Strawberry Cream Pie - Gluten Free and Dairy Free

Posted At : June 15, 2010 2:30 PM

This is a great quick and easy dessert for those "oh-my-goodness-I-need-to-make-a-dessert-and-I-have-less-then-an-hour-to-make-it!" moments. Its prep will be done in five minutes, chill time can be as quick as half an hour or less (stick it in the freezer) and it's no bake, no cook, rich, creamy, and naturally dairy free and gluten free. Sounds pretty good huh?

The texture is great: a lot like fudge. Firm and silky, yet it melts in your mouth as soon as you take a bite. It's very creamy too; you'd never know it didn't have a speck of dairy in it.

The crust is a nice touch. I like using pecans. It adds a tiny bit of crunch, and the strong nutty flavor of the pecans stand out, yet infuses nicely with the strawberry vanilla cream. When making this part, be sure to blend just until it turns into a meal (the video will show you how). If you blend too long you could end up with a nut butter!

With all that said, I'll admit that I do NOT like nuts. So this is saying a lot. It doesn't taste like cashews at all.

The taste of the pie is all in the quality of ingredients you use. Use raw, unsalted organic cashews, high quality alcohol-based vanilla extract, and fresh, perfectly ripe organic strawberries and Tropical Traditions' creamy raw honey and coconut oil and (Gold Label for a coconut taste, Expeller Pressed for no coconut taste). Don't skimp on anything here; use the highest quality stuff you can get.

And last but not least, let the video take you through the recipe step by step, and enjoy a slice of the pie yourself. You'll have to make it, of course. I'm not sharing.

Sarah:)

Dairy Free and Gluten Free Strawberry Cream Pie

Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy, Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Crust:

3/4 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut

Filling:

2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw honey
1 pinch salt
1 cup coconut oil, melted

Grind crust ingredients in food processor and press into bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, building up the sides slightly.

Place all filling ingredients into blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Carefully pour on top of crust and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Recipe submitted by Christel, Plantation, FL

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tried this and the pie came out as expected. One change I would make is added about 2 tbsp of the coconut oil to the crust to make it stay together. as the cust really just fell apart and became granola on the plate.

# Posted By Damon | 10/21/09 10:39 AM

Thanks for the review! The crust shouldn't fall apart, but the addition of coconut oil is a good one. The crust ingredients need to be ground to crumbs and then pressed FIRMLY into the plate. That way they will stick together and stay. :)

# Posted By Sarah | 10/21/09 1:55 PM

This pie recipe is really something I would like to try. No baking involved. Can't wait to try it.
Would blueberries be good for this too?

# Posted By Abeth | 12/25/09 2:57 AM

I would think so. That should work too.

# Posted By Sarah | 12/28/09 11:00 PM

You can also blend a few dried dates into the crust to help it stick together.

# Posted By bird | 1/21/10 11:41 PM

alergic to cashews-- do you think walnut would work? or pecans? Sounds really yummy otherwise....

# Posted By blah | 1/31/10 1:15 AM

I seriously doubt it. Cashews turn into a very unique creamy texture when blended and I haven't found any other nut that will do that.

# Posted By Sarah | 1/31/10 1:35 PM

I think you could sub almonds for cashews. They also get pretty creamy.

# Posted By Jamie | 1/31/10 3:16 PM

Good one, I hadn't thought of that. Almonds may work; you could try soaking them first as they are harder then cashews.

# Posted By Sarah | 2/1/10 2:48 PM

Ok, I just made this and it's, hands-down, the best strawberry pie I ever tasted!!! This is exactly how a strawberry pie should be... creamy, delicious and HEALTHY!! (oh, and I didn't have any good honey, so I substituted 1/2 pure maple syrup and half agave). [Hee hee, side note: don't buy honey labled, "bean honey." Honey should not taste like beans.]

# Posted By Sharla | 2/2/10 12:27 PM

Is it 2 tablespoons? or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract?

# Posted By Helga | 2/5/10 1:29 PM

Yes, you read that right. 2 TABLEspoons. Use a high quality alcohol based vanilla extract. It's well worth it.

