Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
A buttery graham cracker crust, whipped cream cheese filling, and sweet strawberry topping combine to make the best ever strawberry cream cheese pie. It’s a decadent no-bake dessert that can be made ahead of time!
If a no-bake cheesecake ran into a strawberry pie, this strawberry cream cheese pie would be the end result.
The cream cheese layer is incredibly creamy, with a light and fluffy texture thanks to the whipped cream folded into it. The strawberry topping uses fresh strawberries for a pure strawberry flavor, and the addition of cornstarch keeps it thick and easy to slice.
Everything in this recipe from the buttery graham cracker crust to the strawberry topping is homemade (no gelatin or Jell-O anywhere in sight). It’s also completely no-bake, so you don’t even have to turn on your oven to make it!
Watch The Full Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Strawberries
Use fresh, in-season strawberries for the sweetest flavor. Keep in mind that strawberries don’t ripen after they’ve been picked, so look for berries that are bright red. I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries because they have too much moisture and won’t work well for the topping.
Cream Cheese
Softened full-fat brick-style cream cheese is the way to go here! Don’t use anything labeled as low-fat, lite, or spreadable, or the pie filling will be too soft and difficult to slice.
Graham Crackers
You can either purchase pre-made graham cracker crumbs or you can crush full sheets of graham crackers in a food processer or blender. You’ll need 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs (equal to 11 to 12 full-sheets) in total to make the crust. If you live outside the US, you can use digestive biscuits instead.
Start With The Strawberry Topping
I recommend making the topping first because it has to completely cool before it can be spooned over the filling, otherwise you run the risk of deflating it.
The topping is actually adapted from my strawberry sauce, but we’re adding some cornstarch to make it thicker. Unlike my strawberry sauce recipe though, we’re not slicing all of the strawberries. Instead, half of the strawberries get chopped and the other half get sliced. In my recipe testing, I found that this was the best way to create a thicker topping that still looked pretty!
The chopped strawberries get cooked down with a little cornstarch, water, lemon juice, and sugar. When the berries begin to soften and release their juices, that’s your cue to mash them with a potato masher (or a fork).
From there, the mixture needs to cook just long enough to thicken up. The cornstarch does most of the heavy lifting here! Once it has cooled completely, you can fold in the remaining half of the sliced strawberries.
The Graham Cracker Crust
The crust is just a simple mixture of crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Since we’re making a no-bake graham cracker crust, you’ll want to add a little extra butter than usual to help the crumbs stick together. I used 7 tablespoons of melted butter to make my crust, and it sliced like a dream!
You also want to make sure to take the time to really pack down the graham cracker mixture into the pie plate. A measuring cup works best for this because it has a flat bottom that distributes the pressure from your hands more evenly.
You’re welcome to pre-bake the crust, but it’s really not necessary. I tested it with this recipe, but it took a while for it to cool completely and the filling didn’t stick very well. You can just press it into the pan and chill it while you make the filling!
If you’ve never made one before, I highly recommend reading through my post on how to make a graham cracker crust. I promise it’s easier thank you think!
Tips For The Perfect Filling & Assembling Your Pie
- Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. This will ensure that the filling is smooth and you don’t end up with any lumps.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream. Mix ⅓ of the whipped cream into the filling first. This is super important because it lightens the mixture and prevents you from knocking too much air out of the whipped cream when you fold in the rest.
- Spread the filling into the crust and chill until the strawberry topping has cooled completely. You don’t want to add the topping if it’s still warm or the filling will start to melt. This also gives the filling a head start in the fridge!
- Chill for several hours. This pie needs to chill for at least 6 hours before you can slice into it. I actually prefer to make mine the night before and let it chill in the fridge overnight.
Can I Use A 9×13 Pan?
Yes, but I’d recommend increasing the ingredients by half in order to fill the pan fully.
Can I Use a Springform Pan?
Absolutely! If you prefer a thicker filling though, I’d recommend doubling the filling or you can use my no-bake cheesecake recipe and add the strawberry topping from this recipe on top.
This simple strawberry cream cheese pie is so easy to make, yet it delivers impressive results every time! If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Topping
- 1 ½ pounds fresh strawberries washed, dried, and stems removed; divided
- 3 tablespoons water (45 ml)
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch (12 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (70 grams)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (10 ml)
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham cracker crumbs (175 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (70 grams)
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (100 grams)
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened (226 grams; 1 block)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cold heavy whipping cream (180 ml)
Instructions
- To make the strawberry topping: Chop half of the fresh strawberries into small pieces and slice the other half of the strawberries. Set the sliced strawberries aside for later (I prefer to cover them and store in the fridge).1 ½ pounds fresh strawberries
- Add the water and cornstarch to a large saucepan and stir until fully combined. Add the chopped strawberries (not the sliced berries, we’re adding those later!), granulated sugar, and lemon juice and stir well.3 tablespoons water,1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch,⅓ cup granulated sugar,2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Once the strawberries start to soften and release their juices, use a potato masher to mash them.
- Continue cooking a little longer until the mixture thickens and turns a brighter shade of red. If needed, mash the strawberries more during this time so there’s no large chunks.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a heat-safe bowl. Allow to cool completely to room temperature.
- To make the graham cracker crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Add the melted butter and mix until all of the crumbs are moistened.1 ½ cups crushed graham cracker crumbs,⅓ cup granulated sugar,7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Scoop the graham cracker mixture into a 9 or 9.5-inch pie plate. Use your hands or a measuring cup to firmly press it down into an even layer on the bottom and up around the sides of the dish.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.
- To make the cream cheese layer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth (about 20 to 30 seconds). Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.8 ounces brick-style cream cheese,½ cup powdered sugar,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a separate mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on low-medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute then increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.¾ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until just combined, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully combined. Make sure not to over mix the whipped cream, you don’t want it to deflate!
- Remove the pie plate with the crust from the refrigerator and scoop the filling on top of the crust. Spread the filling into one even layer and smooth out the top.
- Transfer to the fridge to chill while the strawberry topping finishes cooling.
- To finish the strawberry topping & assemble: Once the strawberry mixture has cooled completely, add the sliced strawberries you set aside earlier, and stir until all of the sliced berries are fully coated.
- Remove the pie with the cream cheese filling from the fridge. Spoon the strawberry topping all over the top of the pie and spread it out into an even layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
This looks delicious. I can’t always get fresh strawberries. Could I use frozen strawberries and just leave the water out to make the topping?
Thank you, Brenda! I highly recommend using fresh strawberries for this recipe because frozen berries have too much moisture and the topping won’t slice as well. You could probably make the topping with frozen strawberries, but I would leave it off of the pie and just spoon it on top of each slice as you’re serving it. I would also let the frozen berries thaw completely and discard any excess liquid before using them.
Can I use Vanilla Wafers instead of graham crackers for crust?
Yes, that would be okay! You can reduce the sugar and butter in the crust slightly, if needed.