Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is our most-lored family dessert. We refer to it as “Strawberry Super Pie” or even just “The Pie.” With its pecan shortbread cookie crust, luscious sweet cream cheese layer, and jammy topping of fresh strawberries and strawberry glaze, it is truly out of this world!
Why You’ll Love This Ultimate Strawberry Pie
- Spectacular Flavor. Each layer of this pie is remarkable on its own, but once united, these dreamy layers are nothing short of supernatural. The crisp, buttery crust perfectly complements the creamy, tangy filling, and the strawberries round everything out with compelling sweetness.
- Masterpiece Presentation. Each slice stands tall and proud. This pie steals the show.
- FRESH Strawberries. As with Peach Crisp, this strawberry pie relies on the sweet and juicy goodness of fresh fruit. The flavor of fresh strawberries is celebrated.
- Become a Legend. While this pie takes more effort than Strawberry Pie, the steps are straightforward and the reward is magnificent! It’s a labor of love, but you’ll become a legend. (This Rhubarb Pie will also make you look like a master baker.)
5 Star Review
“I just made your pie last night and we had it after dinner today….absolutely delicious! My husband was a big fan and is on his way to the fridge for another piece!”
— Poonam —
How to Make Strawberry Cream Pie
The Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries. Peak-season strawberries are used both whole for the pie’s presentation and cooked down to make a strawberry glaze.
- Whipped Vanilla Cream Cheese Layer. This tucks underneath the strawberry layer and features real-deal, from-scratch whipped cream, folded together with sweetened cream cheese. It. Is. EPIC. A 1,000% upgrade from strawberry cream pie with sweetened condensed milk or strawberry cream pie with vanilla pudding.
- Pecan Shortbread Cookie Crust. So melt-in-your-mouth marvelous, Ben once requested that I bake a second one separate from the pie so that he could add more crust on top.
The Directions
- Stir the Crust Ingredients Together. First the dry ingredients, then add the butter.
- Mix Until Combined. A fork works well for this.
- Press the Crust into Your Pie Dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- Let Cool. We don’t want to melt the cream filling!
- Prepare the Strawberry Filling. No need to puree the strawberries.
- Boil. Slowly add the food coloring (if using).
- Prepare the Whipped Cream. Berries and cream are made to be.
- Add the Cream Cheese Layer. Chill the pie for 30 minutes.
- Add Fresh Strawberries and the Glaze. Don’t overflow the pie with the glaze.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Use a Traditional Crust. Swap in my Darn Good Whole Wheat Pie Crust.
- Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Pie. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the strawberry mixture. Garnish your finished pie with an additional 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Pretzel Strawberry Pie. Check out my Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Pie with Pretzel Crust.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Cover and refrigerate the pie for up to 5 days (it never lasts that long).
- To Freeze. Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. The strawberries may be a little liquidy once thawed, but the pie will still taste delicious.
Make Ahead Tip
For ease of preparation, make the crust, cream filling, and strawberry topping the day before, refrigerate them separately overnight, then assemble and chill the pie the next morning.
Leftover Ideas
If you have extra strawberry topping, you have liquid gold! It makes an excellent topping for Blender Whole Wheat Waffles, Fluffy Pancakes, ice cream, or Stuffed French Toast.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Pie Dish. Ideal for making this strawberry pie.
- Saucepan. A must-have kitchen tool.
- Mixing Bowls. This set of stackable bowls is dishwasher-safe.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Top-Notch Strawberries. For the best-tasting, most intensely fresh, and berry-licious pie, be sure to use top-quality strawberries. They make the pie shine! If you can find some homegrown at the farmers market, snatch them up to make this beauty.
- Chilling Is Key. Starting with the crust, you must allow the pie to cool or chill as the recipe instructs. To ensure your pie sets up properly and turns out absolutely perfect, every layer must be cool.
- Make It Ahead. If you know you’ll be crunched for time the day of your get-together or event, go ahead and follow the instructions listed in the “meal prep tips” box above. You can also fully assemble the pie the day before and let it chill until you’re ready to serve it.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Old-fashioned strawberry cream pie starring a sweet cream cheese layer, fresh strawberries, strawberry glaze, and a buttery crust.