# Posted By Sarah | 2/5/10 1:49 PM

This pie is very delicious, but be sure to use fresh strawberries or use more coconut oil. I used frozen strawberries/blueberries and the pie was runny.

# Posted By Allure | 2/10/10 8:54 AM

I made this pie with bananas, and macadamias instead of cashews (Sarah, macadamias get nice and creamy, too - it worked great, although they are expensive). It was FABULOUS! Thank you for the recipe. I used only half the honey, since bananas are so sweet. I will probably use less still next time, as this was very rich. I used a small amount of coconut oil in the crust, as one reviewer suggested. I might try it without next time, just to see what it's like. I WILL be making this again. My boys would never forgive me if I didn't!

# Posted By Christie | 2/15/10 7:55 PM

Oh, I forgot to mention that the one problem with using bananas is that they brown (so the pie has the look of cocoa - kind of). I think next time I'll try adding just a little bit of lemon or lime juice to keep it a prettier color. Since I haven't tried it yet, I can't say which flavor is better.

And I also thought I should mention that the changes I made were due to food allergies. I wasn't just messing with the recipe (in fact, I'd LOVE to try it with strawberries - I'm sure it's fantastic). Another difference was that I used about a tsp. of ground vanilla bean instead of the extract. So that's another change that works well.

# Posted By Christie | 2/15/10 8:03 PM

Glad you all enjoyed it Christie! Oh, that's great! Glad the macadamias are a good substitute. :)

# Posted By Sarah | 2/15/10 10:08 PM

I made this pie & would like to know why this pie was so heavy? I followed the receipe as suggested. |Could it be to much coconut oil?

# Posted By Carol |Ann | 3/11/10 10:58 AM

Carol Ann: I'm not quite sure what you mean by "heavy". The pie should be smooth, creamy, and dense, like a cheesecake almost. But it's definitely not like a cake which gets light and fluffy. It kind of like a really thick smoothie that's hardened up into a smooth, fudge consistency texture. If you're meaning "heavy" as in dense, then that is just the way it's supposed to be. Dense like fudge candy, but at the same time still light and creamy.

# Posted By Sarah | 3/11/10 11:23 AM

Can't wait to try it! YEAH..A RAW FOOD RECIPE!!! :)

# Posted By jennifer | 6/15/10 4:17 PM

Can coconut flour be used instead of shredded coconut for the crust? The recipe looks just amazing otherwise and we can't wait to try it!

# Posted By Lori | 6/15/10 4:52 PM

Jennifer: Let me know how you like it!

Lori: I...guess so. It'd be different, kinda gritty. But give it a go and see how it turns out

# Posted By Sarah | 6/15/10 5:40 PM

I can't wait to try this recipe, I am going to make it on Thursday for my Ladies Group! Thank you so much!

# Posted By Devona | 6/15/10 8:17 PM

I've got to try this. With warmer weather, i want cool desserts without clogging up my throat.

the variations from others is wonderful.

# Posted By kathleen | 6/15/10 9:02 PM

Can you substitute coconut butter for the oil? Thanks! :)

# Posted By Barbara | 6/16/10 3:21 PM

Coconut butter, like the Coconut Cream Concentrate (coconut ground up to a nut-like butter)? No. It would change the consistency drastically.

# Posted By Sarah | 6/16/10 10:58 PM

My family is in Palo Alto CA for a medical procedure for my son. Three of the four of us have a mulitude of food allergy issues. My husband found a Raw Vegan place near the surgical center and brought me a menu. I had a piece of their strawberry cream pie and felt like culinarily speaking life was worth living again. I've spent the last four hours online trying to find a recipe so I could make the pie when I get back to WA. This looks like it and I can hardly wait to get home and give it a try. Thank you for posting it!

# Posted By Cynthia | 6/29/10 7:33 PM

this is the most wonderful dessert recipe, ever!!!

# Posted By vanessa | 7/17/10 2:52 PM

This sounds wonderful, can't wait to try it. Can you freeze this to make coconut ice cream?

