This fruit pie recipe is served in a gluten-free, crunchy, slightly brittle dough with a texture similar to buttery biscuit! Filled with homemade pastry cream without dairy and decorated with fresh fruit.
The fresh fruit pie is perfect for any occasion and is sure to please everyone! With this recipe, you can make a 25cm pie or 14 7cm pies!
There are three main components when making this fresh fruit pie with pastry cream:
- A crispy, firm dough with buttery, brittle crumbs.
- Homemade pastry cream with vanilla flavor, which is delicious and smooth.
- Fresh fruit.
Let's start with the fruit pie dough, which is a little different from the classic pasta you're used to.
PÂTÉ SUCRÉE (SWEET FRUIT PIE DOUGH):
Classic cream and fresh fruit pies are not traditionally served in doughs made from biscuits, but rather in a Brittle, French-style dough known as pâté sucrée, which translates to "sweet dough." However, the sucrée dough is much sweeter than all the other pies doughs. Plus, it's a little crunchy, softer than the others, and a lot like buttery cookie dough.
To make the fruit pie dough gluten-free and low carb, I changed things up a bit, but I still left the taste, texture and face of a traditional sweet dough like pâté sucrée!
To make the dough of this fruit pie, I used a mix of nutritious and low-carb flours. And instead of using sugar, as pâté sucrée dough is traditionally made, I used xylitol, but it's okay to use sugar if you want to.
I simply wanted to make this pie as healthy as possible, for those who can't or don't want to consume the sugar or want to avoid it like I do. So anyone can enjoy this fresh fruit pie with homemade pastry cream without guilt!
Many recipes use an egg yolk and then add ice water, but I've found the best results using a whole egg and not adding water. This is also one of the rare cases where I recommend using a cold egg, rather than using the egg at room temperature. Keep all ingredients as cold as possible, to prevent the sides of the fruit pie from falling off while baking!
HOMEMADE PASTRY CREAM RECIPE:
My homemade pastry cream recipe (crème pâtissière) is pretty easy to prepare and quick to make, you don't have to wait hours to cool down before stuffing the fruit pie or pies. This pastry cream is made dairy-free and sugar-free, and the results are exactly the same as traditional cream: pastry cream rich in flavor, creamy and smooth!
For the pastry cream recipe you will need:
- Vegetable milk, I recommend using coconut milk to get a better and creamier texture, but almond milk also works.
- Xylitol (or sugar, if that's your choice). This cream is not overly sweet. As such, you'll only use a small amount of xylitol to make the vanilla and cream flavors stand out!
- Cornstarch, it helps thicken our pastry cream (crème pâtissière), without leaving it with floury taste or sticky texture, as this can happen when using wheat flour as a thickener. If you want the cream to be less firm, you can cut the amount of cornstarch in half.
- Yolks, without the egg whites. Save these egg whites to make meringues
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean half or any flavoring of your choice (cumaru, cardamom, citrus peels).
ATTENTION: The quantities of the ingredients are described in detail at the bottom of the page on the Recipe Card. Here I explain the ingredients of the recipe and their functions or substitutions. Keep reading to the end to see the full recipe!
WHAT ARE THE BEST FRUITS FOR THIS GLUTEN-FREE PIE?
You can use just about any fruit you want to decorate the fruit pie, but if you're using a particularly juicy fruit (like ripe peach slices or mango), I recommend decorating the pie a little before serving.
- Strawberries (this one is a must for me)
- Blueberries
- Kiwi slices
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Physalis
- Sleeve
- Grapes
GLOSSY FINISH ON TOP OF FRUIT PIE:
After assembling your fruit pie, you can lightly brush the fruits with a little mixture made with gelatin and xylitol or agar agar. This step is entirely optional, but it adds a gorgeous sheen and a good extra dose of slightly sour sweetness. Many bakeries add a topping to fruits in this way.
- Apricots
These are some of my favorite fruit options:
HOW TO MAKE FRESH FRUIT PIE WITH PASTRY CREAM
To make the base of the fruit pie:
- Mix all dry ingredients except xylitol, cut the butter into pieces and add to the dry ones. With your fingertips, mix until you get a moist crumb.
- Add the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, xylitol and lemon zest in the flour mixture and mix until you get a smooth dough, but it is not necessary to soak.
- Open the dough with the help of your fingers, right in the way you are going to bake. But you can also open the dough with a roll, use plastic film on the countertop and on top of the dough. Transfer to a 25 cm diameter shape, removable bottom or smaller 7 cm diameter pans and removable bottom.
- Use a fork to pierce the bottom in some spots. For the dough not to rise while baking, you can line the pie with mashed parchment paper and put beans on top, but this is optional. Bake, oven at 180° for 15 to 20 minutes and let cool.
To make the pastry cream from the fruit pie:
- In a bowl, place the egg yolks and add the xylitol. Then, with the help of a fue or mixer, beat until you get a smooth, whitish cream, sift the cornstarch over the yolks, mix and set aside.
- In a pan put the coconut milk, add the flavor you chose to use, be it: vanilla, cumaru, cardamom or citrus peels. Cook over low heat until it starts to boil and turn off.
- Add some of this flavored milk to the egg mixture to season them, return everything in the pan with the milk and cook over low heat stirring non-stop, as soon as the mixture starts to boil, cook for another 3 minutes and turn off.
