Berry bright, sweet and rich, and seriously good for you! Just simple healthful ingredients–strawberries, dates and cashews blended together into the filling that goes in a frozen press-in crust of almonds and dates! This is the best strawberry ice cream pie ever!
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Last week, without saying a word about its being dairy-, gluten- and sugar-free, I shared this frozen strawberry pie with friends. They loved every creamy mouthful! I’m stoked to have a new dessert in my back pocket that makes people happy and healthy all in the same bite.
Soaked almonds and dates make up the easy press-in crust and soaked cashews are the cream in the filling. Soak/soften the nuts ahead, mix up the crust and whip up the filling, and then and pop the filled pie in the freezer–your pie will be nicely frozen for the next day’s dessert!
This four-ingredient dessert recipe caught my eye, well, because it’s made with only 4 ingredients! I read that the nuts need to be soaked in water for at least 8 hours before being pureed, so I almost didn’t try the recipe. So glad I did!
I found the original recipe in Veronica Bosgraaf’s Pure Food cookbook. This pie crust is a gluten-free vegan winner!
The recipe in the cookbook doesn’t say to soak the cashews. But I figured as long as I was soaking the almonds, I might as well cover the cashews in water and let them soften at the same time.
Soaked cashews make the most amazing vegan “cream.” My vegan key lime pie gets its creaminess from cashews and cashews become the “cream” the my Spicy Cashew and Spring Greens Soup!
In her recipe Veronica has you scatter strawberries on top of the filling before freezing. Don’t do it–frozen strawberries are like strawberry ice cubes which makes them fairly unpleasant. The strawberries taste and look better when their freshly cut to decorate the already frozen pie.
Strawberry Ice Cream Pie recipe details:
- I used my favorite strawberry hulling tool (affiliate link) to quickly pluck out the stems for the strawberries on top. Strawberries with the tops cut straight off are my pet peeve. Hulled strawberries look more natural and much more professional!
- Make a point to choose flavorful organic strawberries. Strawberries are at the top of the dirty dozen list.
- If you don’t get around to making the pie until the next day, put your bowls of soaking nuts in the refrigerator overnight–no problem.
What to make with the extra vegan crust mix:
- The crust recipe makes enough for a 2 (9-inch)vegan pie crusts. If you don’t want to make another pie, roll the remaining almond and date mixture into almond date energy bites.
- Or press the extra mixture into a pie plate (affiliate link) and make a creamy vegan key lime pie
Other recipes I found interesting in Pure Food cookbook:
- Chocolate Rice Pudding. I also tested this nostalgic vegan dessert. Definitely a repeater.
- Vegan Keema. See my adaptation of keema with lentils, spinach, and saffron rice.
- Hummus Pizza
- Warm Potatoes and Spinach with Rosemary Dressing
- Buckwheat Crepes with Butterscotch Bananas
- Rhubarb Breakfast Crisp
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I received this cookbook from Blogging for Books for this review–the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
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** This is an update of the Strawberry Ice Cream Pie I posted back in June 2015.
Strawberry Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients
Gluten-free Crust:
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 1 cup pitted soft dates
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Strawberry filling:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups strawberries, stems removed
- 1 cup pitted soft dates
Topping:
- 1 cup strawberries, stems removed
Instructions
Gluten-free crust:
- Put the almonds in a large bowl and fill the bowl with water to cover by at least an inch.
- Drain and rinse the almonds. Put them in the work bowl of a food processor with the first cup of dates and the salt. Process until the almonds and dates are finely chopped and begin to stick together. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Strawberry filling:
- Put the cashews in a bowl, cover with water and let soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse the cashews. Put them in the food processor with the first 2 cups of strawberries and the dates. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pie shell and freeze until firm—at least 3 hours.
- To serve, remove the pie from the freezer and let it temper enough so you can cut it. Cut the remaining cup of strawberries into quarters and scatter them over the top of the pie.
What a perfect 4th of July dessert! Thank you Letty · 1 July, 2015
It certainly looks like the holiday. Explosive flavor too. GREG · 1 July, 2015
I served it last night. Everyone loved it! · 5 July, 2015
Great to hear that Maura! Thanks! · 6 July, 2015
I am in the middle of making this and could not figure out why you would have enough crust materials for two pies. Of course, I finally noticed that I had grabbed a 10 inch! Fits perfectly. Of course, now I’m running around to make additional filling. Fingers crossed. My imprecision is clearly why I did not have a baking career! 🙂 · 31 May, 2020
Ha! Thanks for your comment Tammy. I edited the recipe a bit to clarify. Please let me know if it makes it more clear. For a 9-inch pie pan, the crust ingredients are generous and you would have extra mix. For me it’s safer to have more than enough. · 31 May, 2020
Also, how long do you take it out of the freezer before cutting and serving? · 2 June, 2020
Tammy,
Just until it’s tempered enough to cut. · 2 June, 2020