# Posted By Carolyn | 7/26/10 6:16 PM

I want to say that I have made this recipe two times this summer. I made it with strawberries and it was a brilliant. For the second time I made it with black currant and it was amazing too. I followed the recipe exactly, the proportions are perfect. This is a winner recipe, a masterpiece, I am so glad I found it.

# Posted By amanecer | 7/29/10 5:57 AM

made this for my family yesterday and received great reviews! will make it again and maybe serve in individual dessert bowl, like a parfait. one piece was very satisfying! definitely a lick the bowl clean recipe!

# Posted By sandra | 8/2/10 4:44 PM

Can't find fresh organic strawberries right now. If I use frozen (& don't thaw them) - will the recipe still be runny as one post mentioned (or was it runny cuz they were thawed)? How much additional coconut oil should I add to help it reach the right consistency? Thanks for any help you can offer!

# Posted By Jill | 9/28/10 2:59 AM

since strawberries are not in season, could you use frozen berries and use bananas to thicken it up?

# Posted By Dana | 10/30/10 7:22 PM

In previous comments you will see that people have successfully made this recipe with frozen strawberries but I don't recommend it as it won't be the same. The recipe is meant for fresh strawberries, but if you want to give the frozen a try go ahead! :)

# Posted By Sarah | 11/2/10 12:32 PM

I used frozen strawberries (organic are sweeter in my opinion & I used those) & it worked wonderfully. But here's what I did to accomodate........I used:

1.5 bags small bags of frozen strawberries (started with 1 bag, approx. 2 cups, but felt it need more strawberry taste, so added another 1/2 bag),

thawed them out first,

& drained any juice (actually had them thawing in a colander over a bowl).

Then I simply added an additional 2 heaping (heaping prior to melting) tablespoons of coconut oil to help firm up with the added moisture from the thawed berries.

This worked great & set up wonderfully, fudgelike in consistency as described.

Instead of putting in one large pie dish, I prepared in individual dessert cups.

The things I'd do different next time possibly are:

- Experiment with macademia nuts instead of cashews (I think macademias might hide themselves even better than the cashews).
- Use a graham cracker & coconut crust since my family didn't care for the nut / coconut crust
- Maybe try it with other flavors (even chocolate with a twist of orange?).

Hope that helps someone,
Jill

# Posted By Jill | 11/2/10 1:10 PM

That is a good looking pie, I will have to try! :)

# Posted By linda_a | 12/31/10 10:10 AM

Very good flavor. I'd like to experiment with more strawberries and other fruit, and less honey -- I like low-key on the sweet factor.
Silly me ... slightly still-frozen strawberries = grainy cashews and re-solidified coconut oil 'grains'. I had to put the blender jar by a radiator for a while; then all processed to a smooth texture.

# Posted By JG | 1/17/11 3:05 PM

Has anyone tried serving this frozen?

# Posted By Patti | 2/19/11 10:37 PM

I loved this recipe!! Just had it last night with friends and it was a hit!

Christie, I was curious how the lemon/lime juice addition turned out for the banada & mac nut version you made?

# Posted By Carly | 3/31/11 11:54 AM

Tired the banana version and it didn't seem to thicken quite right, but was still really good!!

# Posted By Carly | 5/27/11 6:51 PM

I am thinking about making this for my daughter's 1st birthday cake in August. I have a few questions:

Would it be possible to double the recipe and pour it into a 9" round springform to create a taller cheesecake style presentation? Will the consistency be thick enough to stay put?

Should I refrigerate the pie until we are ready to eat it, to prevent it from melting in the summer heat?

# Posted By Tabea | 6/2/11 5:09 PM

Tabea: This is a very un-fussy recipe. Place it in whatever pan you like. The consistency is of thick, dense, creamy fudge and will not change at all.

I do recommend keeping it chilled until serving. If you're going to have it sitting out for more then 30 minutes, freeze it to be on the safe side.

# Posted By Sarah:) | 6/3/11 12:28 AM

Great flavor! I used stevia for sweetener and added a few more strawberries to make up for the loss of the "liquid" from the honey. Definitely more dense than cheesecake. I spread it between chocolate-ginger cookies like frosting/ice cream. VERY good.

