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Strawberry Cream Pie

A plated slice of strawberry cream pie.
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Made with fresh strawberries and real cream, this Strawberry Cream Pie recipe can be your new summertime pie tradition. It has bright berry flavor, the perfect creamy texture, and a thick graham cracker crumb crust.

Ingredients

For Graham Cracker Crumb Crust:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, more as needed
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) graham cracker crumbs (from about 14 sheets), more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

For Strawberry Filling:

  • 2 quarts (32 ounces) strawberries, washed, hulled and divided (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ cup (115 grams) whole milk
  • 2-½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin (or one ¼-ounce packet)
  • 1 cup (227 grams) heavy cream
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar 
  • Pinch coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For Tangy Whipped Cream (Optional)

  • ¾ cup (170 grams) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the Pie Crust:

  1. In a bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. The mixture should be damp, like wet sand, and will hold together when squeezed. If it is too dry, add more melted butter, a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too wet, add more graham cracker crumbs, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the correct consistency.
  2. Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate and press them up the sides to form the edges first. Once the edges are formed, work the crumbs down to evenly distribute them into the bottom of the pie plate. Then, pack them down into an even layer using a flat-bottomed cup or measuring cup.
  3. The crumb crust can be baked in a 350ºF preheated oven for 10 minutes for a more toasted flavor, or this step can be skipped. Place the (cooled if baked) pie crust in the freezer to firm up. 

Make the Strawberry Filling: 

  1. In a blender, purée about 3 cups (or 16 ounces) of the strawberries and the lemon juice together until smooth. You’ll need 2 cups of strawberry puree.
  2. Add the milk to a medium bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Stir, then let sit to allow the gelatin to hydrate (also known as bloom).
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring often, until it is steaming and just shy of boiling, about 180ºF.
  4. Add in the bloomed gelatin mixture while whisking constantly. Whisk until the gelatin is dissolved and remove the pan from the heat. Add in the strawberry puree and vanilla extract. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend the mixture for 30 seconds to ensure everything is homogenized. 
  5. Stir in the vanilla.
  6. Let the mixture cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or set the bowl in an ice bath to cool it down for about 10 minutes.
  7. When the mixture has cooled and thickened slightly, remove the pie shell from the freezer.
  8. Slowly pour the filling into the crust. Gently knock the pie plate on the counter to encourage any air bubbles to rise to the surface. Pop any remaining bubbles on the surface of the custard.
  9. Carefully transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
  10. When the filling is completely set up, slice and serve cold with optional tangy whipped cream (see below) and remaining strawberries for garnish!

Make the Tangy Whipped Cream:

  1. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on medium speed until the cream has reached medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, though, because it will go from perfectly whipped to over-whipped in a matter of seconds!

Equipment

Notes

Looking for an alternative to a graham cracker crumb crust? Check out this Vanilla Wafer Crust or How to Make a Crumb Crust.

If for any reason your crumb crust mixture is extremely dry, you can add 1 tablespoon of melted butter–one tablespoon at a time–to the crumbs until they are evenly moistened. Alternatively, if your mixture is too wet and it is hard to work with, add more cookie crumbs until it is pliable.

This recipe was developed using regular grocery store strawberries, which aren't super sweet. If you have amazing, perfectly ripe, sweet strawberries, you can reduce the amount of sugar in the filling to just 1/2 cup.

Make sure to place enough strawberries in the blender to yield 2 cups of strawberry puree. When I measured at home, this took about 3 cups of strawberries. You will need 16 ounces of strawberries after they have been hulled. That means you will likely use more than 1 quart of strawberries to yield 16 ounces. If you don't have a scale, you can measure out the amount of puree you get in a measuring cup to ensure it is 2 cups. The remaining fresh strawberries should be used to decorate the top of the pie before serving.

You can skip the tangy whipped cream and top this pie with a simple whipped cream.

This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half. See this Salt Guide for more information about how salt affects your cooking and baking.

This recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated with a new technique and recipe in 2024. The original recipe used a Strawberry Pudding for a filling. If you wish to make that version, head to the Strawberry Pudding recipe and add an additional 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the pudding.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/strawberry-cream-pie/