Prep: 4 hours
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Pecan Shortbread Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon powdered confectioner’s sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
For the Fresh Strawberry Topping:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries divided and hulled (do not slice prior)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Several drops red food coloring (about 5-7, depending on your berries)
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (I used reduced fat Neufchatel. Just don’t use fat free.)
- 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a deep 10-inch pie dish and set aside.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, powdered sugar, and pecans. Pour in melted butter.
- Mix by hand until combined.
- Press into the prepared dish. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely to room temperature, so as not to melt the cream filling.
- Fresh Strawberry Topping: Mash enough strawberries to make 1 cup (I found it helps to slice them into fairly small pieces first. The mash will be a little chunky, but the berries should be fairly well broken down. Do not puree.) Place mashed berries in a small saucepan with the water. In a small, separate bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch, then add all at once to berries.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Add the food coloring a few drops at a time, until you reach a nice strawberry hue (mashing the berries dulls their color, and the food coloring makes for a more appealing finished product). Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. (Again, you will melt the cream layer if you rush it).
- Cut tops off of remaining strawberries. The top of each berry will be flat and the rest of the berry should be left whole, allowing the berry to “stand” on its top with the tip up. Set aside.
- Make the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling: Whip the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a smaller bowl and set aside.
- Place the cream cheese in the now empty larger bowl (no need to wash it), and beat gently until smooth. Add the powdered sugared a few tablespoons at a time and incorporating after each, then add vanilla. Continue to beat until completely smooth.
- Carefully fold in whipped cream.
- Spread the whipped cream cheese filling into the cooled pecan shortbread crust and refrigerate for a half-hour.
- When crushed berry topping is cool and the crust and cream filling have chilled, arrange the reserved berries with the cut-sides down and tips pointing upward on top of the cream layer. The berries will look like they are “standing” on the cream filling. Start at the outside and place berries side by side in a circle, moving inward, until the cream surface is covered (some cream will show through.)
- Carefully spoon the cooled fresh strawberry topping over the pie, using a small spoon to dribble it between each berry. The cream layer should be completely covered, but do not overfill, as extra topping will simply slop over the side. Save any leftover topping for toast, waffles, ice cream, or go at it with a spoon.
- Chill for at least two hours or overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: Cover and refrigerate the pie for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. The strawberries may be a little liquidy once thawed, but the pie will still taste delicious.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 6gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 104mgPotassium: 310mgFiber: 4gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 1176IUVitamin C: 67mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg
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This recipe is SO delicious! Like all the recipes of Erin’s I’ve made – it was easy! Take her advice and make the crust. It was one of the things that I heard my family talk about loving so much. It definitely compliments the pie so well. This is a great pie to make any time but especially a nice summer treat. My family went back for seconds and thirds! You will not need to worry about leftovers – totally obliterated – no crumbs left!
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I have a question Erin! I really want to make this today ahead of our weekend getaway to the lake. Is there a way to store it after I make it to make sure it doesn’t go bad? Or should I prep everything and wait to make it when I get to the Lake on Friday?
Hi Laura! If you’ll have access to a cooler, this pie can be made and refrigerated or frozen in advance if you don’t want to prepare it once you arrive. You’ll just want to make sure it stays very cold. I hope you love the pie!
Oh no! My cream came out super soft and not thick when I mixed in the cream cheese and cream. What do you think I did wrong?!
Hi Laura! Unfortunately, it’s so hard to say what might’ve gone wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Did the mixture become soft when you added the whipped cream to the cream cheese and powdered sugar? I hope the refrigeration time helped it firm back up!
This was good. A lot of work, but good! If I had to change one thing…it would be salt in the crust. There was no salt anywhere in the dish and it could have used salt to balance the sweetness.
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your results, Rachel! I’m happy you enjoyed it overall!
What can I use besides nuts or pretzels for the crust? Thanks
Hi Kerri! I’d just use this crust because there really is not substitute for either the nuts or pretzels. Enjoy! https://www.wellplated.com/shortbread-crust/