- Wait a few minutes for the cream to cool down a little and then place the cream in the cold pie dough. Cover the surface with a plastic wrap, touching the cream, and take to freeze for 1 hour. (You can also let the cream cool in a bowl and cover the pie with cream before serving!)
- After cooling, add your favorite fruits and finish with a glossy finish.
INGREDIENTS AND HOW TO PREPARE THE GLOSSY FINISH WITH 2 OPTIONS:
- Finish with Gelatin:
- 03 sheets of colorless gelatin
- 80g (1/3 cup) Xylitol
- 75ml (1/3 cup) Water
- 2g (1 coffee spoon) lemon zest
- 2g (1 coffee spoon) orange zest
- 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- In a bowl, hydrate the gelatin leaves in cold water for approximately 5 minutes.
- In a saucepan place the water, xylitol, orange zest, lemon zest and cook over medium heat until it starts to boil and the xylitol crystals dissolve, and turn off. Add the vanilla extract and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin leaves and add the syrup, stir until they dissolve, strain and set aside to finish the top of the fruit pie.
Finish with Agar-Agar :
- 125ml (1⁄2 cup) filtered water
- 30g (2 tablespoons) Agave
- 1.25g (1⁄4 teaspoon) Agar-Agar
- In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients.
- Turn on low heat and cook until the syrup is in wire point, that is, when we lift the spoon and the syrup does not drip, but forms a wire when falling.
- Brush over the fruits gently.
Fresh Fruit Pie with Pastry Cream
This homemade fruit pie recipe with pastry cream is served in a gluten-free dough with a texture similar to the buttery biscuit crispy, slightly brittle, stuffed with homemade pastry cream and garnished with fresh fruit. It is definitely perfect for summer days and is sure to please everyone!
EQUIPMENT
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Pie shape 25cm
- Sieve
- Medium pot
- Fue
- Spatula
MAKINGS
TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
- 100g (<>/<> cup) millet flour
- 100g (<>/<> cup) brown rice flour
- 60g (<>/<> cup) almond flour
- 70g (<>/<> cup) cornstarch
- 2g (<>/<> teaspoon) salt
- 60g (4 tablespoons) butter or ghee, chilled
- 2 whole eggs
- 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 40g (3 tablespoons) xylitol sprayed*
- Lemon zest
TO MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM (PATISSERIES):
- 4 free-range egg yolks
- 60g (4/<> tablespoons) xylitol sprayed*
- 500ml (2 cups) coconut milk, or almonds
- 10ml (2 teaspoons) of vanilla extract, or cumaru grated to taste or <>/<> vanilla bean or any flavoring of your choice: cardamom, citrus peels, ect...
- 50g (<>/<> cup) cornstarch
- How much is enough of fresh fruit for decoration, strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, mango, physalis
INSTRUCTIONS
METHOD OF PREPARATION OF THE DOUGH:
- Mix the dry ingredients except xylitol.100g (<>/<> cup) millet flour,100g (<>/<> cup) brown rice flour,60g (<>/<> cup) almond flour,70g (<>/<> cup) cornstarch,2g (<>/<> teaspoon) salt
- Cut the butter or ghee into pieces and add to the dry ones. With your fingertips, mix until it becomes a moist crumb.60g (4 tablespoons) butter or ghee
- Add the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, xylitol and lemon zest. Mix until you get a smooth dough, but do not soak or stir too much.2 whole eggs,5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract,40g (3 tablespoons) xylitol sprayed*,Lemon zest
- Open the dough with the help of your fingers directly in the way you are going to bake. OR open the dough with a roll (place plastic film on the countertop and on top of the dough). Transfer to a 25 cm diameter shape, removable bottom or smaller 7 cm diameter pans and removable bottom. Use a fork to pierce the bottom in some spots.
- Bake, oven at 180° for 15 to 20 minutes, set aside.
METHOD OF PREPARATION OF THE PASTRY CREAM (PATISSERIES):
- In a bowl place the egg yolks and add the xylitol, with the help of a fue or mixer, beat until you get a smooth and whitish cream.4 free-range egg yolks,60g (4/<> tablespoons) xylitol sprayed*
- Sift the cornstarch over the egg yolks, mix and set aside.50g (<>/<> cup) cornstarch
- In a saucepan place the milk and vanilla extract, cook over low heat until it starts to boil and turn off. Add some of this flavored milk to the egg mixture to season them.500ml (2 cups) coconut milk,10ml (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- Add this egg mixture in the pan with the milk and cook over low heat stirring non-stop, as soon as the mixture starts to boil, cook for another 3 minutes and turn off.
- Wait a few minutes for the cream to cool down a little and then place the cream in the cold pie dough. Cover the surface with a plastic wrap, touching the cream, and take to freeze for 1 hour. Garnish with fresh fruit before serving.
- OR Place the cream in a bowl, cover the surface with a plastic wrap, touching the cream, and take to freeze for 1 hour. After 1 hour fill the dough with cream and garnish with fresh fruit.
- Lastly, you can make the glossy finish on top of the pie. This step is optional, see the instructions on the blog!
NOTES
*Measurement of xylitol in spoons before spraying.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1Piece | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrate: 35.6g | Protein: 5.5g | Fat: 18.9g | Saturated Fat: 12.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 3.6g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 5.3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1.69mg