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This Vegan Strawberry Cream Pie was inspired by a pie I enjoyed in childhood– one made with a box of strawberry Jello and a tub of Cool Whip! I loved that creamy strawberry pie so much I could eat the whole thing myself, if my family and friends didn’t beat me to it.
This homemade variation tastes remarkably similar to the original version I remember, but it’s made with fresh strawberries, creamy coconut milk, and pure maple syrup for a healthier alternative. Agar Agar flakes, a granulated seaweed, gives this pie it’s jello-like quality, but it’s used sparingly enough that it doesn’t have the exact texture of jello; it just helps give each slice some structure without melting into a pudding.
As you may know, I spend my nights and weekends testing my recipe ideas, and after making this pie 3 times this past weekend, I still can’t figure out the “perfect” ratio for the pie filling. The first time I made it, I made too little filling. The second time, I doubled the recipe and made over a cup too much! You’d think the third time would be the charm… but it wasn’t.
That’s when I realized that it would be WAY easier to just serve this pie in individual serving cups. No need to have the perfect amount of crust or filling, because the number of servings you make is up to you, depending on the number of people you need to serve. I made mine in some small glass dishes that hold about 6 ounces, but you could even make smaller portions using cute little shot glasses! I’ll continue to test the amount for filling a traditional pie, but for now I’ll leave you with this delicious recipe that can be doubled to fill a pie (with extra filling to spare) or created as-is and served in individual serving cups. Either way, it’s totally delicious without weighing you down!
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Vegan & Paleo Strawberry Cream Pie
Serves 4-6, depending on cup size
Ingredients:
Strawberry Filling:
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon agar agar flakes
8 ounces fresh strawberries (about 1 1/4 cups chopped)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
No-Bake Crust:
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Pinch of salt
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Coconut whipped cream (optional for topping)
Sliced strawberries (optional for garnish)
Directions:
To prepare the no-bake crust, combine all of the ingredients and divide the dough between the number of cups you plan on using. (I used 4 6-ounce cups, but you could probably do up to 8 shot glasses with this amount of crust.)
To prepare the strawberry filling, combine the coconut milk and agar flakes in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Use a whisk to stir well and lower the heat to a simmer, whisking occasionally until all of the agar flakes have dissolved, about 5 minutes. Place the strawberries, vanilla, and maple syrup in your blender container and pour the coconut milk/agar mixture over the top. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, then pour the filling over each crust. Place the pies in the fridge to set until the center is firm, about 4 hours. Top with coconut whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries just before serving!
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon agar agar flakes
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries (about 1 1/4 cups chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
No-Bake Crust:
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Coconut whipped cream (optional for topping)
Sliced strawberries (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- To prepare the no-bake crust, combine all of the ingredients and divide the dough between the number of cups you plan on using. (I used 4 6-ounce cups, but you could probably do up to 8 shot glasses with this amount of crust.)
- To prepare the strawberry filling, combine the coconut milk and agar flakes in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Use a whisk to stir well and lower the heat to a simmer, whisking occasionally until all of the agar flakes have dissolved, about 5 minutes. Place the strawberries, vanilla, and maple syrup in your blender container and pour the coconut milk/agar mixture over the top. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, then pour the filling over each crust. Place the pies in the fridge to set until the center is firm, about 4 hours.
- Top with coconut whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries just before serving!
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 400, Fat: 30g, Carbohydrates: 31g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 7g
Note: If you don’t need this pie to be vegan, I’m sure gelatin could be used as a substitute for the agar flakes, but the ratio will be different! I haven’t tested this recipe with gelatin yet, so be sure to Google the appropriate substitution before attempting this recipe with different ingredients. And please leave a comment below if you try something that works, so everyone can benefit!
I’ll do my best to get the amounts for the full-size pie up later this week, but I wanted you to enjoy this pie as much as I am right away. It’s so delicious!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite Valentine treat? Any other makeovers I should try in the next couple weeks?
I disregarded your warning and made a full pie. Are used Agar agar powder as that’s all I could find. I made a regular amount of crust and doubled your recipe for that filling and it turned out perfectly. I think I’ll use a little less than 1tsp of powder in place of the 1 tbsp of flakes though. It firmed up in less than 2 hours. My kids and I just ate half of it?
HI! Anyone having my same problem? I’m using powdered Agar instead of flakes, I reduced it to only 1/2 a teaspoon but the texture is kinda like split. Help!!
Made this for my love on Vday with the agar flakes and the only other thing I changed was reducing the maple syrup in the filling part, maybe by 2 tablespoons. Turned out perfect, made them in glass cups and my husband loved them as well. I highly recommend with coconut whipped cream. Not too sweet of a dessert.
Thank you Megan!
I make this last night for some friends….delicious! I made individual servings in bowls and did not use the Agar Agar or gelatin and they were still firm and super creamy!
Thank you for yet another simple and delicious recipe! I doubled the recipe and made it into a pie and used the remaining filing to make smaller deserts. It came out perfect! The only question I have is how to get it out of the pan in a such neat slice…the crust was soft and sticking to the bottom..not a big issue but would be nice to know if serving to guests. Would appreciate any suggestions!
The crust stays firm for serving as long as it’s served very well chilled. It gets soft when it sits on the counter too long! I’m also working on a crust that can be baked, but I do prefer not baking with nuts too often and the no-bake option is faster!
This has delicious taste! 1 tsp gelatin is not enough… It was too runny and not fully set- and I waited longer than 4 hours. Still tasted great, and next time I’ll add more gelatin!
I just read the instructions on the red Great Lakes gelatin. It says I tablespoon of gelatin will set 1 pint or 2 cups of liquid. I might just give it a try.
Anyone try this with gelatin yet? I’m going to do it for company tomorrow, but I don’t want to waste any ingredients… Thanks!
Delicious! I made it tonight in a larger pie pan. I doubled the filling recipe, which was the perfect amount for that pan, and multiplied the crust ingredients by 1 1/2. I used frozen strawberries and 2 1/2 tsps of gelatin. Everything set up perfectly and was absolutely yummy!
This recipe sounds wonderful, and I plan to make it for my family for Valentines Day! However, for me, Valentines Day = chocolate!!! I was wondering how it would be to make this recipe with a chocolate crust?! Any suggestions as to how to tweak the crust ingredients for a chocolate variety? Thank you so much! (last weekend I made your Chocolate Pecan Crumble Bars, and what a hit they were! Truly delicious!)