Best Ever Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe

This fresh strawberry pie is expertly crafted to achieve the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and convenience that has readers raving: “This was the best strawberry pie I’ve ever had,” “..It was a big hit! So delicious… never fail!” and “Made this for a girls get together. Now I have to make it everytime we get together!”

This tested and perfected recipe stands out above the rest due to its exceptional, light, and bright strawberry glaze, and my foolproof stabilized whipped cream technique, which allows you to prepare the entire dessert 100% in advance. Follow along for your step-by-step guide, how-to-make video, and expert tips for creating the best stress-free and crowd-pleasing strawberry pie of your life.

I’m always excited for spring and summer because it’s synonymous with strawberry season! Which means we get to make mini strawberry pies, strawberry shortcake, strawberry shortcake cake, strawberry syrup, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry coffee cake and now this fresh strawberry pie!

How to Make strawberry Pie Recipe Video

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top view of strawberry pie recipe in a pie crust

Why You’ll Love This Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe:

There are numerous strawberry pie recipes available, so why choose this one? With this recipe, my goal was to make the best pie: the best fresh strawberry filling, the best crust, and the best whipped cream. Together, these elements unite to create a strawberry pie that will have everyone coming back for seconds, thirds, and begging you for the recipe. Here’s why this recipe works:

BEST Strawberry Pie: This strawberry pie is bursting with fresh, juicy, sweet strawberries coated in a light, luscious strawberry glaze, all cocooned in a buttery, flaky pie shell. Add a big dollop of fresh cream, and heaven awaits!
Easy to make: Most of the work involves a hands-off chilling time for both the pie crust and the filling, or you can simply use a store-bought pie shell.
Triple Sweet Strawberry Flavor: Thanks to using 3 pounds of strawberries compared to 2 pounds found in most recipes, a little strawberry Jell-O, and pureeing some of the strawberries for the glaze.
Perfectly Sweet & Tangy: The glaze is lightly sweetened and balanced with a splash of lemon juice for a bright, refreshing flavor that’s not overly sweet or heavy.
Perfect Glaze Consistency: It’s neither too stiff nor runny. It’s thick enough to coat the strawberries but not so thick that it creates a congealed mass—you’ll still have strawberries falling out onto the plate, just as it should be.
Flaky, Buttery Crust: Made with equal parts butter and lard (or shortening) for the ultimate tender, crisp crust that holds together beautifully yet remains soft enough to cut with barely any effort.
100% Make-Ahead: The crust, filling, AND whipped cream can be made in advance. Unlike regular whipped cream that deflates or weeps, stabilized whipped cream holds its shape for a gorgeous, long-lasting topping without any last-minute hassle or stress.

a slice of strawberry pie recipe on a plate

Fresh Strawberry Pie Ingredients

This recipe uses mostly pantry friendly ingredients plus the fresh strawberries to create the spectacular dessert. Here’s what you’ll need:

STRAWBERRY pie FILLING:

Fresh strawberries: you will need 3 pounds of fresh, ripe strawberries. It may seem like a lot, but it’s best to have a mounding strawberry pie than a sad, flat one.
Sugar: use granulated sugar to make the syrup-like coating.
Jell-O: strawberry Jell-O adds sweet strawberry flavor but will not make the texture thick and Jell-O like. Please don’t omit this ingredient or the water/sugar/cornstarch ratios will be off.
Cornstarch: thickens the strawberry glaze.
Lemon juice: brightens the glaze and enhances the strawberry flavor. Fresh or bottled is fine.

STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM (OPTIONAL)

You can make stabilized whipped cream or just plain whipped cream by omitting the unflavored gelatin and water.

Heavy cream: look for “heavy whipping cream” at the grocery store. You must use heavy cream – no other substitutions will work. Take care that your heavy cream is very cold, remove it from the refrigerator just when ready to use.
Sugar: use powdered sugar because it’s more than couple tablespoons, otherwise granulated can be used in a bind.
Vanilla extract: use quality extract for best results.
Unflavored gelatin: is a common baking ingredient and can be found next to the packages of Jell-O and pudding at your grocery store. It is what makes this “stabilized” whipped cream and not just whipped cream.
Water: cold tap water is used to dissolve the gelatin.