# Posted By Katie | 6/6/11 1:53 PM

I used to containers of strawberries....for the crust I used walnuts the first time..second time Brazil Nuts(like this better).
If no honey on hand use maple syrup. This was a very good recipe idea!! I loved it !! So easy, healthy, all organic ingredients.

# Posted By Diana | 6/12/11 8:41 PM

made this & it is wonderful! so much like cheesecake...bit way better!!

# Posted By elle | 6/16/11 5:31 PM

I love this recipe and I've made it 3 times! I followed the recipe the first time and then took the advise from some of the comments. I added 1/4 c of dates and 1 Tbspoon of virgin coconut oil to the crust. I thought the honey was overwhelming so I used 1/2 cup of palm sugar with a few Tbspoons of water to make it a liquid. I also used expeller pressed instead of virgin so that the coconut flavor didn't overpower the strawberry's. Delicious!!

# Posted By Carrie | 6/17/11 2:13 PM

Does anyone know the carb count of this???

# Posted By Patty M. | 8/17/11 11:48 AM

I would love to make this! Can I use frozen? If so, Is there any additions or subtractions you suggest to do frozen? Thanks*~

# Posted By kathy | 12/18/11 9:41 PM

I'm just curious, for someone who isn't dairy-free, do you think the cashews could be subbed for cream cheese? Again, just curious about it, although I will probably try this with cashews first. It's strawberry season again!

# Posted By Erin | 3/12/12 11:56 AM

Where would I find coconut oil? I can't wait to try this!!

# Posted By Leslie | 3/18/12 2:48 PM

Click on the ingredient (it's hyperlinked) and it'll take you to Tropical Traditions' site. There's several types to choose from.

# Posted By Sarah:) | 3/18/12 2:55 PM

Can someone write metric mesuraments, please! I really get confused with 'cups'.
Thank you

# Posted By Claudia | 4/2/12 4:32 AM

This pie is so yummy!!!!! Its smooth nd creamy...:-)

# Posted By Carrie Tribble | 4/11/12 2:52 PM

Any ideas about swapping honey for
stevia? My hubby is watching his sugar.
On insulin.

# Posted By Trina | 4/14/12 1:26 PM

I can't wait to try it!

# Posted By Ursula | 4/14/12 3:04 PM

I just made this and its currently chilling in the fridge, I also poured some into Popsicles as icecream....yumm. thnx

# Posted By whiteamber | 5/17/12 5:33 AM

I did this 1st as a mousse and used 8oz of cream cheese & subbed the honey for 1/2 tsp of pure Stevia & 2 tsp of vanilla. Then added 1 cup of whipped cream. It was heavenly! Now I made it a 2nd time & will make some cupcake versions out of it & the rest I will add the whipped cream as last time. The strawberries are so sweet right now it is great even without alot of sweetner.

# Posted By MISSYMONYPENNY | 5/18/12 12:07 AM

Made it and LOVED it!!! Would like to know the nutritional values for it though. Couldn't find it on the website. Thanks

# Posted By Shawna | 6/3/12 8:41 AM

I LOVE THIS PIE!!

As good as it gets, but you have to watch out--> if you cut the pie into 6 pieces, one slice runs about 600 calories...

Nutritional Facts for entire pie:
Cal= 3641
Fat=285
Sodium=37
Carb= 244
Fiber= 22
Sugar= 168
Protein= 61

# Posted By Hpaleo | 6/6/12 10:57 AM

I have made this several times following the directions. I ran out of some of the ingredients so I substituted pecans for the crust (came out great) and used hazelnuts in the strawberry mix. I have also added ricotta to it once since I didn't have quite enough nuts and it was great as well.

# Posted By Sarah | 6/17/12 1:37 PM

Yummy! I added 1/2 a pack of unflavored gelatin to my mixture to make it set up and cut a little better. I'm sure it would've been fine without it, but just something that popped in my head while I was blending everything up. :)

# Posted By B L | 6/21/12 10:11 PM

Just made this pie, and it's in the fridge. Just licking it in its liquid form, it's already very yummy. Can't wait to try it in 3 hrs!!!

