Summertime berries are the best. They’re even better in an easy gluten-free dairy-free berry tart!
Years ago, when I faced the need to create a gluten-free dessert, I concocted this recipe for a friend’s child after I invited her family to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoyed it as much as her son did, and it’s now among my favorite desserts. Even those without any kind of gluten-intolerance love it. Another child, with no food issues, at a holiday gathering a year later, shyly approached me and asked if I could give his mom the recipe :). When you use strawberries and/or rasberries plus blueberries, it also makes a beautiful red, white and blue dessert for 4th of July gatherings.
The tart is dairy-free too, depending on the cookies you use for the crust. Mi-Del brand gluten-free arrowroot cookies make a delicious crust, but there’s a little bit of dairy in them. A dairy-free and gluten-free option that works well are the Enjoy Life brand sugar crisp cookies. You can use any cookies you prefer for the crust; the key is that they’re crispy.
The whipped topping is made from coconut milk (or coconut cream) and maple syrup (or sugar). It has a subtle coconut taste, just enough to add some flavor, but not enough to overpower the berries and crust.
I like to use a large pie plate in the summer and spread the whipped topping thin, so the colors of the berries peak through (especially if I’m making it for the Fourth of July).
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (1/2 of a package) of arrowroot cookies (gluten-free) or Enjoy Life sugar crisp cookies (gluten-free and dairy-free), smashed (pour into a large baggie and smash with the flat side of a tenderizer, bottom of a cup or rolling pin
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
- 2 cans of coconut milk or cream, refrigerated (regular – don’t use the light option)
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar or 3-4 Tbsp of maple syrup, to taste
- Berries of your choice (I typically use strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries); I don’t add any sugar to them.
Directions (for a regular sized pie crust):
- Before you start, chill the cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator (I put mine in the refrigerator as soon as I bring them home from the grocery store, so they’re ready whenever I need them, but a couple hours will probably do)
- Smash the equivalent of 1 cup of gluten-free/dairy-free crispy cookies of your choice; place in large baggie and smash with a wooden spoon or other utensil (if you don’t need to make this gluten-free, you can use animal crackers or graham crackers, but the arrowroot cookies shown in the photo REALLY make this crust particularly delicious); I also like to smash the whole bag and save half for when I make this berry tart/pie again later.
- Melt 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- Mix the 1 cup of smashed cookies and melted butter; press into a small pie or tart pan (I use a glass pie pan)
- Bake on 350 degrees F for 5 minutes, then let cool
- Wash enough berries to fill a pie pan (I like to use a lot, so the pie is thick on berries, thinner on the whipped topping)
- Mix the berries together
- Take the 2 cans of coconut milk out of the refrigerator and open them; scoop out the solid top half and place into a bowl or mixer (leave the liquid part in the can; typically you do not need to add any liquid). NOTE: I often buy 3 cans, just in case one doesn’t have as much of the thick coconut cream as I need
- In a stand mixer — or in a bowl if you’re using a hand mixer, which is how I made this before finally getting a stand mixer — mix the solid coconut milk with 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar or 3-4 Tbsp of maple syrup (start with the smaller amount and then taste after you have mixed it for a bit; add a little if you prefer it to be sweeter)
- Mix on high for 3-4 minutes, until it is whipped smooth and thick. If it is too thick, add 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp of the coconut milk liquid (do not add any liquid at first – you don’t want it to bee too runny)
- Add berries to the pie or tart pan
- Top with the whipped topping
- Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving
- Enjoy!
