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This fresh strawberry pie is the perfect summertime dessert. Fresh, juicy strawberries mixed with gelatin, cornstarch, and sugar, all packed into a crunchy graham cracker crust.
There are many dishes that make me think of summer. Of course, anything grilled is a given, or when I have my first tomato sandwich of the season, OR when it’s time to FINALLY, JUST FINALLY, make a homemade strawberry pie.
I’ve been eating this pie since birth (ok, maybe a little later than that), and it’s one of my fondest memories of the joys of summer cooking.
In our family, we mimicked the same filling Frisch’s Big Boy used for their FAMOUS strawberry pies.
I’m 50/50 on the crust. Sometimes, I make a simple graham cracker crust, and sometimes I make a Homemade Buttery Pie Crust. It depends on the vibes you’re going for with dessert. Both are delicious options.
Ingredients Needed
- pie crust
- sliced strawberries
- water
- granulated sugar
- cornstarch
- strawberry Jello powder mix
- whipped cream
How to Make Strawberry Pie
The hardest part about making a strawberry pie is waiting for the strawberry pie to cool and set up. If you cut too soon, you may be greeted with a runny pie. No one wants a watery pie.
That’s why it’s super important to be patient when it comes time to make this pie. If you have the time, you can also make it a day in advance.
- Add your sliced berries to your prepared deep dish pie shell. You can use a graham cracker crumb or a baked pastry shell. You want to make sure your shell is cooled.
- In a saucepot, add water, sugar, and cornstarch and cook until thick and clear. This is part of the mixture that helps hold together the pie. Make sure you give the mixture time to thicken visually.
- Remove from the heat, add your Jello powder, whisk to combine, and let cool for at least an hour.
- Pour the Jello mixture over the berries and let the pie sit in the fridge for AT LEAST 4 hours but preferably 8 hours.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Let the crust cool completely before adding the berries and the gelatin.
- For a pie like this, use the best seasonal strawberries. There are not many ingredients to this pie, so go with the best!
- Let the gelatin mixture fully cool before you pour it over the berries in the pie crust. It will cook the berries if it is warm and ruin the pie as they will release added moisture. If you have the time, this can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
- This pie is best eaten the day (or within 8 hours) of being assembled. The longer it sits, the more the berries will weep, and the crust may begin to soften.
- If you’re using a pastry crust, make sure to bake the crust thoroughly before assembly.
- A classic topping for strawberry pie is whipped cream. You can use homemade or canned whipped cream or Cool Whip.
- Make sure to make or use a deep-dish pie crust that can adequately hold all the sliced berries and gelatin filling.
Strawberry Pie FAQ’s
Adaptations and Substitutions
I like to keep this pie simple and make it as written BUT here are a few fun things you can add if you want to change it up a bit.
- Use a cooked pastry crust, graham cracker, ginger cookie, vanilla wafer, or chocolate wafer crust.
- Use whatever 3-ounce Jello you like – lemon, raspberry, berry blue, or peach are fun options.
- Instead of sliced berries, you can halve or leave them whole. That is another traditional way of making this pie. I think sliced berries cut easier.
- Add flavor to the gelatin mixture by stirring in lemon zest, vanilla, or almond extract.
Storage and Leftovers
You can store this pie for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. However, the longer the pie sits the more water will be released from the berries. This may cause your crust to become soft.
More Strawberry Recipes
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) deep dish pie crust, graham, or fulled baked pastry crust, cooled
- 4 cups sliced strawberries
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 ounce box strawberry Jello
- Whipped cream, for topping
Instructions
- To you pie crust add your berries in an even layer.
- In a medium-sized pot add water, granulated sugar, and cornstarch and place over medium-high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and cook while whisking until clear and thick, about 2-3 minutes after reaching boiling. Remove from heat.
- Stir the dry Jello powder into the stove mixture and whisk to fully combine.
- Let the strawberry Jello mixture cool for about 1 hour, and then slowly pour the mixture over the berries in the pie crust.
- Add the pie to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but it is best to set for at least 8 hours.
- Right before serving top with desired amount of whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