Just a question: do you think I can freeze portion of it in the freezer and eat it later maybe next week or so? I will be so guilty if I eat it every day for the next couple of days.

# Posted By Joanna | 6/24/12 5:21 PM

This would freeze very well! It might even be amazing frozen ;)

# Posted By Sarah:) | 6/24/12 7:54 PM

I just put this pie in the freezer (to hopefully hurry the process along a bit. . .hubby will be home soon) I tried it with raspberries instead because I didn't have any strawberries and I had to blend it a while longer to get it really smooth, but even just licking my fingers. .it's SO good! And pretty too, kinda a purply pink! (oh I also added just a tad of cocoa powder to the pecans and coconut to make it raspberry chocolate crust, yum!)

# Posted By Jennifer | 6/30/12 5:40 PM

Unbelievably delicious pie!! Made several for the 4th yesterday and NO one could believe it was dairy-free. Am going to try this a base for dairy free ice cream and will definitely be trying it again with different fruits. This is a Winner--thank you so much for posting!!! xo

# Posted By DailyKale | 7/5/12 6:51 PM

This pie was put in the refrigerated overnight and by morning it was still liquid. Any suggestions?

# Posted By Edouard | 8/12/12 7:17 AM

Did you make it as written? Use the full amount of cashews and coconut oil?

# Posted By Sarah:) | 8/12/12 5:07 PM

I've made this a whole bunch of times now, and it comes out amazing every time! I gave a few out for Christmas last year.

For me, the crust held together well enough once it was ground enough. I make 2 or 3 times what the recipe calls for to make a thicker crust, but I think it's personal preference. I discovered I like to mix in some salt with the crust to contrast with the sweetness of the filling.

I also tried it with persimmons. I haven't able to perfect the persimmon version yet, since they're not tart like strawberries, but it still came out pretty good.

# Posted By Remy | 9/18/12 9:45 AM

OMG, yum. My kids love this pie.
I used almond meal instead of walnut/pecan and it was yummo. Would love to know how many calories per slice though.

# Posted By slimyim | 11/1/12 9:32 PM

can't wait to try this receipe...and does anyone know the music on the video?

# Posted By Katherine | 3/7/13 5:59 PM

Hello...this recipe looks delicious, however, being from the UK I have no idea how much a cup is - would it be possible to give the measurements in oz or g....would be very much appreciated. I want to try this at a dinner party next weekend! Thank you :)

# Posted By Keri | 4/19/13 7:40 AM

Keri - a cup is about 8 oz, so 3/4 is 6 oz and 1/4 is 2. These are liquid measurements though, each one of these ingredients will weigh slightly different so I'd adjust if needed (especially the strawberries, add a little more if you think it needs it).

# Posted By Sarah:) | 4/19/13 1:05 PM

Made the pie and kept it overnight in the fridge. Couldnt pick a slice with a pie spatula as it didnt set the way i was hoping it would. I had to scoop it with a big spoon instead. Dont know where i went wrong with the recipe as i followed every bit of it. I did use a tbs of coconut oil of the crust and that came out very well. Tks for the tip.

# Posted By AG | 4/28/13 11:31 AM

This is fabulous. So nice and easy, I followed the directions and did not substitute anything. Even I can make it!
Big hit with my organic friends.
Thank you

# Posted By Jim7 | 5/12/13 4:42 PM

Looks great! Any options for people with nut allergies?

# Posted By Debbie | 5/29/13 11:21 AM

Debbie, About a nut substitute, you could use a graham cracker crust instead of the nut/coconut one and I wonder if you could simply sub in cream cheese for the cashews. I haven't tried but I bet it would work. Might need to tweak the other ingredients (use more sweetener? less or no coconut oil?), but I would think this could work for you. Basically you could just make a no-bake cheesecake filling if dairy's not an issue. ;-)

# Posted By Jill | 6/9/13 9:35 AM

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