the different layers of the earth. It made me think of that Great British Bake Off episode when they had to make Ruby’s picnic pie that had many beautiful layers. And it reminded me of the different layers that represent the earth. Like its’ core, soil, grass, and water/air. Earth Day is a reminder of preserving what our earth has blessed us with. A plant-based diet is a simple way in supporting the earth because it’s sustainable. Eating more plants uses fewer emissions, energy, and water. So it’s a wonderful day to be inspired to reduce meat consumption because it’s both great for the planet and for your overall health. Okay, I watched too many episodes of Captain Planet as a kid, I was totally the water element girl 🌊 . “By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet.” I should’ve called this Captain Planet Pie. Enough of my spiel, on to the food!

For this pie, I wanted to make this savory and full of color and flavor. I wanted the flavor profiles to be warm and comforting, which is what we all need right now. For the core layer, I used roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes seasoned with thyme and rosemary. I top it off with some roasted red bell peppers to add some lovely flavor and color. For my dirt layer, I used mushrooms, caramelized onions, and some purple cabbage to deepen the brown color. For the grass layer, I make this vegan spinach dip that my husband loves. So I wanted to incorporate that into the pie to add some creaminess. For the top layer, I used a cauliflower puree flavored with roasted garlic. I added some optional natural food coloring to represent the earth. Yes, this is one intensely flavored and filling pie. I also added some optional decorations made from onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and basil. You can really make this pie for any special occasion.

How-To Video

Let’s Make This Vegan Earth Day Picnic Pie

What you’ll need

First Layer (Core)

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil or oil of choice
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp dry rosemary
1/2 tsp salt more to taste
pepper to taste
3 red bell peppers, seeds removed and sliced in half

Second Layer (Dirt)

1 onion, sliced thin
16 oz baby bell mushrooms or white mushrooms
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Third Layer (Grass)

16 oz spinach
1/3 cup onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz vegan cream cheese I used Kite Hill brand
1 cup vegan yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp gluten-free flour
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Fourth Layer (Sky/Water)

5 cups cauliflower, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roasted
1/8 cup almond milk or milk of choice, add more if needed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp (optional) blue butterfly pea powder

Crust

2 1/4 cups almond flour
1 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseeds for flax egg
4 1/2 tbsp water for flax egg
1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt
6-8 tbsp water

First Layer

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut and peel butternut squash into small cubes. Peel and cut sweet potato. Remove stems and seeds from red bell pepper. Cut in half.
Place baking mat or parchment paper on baking sheet. Place butternut squash and sweet potato on a baking sheet. Place red bell pepper on another baking sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well with hands. Place both baking pans in the oven for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

Let red bell peppers cool before handling. Peel most of the skin from the red bell peppers. Set aside.

Second Layer

Slice mushrooms and onions. Mince garlic. Shred red cabbage.

Heat a medium pan with olive oil on medium heat.
Add the onions and garlic and saute until onions become golden in color 8 -10 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cabbage and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until onions have slightly caramelized.
Add salt and pepper. Set aside

Third Layer

Chop onions and mince garlic.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add water.
Add the spinach and saute until all of it is wilted. Make sure to continually mix so that all sides get heated. Set aside and cool.
Once cool squeeze out access water from spinach.
Wipe down the pan and place on medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once olive oil is heated add the onions and garlic and saute till onions are translucent.

Add the vegan cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, spinach, and pepper. Mix all the ingredients well. Set aside.

Top Layer

Chop cauliflower. If not using an air fryer preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add a steamer basket to a large pot and add water. Heat over medium heat and bring water to a boil.
Add the cauliflower and potatoes to the steamer basket and steam for 8 – 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
While cauliflower is cooking, wrap cloves of garlic in foil. Place in air fryer or oven at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes to slightly roast.

Place cauliflower, garlic, salt, almond milk, and olive oil in a large bowl if using an immersion blender. Can also use a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend till smooth.

Add more almond milk if too dry. Add optional blue butterfly pea powder. Set aside

Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the ground flaxseeds and water to a small bowl to make the flax egg. Set aside for 5 minutes
In a large bowl combine the gluten-free flour, almond flour, and salt and mix well.

Add the flax egg mixture to the dry ingredients and 8 tablespoons of water and mix well. Add more water as needed. The dough should have a texture that sticks together and doesn’t fall apart. Add more water if it’s still too dry.
Knead the dough to a round shape. Sprinkle a baking mat or parchment paper with some gluten-free flour and place the dough on the sheet.

Flatten dough with a rolling pin and roll into a symmetrical circle with a 14-inch diameter. Place the dough into the springform pan and press it carefully into place.

Cut off any access dough at the top of the pan. If you get any holes you can cover them with extra dough.
Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool and set aside when done.

Asseble

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place the first layer of butternut squash and sweet potatoes into the pre-baked crust.

Then top with the sliced red peppers.
Place the mushroom onion mixture on top.

Continue with the spinach dip layer and spread to cover the top.
Finally, add in the cauliflower puree mixture and spread out evenly until smoothed and completely covered.

Cover with foil and poke holes to allow steam to escape.
Place on springform pan on a baking sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes or until crust is golden.

Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the springform pan. Add any addtional decorations on top. Serve and enjoy!