Roan woke up the other day asking if we could bake strawberry pie. Well, I’ve never made strawberry pie before so I said sure and we proceeded…without me looking up a recipe. I didn’t take great photos of the pie in its final form because I had winged the entire thing and thought it might just be “passable.”

Imagine my surprise when we sliced into it and it was absolutely delicious! So I scrambled to write down the steps we took to make it before the memory of it evaporated into the ether (something that happens surprisingly quick these days. Must be something to do with those three kids I have in the house…)

My parents are big Pick-Your-Owners when it comes to fruit so they wash and freeze a ton of berries in the peak season for occasions just like this. I wish I could say I did that, too, this year. But. I didn’t, and now that it’s past the peak strawberry time, I used frozen bags from the store. Just as good. Maybe tastier! Who’s to say? But I will say, this should work with fresh berries if you’re getting around to making this in the summertime. Just maybe add a little less water to the filling and see how it goes.

If you’d like to make this several days in advance, go for it! However, the filling is a bit wet so it will moisten the crust a bit, and if you are going to make it in advance, then hold off on topping it with the whipped cream until just before serving. Because fresh whipped cream.

The proud bakers made almost the entire pie on their own (besides the actual hot cooking parts). And decided on how we displayed the pie before digging in.

Don’t be shy about including your kids in baking! Sure, about half of the almond flour initially didn’t make it into the bowl and a lot of the whipped cream was scooped up on tiny fingers before it even made it on the pie, but the sheer joy of their accomplishment was evident in the eating and sharing (if you’re wondering how to get kids to eat their veggies, this strategy works for savory foods, too. If they help make it, they’re more likely to eat it!)

Absolutely Delicious Gluten-Free (and Almost Paleo) Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

For the crust (adapted from Elana’s Pantry):
2 cups almond flour
2 TBS coconut oil, melted + extra to grease pie plate
Pinch of salt
1 egg

For the filling:
2-10 oz bags frozen strawberries
1/2 cup water (start with 1/4 cup and see if you might need to add more)
1 TBS maple syrup
2 TBS strawberry jelly
1 1/2 TBS tapioca starch, arrowroot powder, or cornstarch

For the whipped cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 TBS maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pie plate with coconut oil. Set aside.
2. In medium sized bowl, mix almond flour, coconut oil, and salt until crumbly. Stir in egg and mix until well combined. Form into a ball.
3. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pie plate, on the bottom and up the sides, making sure it’s an even thickness.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. For the filling: In a large pot, add strawberries, water, maple syrup, and jelly. Cook over medium-high heat until berries are soft, 10-15 minutes.
6. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the liquid and place in a small bowl. Whisk in the tapioca starch until completely blended. Pour the mixture back into the strawberries and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, 1-3 minutes. The liquid should coat the back of a metal spoon but not be completely set.
7. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Return to the oven and bake 30-40 minutes or until filling is mostly set (it should still jiggle a little bit).
8. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours or overnight.
9. For the whipped cream: When ready to serve, make the whipped cream by adding the heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a metal bowl. Using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment), whip the cream until it holds its shape but isn’t too stiff, about 5 minutes.
10. Spread the cream over the strawberry pie. Serve, slice, and enjoy!