How To Make Strawberry Pie With Glaze

Don’t be intimidated by how beautiful this strawberry pie looks ;). It’s easy to make, it just requires some hands-off dough chilling time. Here’s a breakdown of the steps to make the best strawberry pie recipe:

STEP 1: MAKE THE CRUST

Make the pastry dough according to these recipe instructions.
Chill dough. Press the dough into an 8-inch disc, cover in plastic wrap, and let chill for at least 2 hours.
Make pie shell. Once the dough has had time to chill, roll it out into a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate and press into the plate. Flute the edges as desired.

BEST EVER easy, NO FAIL pie crust recipe with step by step photos and instructions! You will never use another recipe again! #piecrust #pie #recipe #thanksgiving

STEP 2: BLIND BAKE THE PIE CRUST

Chill your pie shell before blind baking. The crust should be chilled for 45 minutes (or longer) after it’s transferred to the pan before blind baking. The colder the crust before baking, the crispier and flakier it will be. You want the fat to be firm going into the oven so it melts in the oven – not on the counter – this creates pockets of steam resulting in flaky layers. Equally as important, chilling the crust lets the strands of gluten relax which helps prevent constricting and shrinking.
Use pie weights to prevent the pie crust from shrinking. As the pastry bakes, the fat melts and shrinks which causes the bottom to shrink and therefore the sides to slide down. Melting fat also creates steam which causes the dough to puff up if not weighed down with a filling. To remedy both of these problems, you need pie weights, rice, or beans – any oven proof weight – to fill the bottom of the pie shell. Now your center won’t puff up and the sides won’t shrink as much.
Bake without pie weights to brown the bottom. You’ll bake the pie shell for 25-30 minutes with pie weights which bakes the edges and secures them in place but since the bottom was covered with parchment and weights, it doesn’t brown up. To remedy this, you’ll simply remove the parchment and pie weights and bake an additional 12-18 minutes or until golden.
“Dock” the pie crust before popping it back into the oven. This means pricking holes in bottom of the crust with a fork which will allows steam to escape. And no, your filling will not seep through the holes!

showing how to make Quiche Lorraine by adding pie weights to quiche dough in pan

STEP 3: MAKE THE strawberry glaze

Puree strawberries. Set aside 1 ½ cups of the least attractive strawberries and add them to your blender along with some water. Puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
Thicken glaze. Add puree to a small saucepan along with cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened to about the consistency of spreadable jam.
Chill glaze. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Jell-O and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Set aside.

a collage showing how to make strawberry pie recipe by making filling by pureeing strawberries in a blender and adding to a saucepan with sugar, water and cornstarch

showing how to make strawberry pie recipe by simmering strawberry pie filling until thickened

STEP 4: MAKE THE strawberry pie filling

Hull the strawberries. Hulling simply means removing the leaves on top of the strawberry and the white portion surrounding it – the “hull.” To properly hull a strawberry, use a sharp knife to cut a circle around the stem at an angle then remove the hull. If you don’t want to go to the trouble, you can simply chop the top of the strawberries off.
Cut strawberries. For the filling, you want bite-size strawberries. Slice medium strawberries in half and any extra-large strawberries into quarters.
Combine. Fold the fresh strawberries into the glaze to create a luscious fresh strawberry coating.
Assemble. Transfer the strawberry filling to the cold pie shell.

showing how to make fresh strawberry pie recipe by adding strawberries to glaze to make strawberry pie filling

STEP 5: chill strawberry pie

Chill. Refrigerate the strawberry pie for 3 hours or until set, best if overnight. Meanwhile, you can make the stabilized whipped cream.

showing how to make fresh strawberry pie recipe by adding strawberry pie filling to the pie shell to chill

STEP 6: MAKE WHIPPED CREAM

You can make stabilized whipped cream or traditional whipped cream. Making stabilized whipped cream is the same process of traditional whipped cream, just with the easy added steps of dissolving the gelatin in water and microwaving it.

