Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 4, 2024 
This gorgeous and creamy strawberry cream pie recipe is pure summer bliss in a dessert. It’s made with layers of fluffy whipped cream, thick strawberry pudding and a silky smooth cream cheese. The best part is that this easy pie doesn’t require any baking!
Ah, spring and summer, where the days get longer, the weather gets warmer and juicy strawberries get very, very sweet. This is the time where I swap heavy winter comfort foods with light, no-baking required fruity dishes like this strawberry cream pie. This quintessential summer dessert is heavenly. First, I make a homemade strawberry pudding that’s combined with a thick cream cheese and a seriously fluffy whipped cream that ties it all together. These delectable layers of sweetness all sit nestled atop a terrifically crumbly no-bake crust made out of simple graham crackers. The secret to making this pie? Well, it’s to use real, juicy strawberries. They make all the difference when it comes to the flavors, colors and textures of this dessert. Like my banana cream pie recipe, this strawberry version is great for making ahead of time and it’s perfect to bring to picnics and potlucks.
Katie – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Summer in a pie- this is just right!! Love all of the freshness!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Fresh Strawberry Flavors – Every bite of this decadent pie is bursting with sweet strawberry flavors that pair perfectly with the subtle tanginess from the cream cheese. I also love the crunch you get at the end from the crumbly graham cracker crust.
Light and Creamy – Made with just a couple of easy-to-find pantry items, the final result is an indulgent yet surprisingly light and creamy dessert. The texture is absolutely perfect. It’s silky smooth and refreshing, making it the perfect sweet treat for warm weather.
Easy Yet Impressive – I usually dread baking pies because the truth is, as delicious as they are, they take a lot of time to make. But this strawberry cream pie is surprisingly easy to make, and the best part is that you don’t even need to turn on the oven.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Sliced strawberries in syrup – To get that sweet strawberry flavor in the filling, use either fresh strawberries or the frozen kind that have soaked in simple syrup.
- Whole milk – To make the base of the strawberry filling I use whole milk because it’s rich and it creates that delicious creaminess.
- Cream cheese – This might come across as a bit of a surprise, but softened regular cream cheese ads a tanginess that balances out the sweetness from the sugar. It also thickens up the filling and it makes extra indulgent.
- Heavy cream – To make my homemade whipped cream I use a regular heavy cream that I add sugar to.
- Sugar – You’ll need good old granulated sugar to make the filling and crust sweeter.
- Graham crackers – For the base of the curst I use classic graham crackers that I pulse into really really fine crumbs. They add a perfect crunchiness to every bite of this pie.
- Butter – Unsalted melted butter helps to bind the crust and it adds a lot of rich flavor, too.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Pulse the crumbs – To kick off the no-bake crust, I toss the graham crackers into a food processor and blend them until the crumbs are really fine.
Add the butter – Then, I toss in the butter and sugar, and I mix those up with the crumbs until it’s all smooth and blended.
Shape the crust – I pour the mixture into a pie pan and I press it down until the crumbs are flat on the bottom, and up along the sides of the pan. The crust should be thick, but not too thick. Make sure to refrigerate until you’re ready to add in the filling!
Make the whipped cream – Once I’ve cleaned out the food processor, I add in the heavy cream and some sugar. I whip that up until it forms stiff peaks. Then, I pop the homemade whipped cream into the refrigerator.
Start the pudding – Next, I puree the strawberries, milk, sugar, cornstarch and a dash of salt until it’s really smooth.
Heat it up – I pour that strawberry mixture into a saucepan over medium heat, and I let it simmer for a couple of minutes. It’s important to keep stirring during this step. You’ll know the pudding is ready by using the spoon test.
Cream it up – One the pudding is ready, I pour it back into the blender and add in the cream cheese. I mix that up until it’s smooth.
Make it fluffy – When the pudding mixture is cooled down to room temperature, I scoop into that about half of the chilled whipped cream. I fold it in really gently so that the fluffiness doesn’t get lost. Then, I pour the filling onto the graham cracker crust and spread it out.
