I love any weekend that I don’t have to get out of my yoga pants and I can literally just putz around the kitchen. This past week I went to the store on Friday and strawberries were on sale.
No-Bake Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is a no-bake pie made with graham cracker crust, a layer of sweet cream cheese, loads of fresh strawberries and a homemade strawberry jelly.
I bought pounds, as in 10 pounds, of strawberries and decided to re-photograph some old posts and make some new ones. After all, strawberries are SO in this season.
Literally cups upon cups of strawberries. I could have gone swimming in them!
Make sure you PIN Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie!
I see strawberry pies all over the place on Pinterest. They look lovely, but the contents sound a little too sweet for my taste. Made of mostly of thick strawberry sauce or syrup, I wanted something a little lighter to break up my strawberry pie.
I started by using a traditional pie crust (pre-made because I hate making pie crusts!). I spent some time molding it into my favorite deep dish pie plate, attempting a cute fluted edge.
I even broke out my trusty pie weights
placed it into the oven with my first attempt at Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie and when it came it… the visual was disaterious. But I was pretty sure it would taste just fine, so I continued to truck on.
Strawberry Fact: Strawberries are actually a member of the rose family and the only fruit to wear their seeds on the outside.
Next, the cream cheese mixture for my rich “savory piece”. I added egg for a traditional cheesecake texture and that was a mistake, it took over the whole pie crust leaving no room for actual strawberries.
OK… try again. Back to the drawing board. We don’t call it Savory Experiments for nothing.
I sent hubby to the store for more crusts, but couldn’t find the dough, so he brought me 2 graham cracker crusts and more cream cheese. I opted for a no-bake cheesecake instead, avoiding the over baking, and then a gelatin center to glaze my fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Fact: Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
This strawberry pie with graham cracker crust was at the opposite end of the spectrum from my original intentions, but turned out fabulous! Not too sweet, but with a decadent, rich and creamy cream cheese layer and fresh strawberries suspend in a strawberry gelatin mixture, how can you go wrong?
It just screams SUMMER DESSERT! Soooo much strawberry flavor!
Cream cheese is the perfect addition to any no bake pie or no bake dessert recipe, really. Straight out of the box, it is rich and with just a small amount of sugar and vanilla extract, makes the perfect base that isn’t overly sweet.
PRO TIP: Alway let your cream cheese come to room temperature and beat it for 2-3 minutes before adding other ingredients. This prevents clumping that is nearly impossible to get out later.
This soon turned into a “no-bake” project and won over my co-workers with its multifaceted flavor profile and texture. No-Bake Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is a winner!
Serve your strawberry cream pie with whipped cream or even vanilla bean ice cream for the ultimate summer dessert recipe.
More desserts:
- No-Bake Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake
- Classic No-Bake Cookies
- Pistachio Icebox Cake
- No Bake Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Air Fryer Donut Recipe
Canadian Butter Tarts
Questions you might have about how to make a strawberry pie:
How do I store my no bake strawberry cream cheese pie? This pie is best kept covered and chilled in the refrigerator.
Can I make this strawberry dessert ahead of time? You can surely make Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie in advance! I would suggest about 24 hours in advance.
How long does this no bake strawberry cream cheese pie stay good? If kept chilled, up to 5 days. But I doubt it will last that long… it is that good!
What can I substitute for strawberries? You can literally use any fruit you like, but smaller and softer fruit is preferable. Raspberries, mandarin oranges, blueberries or even blackberries. Try to find a corresponding or complementing flavor of JELLO.
Can I use a sugar substitute instead of sugar? You sure can. Check the label of the substitute you are using for amounts.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter , melted
Pie filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 8 ounces container frozen Cool Whip , thawed
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 4-6 cups fresh strawberries , halved or quartered
Instructions
- Add the 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs to a food processor and grind until coarse. Add the 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons sugar, then melted 6 tablespoons butter and grind again until combined and a sand like consistency.
- Transfer the crumb mixture to a deep 9-inch pie pan, place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes OR bake the pie crust at 325°F for 8-10 minutes or until light brown.
- In a large mixing or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 8 ounces cream cheese until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and mix until fully combine. Fold in the the thawed 8 ounces container frozen Cool Whip. Mix until no streaks remain.
- Evenly spread the filling over the crust, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours to overnight.
- In the meantime or when ready to serve pie, combine the cut 4-6 cups fresh strawberries and 2 tablespoons strawberry jam together to coat. Spoon over the top of the pie.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
The combination of strawberry and cream cheese is amazing!
I’m all about not turning on the oven when the weather gets warm. This is a great dessert for summer!
wow