Optional step for stabilized whipped cream: Add unflavored gelatin to a microwave safe bowl then pour the cold water over top; let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer the gelatin mixture to the microwave and microwave for 10 seconds. Stir the mixture, then set aside to cool.
Whip cream to soft peaks: While you’re waiting for the gelatin to cool slightly, mix heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until it thickens and forms soft peaks (the whipped cream folds over when you lift the beaters out of the bowl).
Add gelatin: Once you’ve reached the soft peak stage, slowly pour the cooled gelatin mixture in as you’re mixing the whipped cream and continue to mix until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks (the whipped cream stands straight up and doesn’t fold over when you lift the beaters out of the bowl).
Add topping: You can pipe the stabilized whipped cream onto the strawberry pie at any point. The beauty of stabilized whipped cream is it will hold its shape indefinitely. If using regular whipped cream, top just before serving.

showing how to make strawberry pie recipe by making whipping heavy cream and sugar in a bowl to make whipped cream

Make Ahead Fresh Strawberry Pie

Strawberry pie can be made 24 hours in advance. You can also chop the strawberries and puree the strawberries ahead of time, but I would wait to thicken the glaze and assemble until ready to fill the pie shell.
I do recommend getting a jump start on the homemade pie shell a day ahead of time. The pie crust can be prepped to different stages depending on your schedule:

• Make pie dough: make the pie dough, shape it into a disc, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before using.
• Form pie shell: transfer dough to the pie plate to make the pie shell, cover, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. It can also be covered in multiple layers of plastic wrap and frozen for 3 months.
• Bake pie shell: blind bake and cool the pie shell. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe Variations

Berries: use a combination of strawberries and other fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, or peaches.
Whipped topping: you can pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the strawberry pie or you can layer it over the entire top of the pie.
Lemon Curd: add a layer of lemon curd on top of the strawberry filling.
Lemon Curd Whipped Cream: try this bright citrus whipped cream used in my strawberry shortcake recipe.
Mint: garnish the fresh strawberry pie with mint.

side view of strawberry pie recipe in a pie crust

Tips for Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe

Ingredient Tips

Prep ahead. I suggest making your pie dough or go one step further and blind baking the pie shell a day ahead of time so all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and fill when ready.
Choose in-season strawberries. Make fresh strawberry pie when strawberries are in season! Fresh strawberries will deliver the sweetest, deepest flavor. Strawberries are in season from spring to early summer, making strawberry pie perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, end of school and Father’s Day.
How to pick strawberries: choose strawberries that are dark red, firm, fragrant and fully ripe – but not soft! Ripe strawberries will deliver the sweetest, deepest flavor.
Don’t soak strawberries. Rinse and drain the strawberries carefully. Dry berries on towels in a single layer – you don’t want any excess moisture or your strawberry filling will be runny. Never soak strawberries in water or they’ll become water logged and lose flavor and nutrients.

recipe making Tips

Chill the crust. The pie crust will shrink if you don’t chill it before blind baking. Chill for at least 45 minutes.
Use cold ingredients to make the crust. It is important that the shortening, butter and water are very cold because keeping the fat cold until it enters the oven is what ensures a flaky crust as opposed to a crunchy one.
According to Baking Illustrated, as the fat pellets melt during baking, steam is produced which creates pockets in the dough resulting in flaky layers – so we need our fat to not melt before the oven.
Handle the dough as little as possible. After you’ve blitzed the ingredients together in a food processor, try to handle the pie dough as little as possible. This will prevent the flour from being over worked, and it will keep the butter cold — both of which will ensure a flaky pie crust.
Don’t over-thicken the glaze. The glaze should be the consistency of spreadable jam after simmering. You don’t want it thicker before chilling or it will set-up like Jell-O instead of remaining a thin coating.
For a prettier presentation, arrange the strawberries. You can pour the strawberries into the pie shell and spread into an even layer and call it a day or I like to turn all of the top strawberries over, cut side down, for a prettier presentation.

HOW TO USE STORE BOUGHT PIE CRUST

When purchasing a frozen pie crust, ensure you select a 9-inch deep-dish pie crust; a regular pie crust won’t work because it is not deep enough. If you unpackage the pie crust and it’s cracked, make a smooth paste by mixing one tablespoon of flour with one tablespoon of water and using it to fill any cracks. You can use this same trick if your crust cracks after pre-baking as well. You will still need to blind-bake store-bought pie crust to prevent a soggy bottom.

How to Blind Bake Store-Bought Crust:

• Remove the pie crust from the freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes or until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork.
• Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (about an inch apart to prevent crust from puffing up).
• Bake until golden, according to package directions.

top view of fresh strawberry pie garnished with dollops of whipped cream

How To Store Strawberry Pie With Glaze:

How do you store a Fresh Strawberry Pie? How long does it last?

To store the strawberry pie, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days, although it’s best if eaten within two days. The longer the pie sits, the softer the bottom crust becomes.

Can I freeze strawberry pie?