Add the final layer – Finally, I pour the remaining whipped cream on top of the filling.
Chill – Make sure to refrigerate the pie for at least four hours before serving. The longer the pie chills in the fridge, the better the filling will set. Firm filling makes it much easier to cut and lift out of the pan.
Recipe Variations
- Crust options – For ease, use a store-bought graham cracker pie crust! Or, you can totally make (or buy) a pastry crust and bake it before adding the strawberry cream pie filling!
- White chocolate – Mix some mini white chocolate chips into the strawberry filling layer for a sweet surprise.
- Coconut – Sprinkle some shredded coconut into the crust for a tropical twist.
- Cream cheese – Use more cream cheese in the feeling to make this pie taste more like a cheesecake.
Serving Suggestions
Honestly, a slice of this creamy strawberry cream pie is seriously decadent on its own. However, as we all know, where there is a will, there is a way…to dress this pie up even more! Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions:
- Garnish with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Pair each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Drizzle your slice with some chocolate sauce.
Storing
Covered loosely with plastic wrap or foil, this pie will keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sweetness from the fresh strawberries in syrup is pretty essential for getting the bold and bright strawberry pie flavor. You can easily make your own at home; I recommend putting together several batches at once to have on hand!
Can you?! You very well should, because it tastes SO MUCH better once it’s had some time to chill and set in the fridge.
Yes. If you freeze it, it actually tastes like ice cream.
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Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust –
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers crumbs about 12 whole graham crackers
- 7 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Strawberry Cream Pie Filling –
- 10 ounces frozen sliced strawberries in syrup thawed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar + 3 Tb for the whipped cream
- 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Place the graham crackers in a large food processor. Pulse into fine crumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the graham crackers in a large zip bag and use a rolling pin to smash them into crumbs.)
- Add the melted butter, sugar, and salt to the food processor. Pulse again to combine. Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a 9 inch deep-dish pie pan.
- Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture up the sides of the pan, and flat on the bottom. Try to make the crust as even and smooth as possible. Then refrigerate until ready to fill.
For the Strawberry Pudding Filling:
- Wash the food processor bowl to reuse. (Or use an electric stand mixer with a whip attachment.) Pour the heavy cream into the food processor and add 3 tablespoons sugar. Turn on high to whip the cream into firm peaks. Scoop the firm whipped cream into a separate bowl. Refrigerate.
- Next add the strawberries in syrup, whole milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt to the food processor. Puree until very smooth.
- Pour the pudding mixture into a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat. Stir and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken the pudding. It’s ready when it coats a spoon with thin opaque layer that stays separate when you run your finger through it.
- Then pour the pudding back into the food processor and add the cream cheese and vanilla extract. Puree until smooth. (Adding the cream cheese later helps to bring down the pudding temperature.)
- Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to bring the pudding temperature down to room temperature.
- Once the pudding has cooled to room temperature, scoop HALF the whipped cream into the pudding mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula. Once the whipped cream is fully combined and the filling is smooth, scoop the mixture into the graham cracker crust. Spread the filling to the sides of the crust.
- Scoop the remaining whipped cream on top of the pie filling. Use a spatula to spread it into a visually pleasing mound.
- Refrigerate for 4+ hours, before serving.
I made this last year and it was a great hit. I’m not a cook at all so I was pretty proud of myself. However, I could never quite get the mixture to ‘set’. When I cooked it, despite constant stirring and even a lower heat, it wouldn’t thicken up as much as I think it should. It never did the ‘separate’ thing when I put my finger through it. Is there a tip or trick I missed?
Hi Rachel!
Hmmm, with that much cornstarch it should have thickened up. Any change you used 3 1/2 teaspoons instead of tablespoons? If you encounter this issue again, and you are sure you measured accurately, remove some of the strawberry sauce, whisk in another tablespoon of cornstarch and stir it back into the whole batch of sauce. (This method ensures you don’t have clumps of cornstarch you can’t work out.)