Strawberry Cream Pie is light, fruity, and delicious, featuring a flaky pie crust, a no-bake cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberries finished with a sweet strawberry glaze.
I first shared this strawberry cream pie recipe in 2012 and recently refreshed the photos and instructions. Back then I used Cool Whip more often; now I prefer real sweetened whipped cream for better flavor and texture.
One small change I’d recommend: instead of halving the strawberries, quarter or thinly slice them. Halves look attractive, but smaller pieces mean more fruit in every bite.
Strawberry Cream Pie
This strawberry cream pie is best when strawberries are in season. It builds in three simple layers:
- Crust: A classic pie crust works beautifully—either homemade or store-bought. Blind bake it and cool completely before filling. For an easier no-bake version, use a graham cracker crust.
- Filling: A light, no-bake cheesecake-style layer made from cream cheese gently sweetened and folded with whipped cream. Regular or lighter cream cheese will work; Neufchatel is a good lower-fat option.
- Topping: Fresh strawberries, arranged and finished with a pureed strawberry glaze.
The glaze is more like a coulis—saucy and glossy. If you prefer a firmer glaze, you can add a small amount of unflavored gelatin to the sugar and cornstarch mixture to help it set. The same gelatin can also be used to stabilize the whipped cream if desired.
I enjoy the saucy glaze for its fresh mouthfeel, although it can be a little messier when serving.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Yes. If using frozen strawberries, thaw them ahead of time and drain off excess juice to avoid a watery glaze. Reserve the drained juice to replace the water called for in the glaze if you like. Also consider slicing or chopping thawed berries, as their texture and size can change during freezing and thawing.
Strawberries and cream cheese are a classic pairing. This pie is ideal for Valentine’s Day, Easter, summer potlucks, or any time you have fresh berries on hand.
Recipe overview and ingredients:
Strawberry Cream Pie
Ingredients
- Pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
- Dry beans or pie weights + parchment paper (for blind baking)
Glaze & Topping:
- 3 cups strawberries (about 1–1.5 lb), rinsed and hulled
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ Tbsp cornstarch
Whipped Cream: (to be divided)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Equipment
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Electric hand mixer (or stand mixer)
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Rolling pin (if making homemade crust)
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9-inch pie dish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Crust: Roll pie crust to fit a 9-inch deep dish, trim and crimp the edges. Dock bottom and sides with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with dry beans or pie weights to prevent shrinking.
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Blind bake at 350°F for 13–15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights, then bake 7–8 minutes more until golden. Cool completely. (Store-bought crusts may bake faster—adjust time as needed.)
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Glaze & Topping: Puree 1 cup of strawberries with the water and lemon juice. Slice or chop the remaining 2 cups of strawberries for topping.
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In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the pureed strawberries. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely.
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Whipped Cream: Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Reserve about half for topping and fold the rest into the filling.
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Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until combined, then fold in about 2 1/2 cups of the whipped cream to lighten the filling.
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Assemble: Spread the cream cheese filling into the cooled crust. Spoon half the strawberry glaze over the filling, arrange the fresh strawberries on top, then pour the remaining glaze over the fruit. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with the reserved whipped cream piped or dolloped on each slice.
Notes
- For instructions on blind baking a pie crust, see a detailed tutorial with step-by-step photos.
- For firmer layers, you may use 1 packet (about 1 Tbsp) unflavored gelatin, divided:
- Whisk 1 1/2 tsp gelatin with the sugar and cornstarch in the glaze, then proceed with the recipe.
- To stabilize whipped cream, soften 1 1/2 tsp gelatin in 2 Tbsp water, warm until melted, cool slightly, then add slowly to whipped cream at soft-peak stage and beat to stiff peaks.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates calculated with a third-party tool.
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