No, you cannot freeze the assembled strawberry pie because it will become mushy once thawed. You may, however, freeze the pie dough, unbaked pie shell or baked pie shell for up to 3 months.

Fresh Strawberry Pie FAQs

Can I use a graham cracker crust?

No, please do not use a graham cracker crust. It can become soggy due to the wet strawberry filling.

How many Strawberries do you need for a pie?

You need a generous number of strawberries because some are pureed to become the glaze and the rest will be halved or quartered for the filling. The rule of thumb is that 2 cups of berries is about ¾ of a pound (one pint). For this recipe you 3 pounds of strawberries, so that is 4 pints or 8 cups.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

NO, frozen strawberries have too much moisture and will not work for this strawberry pie recipe.

How do you thicken strawberry pie filling?

To thicken strawberry pie filling, you’ll need to simmer the pureed strawberries, water and cornstarch on the stove. Some recipes use tapioca starch or flour, but I find cornstarch delivers the best structure, flavor and appearance for strawberry pies. Flour can leave the glaze cloudier. When simmering the glaze on the stove, you want it quite thick because it will thin some once combined with the strawberries.

How far ahead can I make this pie?

This strawberry pie is best if eaten within 24-48 hours of when it was made or the crust can get soggy. The Jell-O in the glaze helps it last longer, but still aim to eat it sooner rather than later. If you know you will be serving the pie after 24 hours, brush the bottom of the crust with an egg wash the last half of blind baking to help prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Does strawberry pie need to be refrigerated?

Strawberry pie needs to be refrigerated once first assembled in order for the strawberry filling to set. After that, you technically do not have to refrigerate strawberry pie because it does not contain eggs. Strawberry pie will last for up to two days at room temperature, but your pie will last longer, and taste better if chilled in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze strawberries for pie?

Strawberries are a fabulous fruit to freeze – but not for pie! Frozen strawberries don’t have the same texture once thawed so save them for syrup, smoothies, jams, acai bowls, oatmeal, etc.

DO I HAVE TO USE HOMEMADE pie CRUST?

Nope! If you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought pie crust but if you do have the time, homemade is 100% worth the time and effort – it’s buttery and flaky in ways store-bought can only dream of.

How do you make my bottom pie crust crispy?

This strawberry pie recipe requires you to blind bake the homemade pie crust first. Blind baking might sound complicated, but it simply means pre-baking the empty pastry before you add the filling. This way you have perfectly flaky, crispy crust verses a soggy crust. I’ve included instructions on how to blind bake the crust below.

Why is my strawberry pie runny?

You should not have any problems with the strawberry pie being runny using this recipe – but you must follow the recipe. The amount of cornstarch in the recipe will create a thick glaze after simmering and be thickened further by adding Jell-O. Once you add the strawberries and chill the pie, the filling will set, but the glaze should still be loose enough that the strawberries don’t stick together.
To ensure your filling isn’t runny, here are a few tips:
• Take care to fully dissolve the cornstarch in the strawberry puree before you bring the mixture to a simmer, otherwise, it will clump and not activate properly.
• Be sure to let the filling come to a full boil before turning down to a simmer in order to fully activate the thickening power of the cornstarch.
• Cook until the filling looks thick. The thicker the glaze is, the less runny the filling will be. Cooking the mixture thoroughly will also reduce the liquid, making a thicker filling.
• You MUST let the filling cool completely before adding the strawberries. If it’s warm, it’ll will start to cook the berries, causing them to release moisture, which will make the filling runny, weepy, or not set up.
• Once the strawberry pie is assembled, make sure to let it chill in the refrigerator for a full three hours to let the filling completely set before slicing.

a slice of strawberry pie on a plate with whipped cream

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Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe

Strawberry pie bursting with fresh, juicy, sweet strawberries coated in a light, luscious strawberry glaze all cocooned in a buttery, flaky pie shell. Add a big dollop of fresh cream and heaven awaits! This recipe stands out above the rest because it utilizes both fresh strawberries and a hint of strawberry Jell-O to create an irresistible sweet, fresh strawberry glaze that's thick enough to coat the strawberries, but thin enough to delivers a loose filling. You can load the strawberry pie filling into the buttery homemade pie shell OR use a store-bought pie crust – so there’s no reason not to make this recipe today! This fresh strawberry pie also earns major points because it can be made 100% ahead of time, including the whipped cream, thanks to my stabilized whipped cream technique, for a stress-free dessert!

