Strawberry Pie {vegan, flourless, gluten free, soy free}

My hubby got a great deal on a BIG bunch of strawberries the other day. So what's a girl to do? Make strawberry pie, of course! My family all uses the same recipe, which calls for Jell-O. Cool! But... I didn't have any Jell-O on hand, and if I'd used it, my vegan friends wouldn't be up for trying this recipe.

So I went a different route, and boy, am I happy I did!

This recipe calls for the use of a food processor, but if you don't have one, it's ok. Slice the strawberries, and then use a potato masher to smoosh the berries into a nice mash. Your blender would also work.

For the Crust, You'll Need:
1 1/2 Cups Almond Meal
1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Corn Syrup
3 Tbsp. Grapeseed Oil

To Make the Crust:
Combine the ingredients in mixing bowl, and then spread into the bottom of a pie plate. Work the crust up the sides until you've evenly covered the inside of the plate.
Place the crust in the fridge to cool while you make your filling.

This crust tastes, to me, like a sugar cookie. I swiped a couple of bites while I was pressing it into the pan, and could have kept going! If you'd like your crust to be a little less sugary, omit the powdered sugar and add some extra almond meal.

For the Filling, You'll Need:
4 Cups Strawberries {divided, and this is a rough measurement}
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Corn Starch
The Juice from 1/2 of a Lemon

To Make the Filling:
Clean up your strawberries. Wash them, remove the green and the core, if they're bigger berries.
Divide the berries, adding about two cups to your food processor. Process the berries, making a thick mash.
Slice the other two cups of berries and set them aside.
Add the processed/mashed berries to a sauce pan, and begin cooking them over medium heat.
Add the sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice.
{Tip: mix the sugar and corn starch before placing in the sauce pan to avoid clumpy corn starch.}
Stir the mixture frequently, while it cooks and begins to thicken. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan so your filling doesn't stick and burn.
After several minutes, when the mixture is thick and jelly-like, remove it from the heat.
Stir in the remaining two cups of sliced berries, and then pour the filling into your crust.
Allow the mixture to cool for several minutes*, and then transfer to the fridge for several hours {or overnight} to set up.

*Food safety dictates that you not put something this hot in your fridge right away. It'll heat the other fridge occupants, and could result in some not-so-friendly bacteria. Let the pie cool for a bit on the counter first, then transfer the warm pie into the fridge.


Shared on... Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, My Meatless Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays