Easy Breezy Gluten Free Low Carb Strawberry Pie

Easy Breezy Gluten Free Low Carb Strawberry Pie

Hot Summers Call for Cool Desserts

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been pretty impossible to live with if I get hot. My parents didn’t even bother to get an air conditioner until I came along. And to keep the house (and my bratty self) cool in the summer, my mother had my dad build an outdoor kitchen so she could cook and keep the heat outside.

Fast forward 30 years.

When it’s hot and humid here in Florida, the last thing I want to do is cook. The bad thing is, I still want dessert. AND I want a dessert that will help me cool off.

I don’t exactly want an outdoor kitchen like my mother, but I do want recipes that are easy and going to keep me cool. That involves using the oven as little as possible. That’s why I love this easy low carb strawberry pie.

Anatomy of a Low Carb Strawberry Pie

I was never a pie baking person because I never could get the crust to come out right. Icebox pies though were another story. I loved being able to throw it together, refrigerate, and enjoy a nice cool slice of pie in the summer.

I wondered if I could make an icebox low carb berry pie work. My old recipe had all of three ingredients. Jello, Cool Whip, and strawberries. Easy breezy!

I kept the strawberry jello, albeit I used sugar free.

Cool Whip is great and all, but I don’t want fake food. Who wants basically eat oil and corn syrup? Especially when the real stuff tastes sooo much better! I decided to use heavy whipping cream in place of the Cool Whip.

I’m so glad that strawberries are relatively low carb. They’re my favorite fruit, and I think I’d die if I couldn’t have any. A cup of chopped strawberries has roughly 10-12 carbs. That’s not bad when you break the pie up into servings.

How I Made a Low Carb “Graham Cracker” Crust

Time saving convenience foods like a pre-made graham cracker crusts are a thing of the past when you’re low carb and gluten free. But making a low carb nut crust takes only minutes, and you can have it done and ready to go in less time than it take you to go to the store and buy one.

You can find recipes for low carb crusts all over the internet. They’re quick and easy to make. All you need are pecans, walnuts, or whatever your nut of choice is. But I add something a little different to give it a darker flavor to kind of mimic the “graham cracker” look and taste.

I add Golden Lakanto monkfruit sweetener to my crust. This is a new sweetener to me. I bought it because I read it tastes like brown sugar. I’ve only used it in my low carb “graham cracker” crust, and it does give it a darker flavor just like brown sugar would.

Oh, and by the way, each slice of pie only has 3.5 net carbs!

NEED MORE GLUTEN FREE MEAL IDEAS? CLICK HERE —>

First, the Low Carb, Gluten Free “Graham Cracker” Crust Recipe

gluten free graham cracker pie crust recipe

Add 1 1/2 cup of nuts and 1/2 cup Golden Lakanto monkfruit sweetener  to your mini food chopper. (I couldn’t live without my Ninja Chopper!) Pulse until it’s ground.

low carb graham cracker crust

 

Mix 4 tbsp melted butter to nut mixture and combine well. Press the dough to the bottom and sides of an 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and set. Remember to let it cool completely before you add your pie filling!

Now Let’s Make a Low Carb Strawberry Pie!

strawberry pie recipe easy

Chop enough strawberries to make 1 cup. (About a half a pound) Set aside.

recipe easy strawberry pie

Add enough ice cubes to 1/2 cup of water to make 1 cup.

low carb berry pie

Dissolve a box of sugar free strawberry jello in 2/3 cup boiling water. When there’s no granules left, pour in the ice water. Stir until the ice cubes completely melt and set aside to thicken.

low carb strawberry pie recipe

Beat 2 cups whipping cream on high until extremely stiff. It should be able to stick to your spoon when you hold it sideways.

gluten free berry pie recipe

Add the thickened jello mixture to the whipped cream and fold gently until thorough combined. Gently mix in chopped berries. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

low carb strawberry icebox pie

Remove from fridge and mound the pie filling into the nut crust.  Refrigerate for six hours or overnight. Top with sliced fresh berries and whipped cream and enjoy your cool low carb strawberry pie!

Variation: This also makes a pretty parfait. In tall parfait glasses, layer filling and fresh sliced strawberries and top with homemade sweetened whipped cream.

Products to Make Your Low Carb Strawberry Pie Even Better:

GF Low Carb Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole

GF Low Carb Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole

I Just Wanted a Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole with No Pasta!

There’s a reason they call casseroles comfort food, because they have stuff like pasta and potatoes and carb-y goodness like that. They make us all warm and cozy inside.

And fat.

So where there’s a will there’s a way when it comes to this girl and making low carb gluten free casseroles.

I had a lot of cooked chicken leftover the other day from when I made my fast and easy low carb Mexican chicken casserole, and I needed to find a creative way to use it up. So I went to Pinterest to find a recipe.

Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole after casserole started popping up in my feed. Oh, my gosh, it all looked so good. But then I clicked on them and every single one I found had pasta in it. I was bummed.

So then I decided to get creative and find a way to make a bacon chicken ranch casserole that was gluten free and low carb.

Anatomy of a Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

I know I could have done the obvious and substituted zoodles for the pasta noodles, (you totally could!) but I didn’t have any zucchini on hand. Plus, I didn’t want to put a whole lot of effort into getting dinner on the table. I only had a small window of time before I had to go back to work.

So I decided to up the amount of chicken and bacon, and add broccoli as my filler in place of the pasta. I didn’t want to skimp on the sauce just because there was no pasta, so I made an extra creamy ranch-y sauce for everybody to swim in.

You’re seriously going to have to exert some self-control during the prep phase. I nibbled on the bacon and sucked down I don’t know how much ranch sauce.

It was good from beginning to end. Tonight as I’m writing this, there’s not even any leftovers and my son wants me to make it again tomorrow.

NEED MORE GLUTEN FREE MEAL IDEAS? CLICK HERE —>

Let’s Make us Some Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole!

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Steam 2 cups of broccoli florets until tender. Set aside.

chicken bacon ranch casserole recipe

Fry one pound of bacon until extra crispy. I’ve found the best way to get the crispiest bacon and keep it from curling is to use a cast iron bacon press. It also keeps the grease from spattering everywhere. Best invention ever!

chicken bacon cheese casserole

Crumble the bacon while trying not to eat any of it. I failed miserably on this step. 🙁

P.S. Don’t get rid of that grease! Pour it into a measuring cup and save it for the next step.

chicken ranch casserole recipe

Add 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp bacon grease, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp parsley, 3/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder and 1/8 thyme and mix well. Next, stir in the bacon.

bacon chicken ranch casserole

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Add broccoli and four cups cooked chicken and stir.

chicken bacon ranch recipe

Pour in the ranch mixture and stir well. Bake for 2o minutes. Remove from oven, and top with 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, if desired. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

bacon ranch chicken casserole

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy the bacon-y ranch-y goodness!

Protein 30.5, Fat 41.8, Fiber 1.8, Carbs 5.1