Servings: -10 servings

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 35

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Ingredients

CRUST

1 pie crust recipe (or store bought – see notes)

STRAWBERRY FILLING

3 pounds strawberries, hulled, divided
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons strawberry gelatin (powdered Jell-O)
2 teaspoons lemon juice

WHIPPED CREAM

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (optional for stabilized, see notes)
1 1/2 tablespoons water (optional for stabilized, see notes)
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

PIE CRUST

Note: You can complete baking the crust up to 3 days ahead of time then cool, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare pie dough according to recipe directions and bake following the BLIND BAKE instructions in the recipe (click on "pie crust recipe"). Let the pie shell cool completely before filling.

STRAWBERRY GLAZE

Add 1 ½ cups roughly chopped strawberries (use the least attractive ones) and ½ cup water to a blender and puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
Add puree to a small saucepan along with cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt; whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until reduced and thickened to the consistency of spreadable jam. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Jell-O and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Set aside.

STRAWBERRY FILLING

Slice strawberries in half and any extra-large strawberries into quarters. Add all of the strawberries to cooled Strawberry Glaze and stir until evenly coated. Once cool, you can adjust thickness with a tiny touch of water if you would like it thinner. Transfer to the cooled pie shell.
Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set, best if overnight. Serve with fresh whipping cream.

WHIPPED CREAM (OPTIONAL)

Optional for stabilized whipped cream: Add unflavored gelatin to a microwave safe bowl then pour the cold water over top; let stand for 5 minutes. Microwave for 10 seconds. Stir the mixture, then set aside to cool.
Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whip using an electric hand mixer just until soft peaks form.
Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the gelatin mixture. Mix until well combined then increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. You can pipe the stabilized whipped cream onto the strawberry pie at any point after it’s set and continue to refrigerate. The beauty of stabilized whipped cream is it will hold its shape indefinitely. If using regular whipped cream, top the pie just before serving.

Video

Notes

Store-bought pie crust: purchase a 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, a regular pie crust will not work because it is not deep enough. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes or until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (about an inch apart to prevent crust from puffing up) and bake until golden, according to package directions.
Stabilized whipped cream: you can make stabilized whipped cream or omit the water and unflavored gelatin to make regular whipped cream. Stabilized whipped cream is heavy cream that has been whipped with sugar and gelatin in order to give it structure but it doesn’t alter the flavor – it’s magic! It can be added to the pie any time after it’s set, then refrigerated until ready to serve. The whipped cream will hold its shape long after the last bite of pie is gone. This mean your fresh strawberry pie can be 100% ready to serve without any last-minute hassle or stress.
Unflavored gelatin: is a common baking ingredient and can be found next to the packages of Jell-O and pudding at your grocery store. It is what makes this “stabilized” whipped cream and not just whipped cream.
Prep ahead: I suggest making your pie dough or go one step further and blind baking the pie shell a day ahead of time so all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and fill when ready.
Storage: store strawberry pie covered in the refrigerator. The pie is best if eaten within 24-48 hours of when it was made or the crust can get soggy. The Jell-O in the glaze helps it last longer, but still aim to eat it sooner rather than later.

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8 Comments

Jennifer says

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Hi Jen!
Does this pie filling wind up being so loose that it will be difficult to serve it attractively, or cohesively enough, at the table with guests? Does it hold together enough to transport it from pie dish to plate without falling apart on the way?
It looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!!

- Jen says
  
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  Great question Jennifer! It does tend to fall apart some – not completely, but there will be some loose strawberries.
  
Gail says

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Just came back from the pool gathering at my condo in Florida. I took your Strawberry pie and I must say it was a big hit! So delicious, I just love your recipes, they never fail!

- Jen says
  
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  Thanks so much Gail, I’m so please this strawberry pie was a hit! It sounds like you are all ready for spring/summer!
  
Bmama says

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If I do not have strawberry jello is there another substitute I can use? In the process of making this and not sure what to do! Thanks!!

- Jen says
  
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  Hi! The best substitute I can think of is using the unflavored gelatin to create the right consistency for the glaze. I hope everything turned out well!
  
- Laura says
  
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  Made this for a girls get together. Now I have to make it everytime we get together! This was the best strawberry pie I’ve ever had. Followed instructions, no modifications.
  
  - Jen says
    
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    Thanks for giving this a try! I’m so glad that it was a winner!