Berrylicious Coconut Crust Pie

This summer I've been blessed with an abundance of blackberries and blueberries. I love berries, I love pie, and I love coconut, so I wanted to find a way to combine them all. This pie will work with any berries you have on hand, or any combination of berries. I used both blackberries and blueberries, and the result was a dairy-free, gluten-free slice of heaven! You know I'll be serving this with a scoop of Purely Decadent Made with Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean ice cream!

Ingredients for the crust:

3/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup butter substitute (either Earth Balance or coconut butter will work, but not coconut oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

5 cups fresh or frozen berries of choice
1/2 cup water, divided
3/4 cup sweetener of choice (I used evaporated cane crystals)
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
handful of whole berries

Grind almonds in a food processor until they're finely chopped, then add in the remaining ingredients and pulse until well-mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch pie pan. Place the pan into the oven and broil on low setting for 3-5 minutes, but only until lightly browned. You're just toasting, not cooking, and you'll want to keep a close eye on it, so the crust doesn't burn. Remove from oven and place in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the filling.

Mix arrowroot with warm water in a small bowl or glass, and set aside. Place berries, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, and sweetener in a pot on medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Lower heat, and add arrowroot mixture. The berries should thicken rather quickly. Let simmer for a few more minutes, then add the remaining whole berries to give it a chunkier texture. Remove from heat, and cool in the refrigerator. When pie crust and berries are completely cooled, pour the berry mixture into the crust. Top with additional unsweetened shredded coconut, if desired.