A simple homemade strawberry cream cheese pie made with an easy graham cracker crust, a sweet cream cheese layer, and topped with fresh strawberries. This pie uses no Jello, gelatin, or artificial add-ins, and a quick strawberry sauce serves as a sweet glaze for the berries.
When it comes to sweets, it’s pretty well-known in my household that I have a complete and utter lack of restraint. Cookies, cakes, and pies (particularly strawberry cream cheese pies) need to be removed from the premises posthaste, or else it’s just a matter of time before I no longer fit through our doorways. Zach must take care to monitor the ice cream in our freezer closely, otherwise I’ll whittle it down to nothing, one sneaking spoonful at a time (he’s actually really bad at this, there’s a carton of ice cream in our freezer with a single spoonful of chocolate ice cream left because I’ve eaten nearly all of it).
But my inability to control myself is possibly most evident during strawberry picking season.
Because when it comes to strawberry picking, I just cannot stop myself. I will pick, and pick, and pick (and maybe sample a few, for, you know, quality control) until my arms are aching from the weight of my berries. Zach and I brought home more berries than two people can be realistically expected to eat in a year, but within a week we’d worked our way through all of them — mostly courtesy of this Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie.
Strawberry picking is a tradition with Zach’s family that I’m grateful to have been absorbed into, and each year for the past three years I’ve shared a strawberry dessert with you. First it was my Strawberries & cream daiquiris (I know, the photos could use a re-shoot), my homemade strawberry pop-tarts last year, and now this strawberry cream cheese pie.
Originally this year’s recipe was going to just be a plain Strawberry Pie, but when Zach’s mom mentioned that she’d had one before with a layer of cream cheese, I made the quick decision to re-route, and a fluffy layer of whipped cream cheese filling was the first thing to go into my homemade graham cracker crust.
It’s just four ingredients, and actually served as the inspiration for my no-bake cheesecake, which I shared with you last week.
We are using no Jello or gelatin in this strawberry cream cheese pie — no artificial flavors, just the pure juicy taste of fresh berries. However, that means that we have to get to work making a simple strawberry sauce, and while this pie is no-bake, you will have to whip out a saucepan for that — don’t worry, it will only take a few minutes.
We’re going to cook the berries with some sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch (a thickener), releasing the fresh juice of the berries and reducing the amount of liquid for a strawberry sauce that we will toss even more fresh strawberries into. Allow it to cool completely (once it’s finished cooking I usually pour the jam into a new heatproof container, that seems to speed up the process a bit since you don’t have to wait for the pan to come back down to temperature) and then stir in your berries.
And that’s it!
Super simple, isn’t it?
Enjoy!
I used some of these strawberries to make a strawberry icebox cheesecake, that I shared over on TheSpruce.com, make sure you check that out, too! 🙂
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-10" graham cracker crust prepared (click on link)
Strawberry topping
- 5-6 cups quartered strawberries, stems removed divided (840g)
- ½ cup sugar (100g)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (225g
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream (235ml)
Instructions
- In small saucepan, combine 2 cups strawberries (280g), sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice over medium-low heat.
- Stir frequently until strawberries release their juices.
- Use a potato masher to crush the strawberries until mostly liquid (it's fine if small pieces are remaining).
- Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Boil (still stirring constantly) for 1 minutes and remove from heat, place in new heat proof container to cool faster. Set aside while you prepare your cream cheese layer
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate, clean bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks
- Fold into cream cheese mixture -- the resulting mixture will be thick and fluffy.
- Spread evenly into prepared graham cracker crust and place in refrigerator while your strawberry mixture continues to cool.
- Once strawberry mixture has cooled completely, add remaining srawberries and stir well.
- Pour over cream cheese layer, piling/mounding strawberries towards the center.
- Return to refrigerator and allow to set at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
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Shannan Collins
I loved making this pie for my family they enjoyed it very much
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Shannan! 🙂
Becky
What a delicious pie – it got rave reviews from everyone! It’s exactly what I was searching for when I got a craving for fresh strawberry pie. I made it in a nine-inch springform pan for easier cutting and serving. Six cups of berries in the topping was just a bit too much because my berries were so juicy – two cups are needed for the cooked portion of the sauce but I’ll probably decrease the final amount of fresh additional berries to 3 cups. And the cream cheese layer is so good that I just might try doubling it next time.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pie, Becky! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Debbie
This pie is so good I made it for Father’s day for my husband and son we all enjoyed it very much. I’m making it again tomorrow . Thank you for sharing it with me
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the pie was a hit, Debbie! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Rita
Looks delicious! Can you use frozen strawberries?
Sam
Hi Rita! That should work fine here. 🙂
Ciara
Hi Rita,
I just made it for the first time and I used frozen strawberries. I haven’t tried it yet as it is in the fridge to set overnight, but I noticed it is much more “liquidy” than it has been when my friend has made it. I imagine it is going to taste the same, but I think fresh strawberries may be better. Or perhaps fewer in the strawberry mixture if using frozen.
Sam, this pie is delicious. My friend made it for me once last year and I have never been able to forget it. She made it again this year and I loved it so much again that I knew I needed to try. I’m really looking forward to trying it tomorrow!
Thanks!!!
Sam
I hope it’s just as good with the frozen berries! 🙂
Alex
I love this recipe! I was just wondering if it freezes well.
Sam
Hi Alex! I have not tried freezing it, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t freeze well. 🙂
Theresa
So do you bake the graham cracker crust?
Sam
There is no need. You should refrigerate or freeze it for a few minutes before using as the graham crack crust instructions say. 🙂
Stephanie Lardner
Yes, you should bake your crust for 7 minutes. So much better!
Anne
Delicious, impressive looking. Everyone loved it!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Anne! 🙂
Jeffrey
I made this pie I had some leftover filling just a little bit of both I’m going to make pancakes for me and my daughter and use what I have leftover I think it will be great. Going to try the pie tonight.
Laurie
Definitely a crowd pleaser!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Laurie! 🙂
Angela Cripe
Is this good with a regular pie crust instead of graham cracker?
Sam
I prefer the graham cracker crust for sure but there’s nothing stopping you from making it in a regular pie crust. 🙂
Stephanie
The first time I made this everyone raved about it! Now it is requested for birthdays & other celebrations. We call it Crack Strawberry Pie!!!
Sam
🤣 I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much! 🙂
Brenda
Can I add cool whip to the cream cheese instead of whip cream?
Thanks
Brenda
Sam
Hi Brenda! I think that will work, but you will definitely be missing out on some of the good flavor from the whipped heavy cream. 🙂
Bengie
This is the best receipt for fresh strawberry pie! It’s easy and delicious, my family went nuts over it!
Sam
Thank you so much, Bengie! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Sue
This was delicious…so much better with the cream cheese base, than just a strawberry pie…..
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sue! 🙂
Laurie
So delicious. It was gone in a heartbeat with requests for more.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Laurie! 🙂
Melissa
Fabulous,
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Melissa! I am glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