The Best Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
This fresh strawberry pie is generously filled with ripe, plump strawberries and a sweet glaze in a flaky, homemade pie crust. Topped off with sweetened whip cream and you have the best summertime dessert to savor.
One of the best parts of summer, is eating all the fresh red ripe strawberries. Roadside stands selling fresh strawberries begin popping up, signaling summer is officially here.
We have a local farm that sets up a strawberry stand around this time every year. The strawberries are soooo good.
We know it’s summer when we see that stand.
And we buy a lot of fresh strawberries. They are irresistible.
What do you do with all those fresh strawberries?
Make fresh strawberry pie, of course! This is a fast and fresh strawberry pie.
No Gelatin Needed In This Pie
I’ll be honest. I never cared too much for strawberry pie. It was always too sweet. I didn’t like the gelatin taste. Until I made this pie without the gelatin. That’s right, no gelatin needed. And it isn’t too sweet. This pie recipe changed my thinking on strawberry pie.
Instead of gelatin for the thickener, you use cornstarch. Yes, no gelatin required. Just fresh strawberries, sugar, water and cornstarch for the glaze. The glaze is simple. Very simple and delicious.
How To Make A Strawberry Glaze
The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
To make a strawberry glaze without gelatin is so easy. All you need is:
- a medium size saucepan
- 1 cup of sliced strawberries
- granulated sugar
- cornstarch
- 1 cup of water
Just mash 1 cup of sliced strawberries in a medium size saucepan. I used a 3 quart pan.
Add the rest of the glaze ingredients and cook till thickened.
That’s all you need for a fabulous strawberry glaze for your pie.
The Tale Of Two Pies
When I bought the strawberries for my pie, I only used 1 pound of them. To fill a 9 inch pie crust. Hmmmm. The pie was delicious but…….there weren’t enough strawberries to fill that big pie crust. The pie filling was a bit sparse.
Take it from me. Do Not Be Stingy with the strawberries. Do you see how little filling there is in that pie slice? Yikes. Be generous with the strawberries. Like 2 pounds generous.
So, I had to make another pie. I couldn’t let my family eat such a puny filled pie. A plump pie filled to the brim with strawberries to the rescue.
Oh, by the way both pies were devoured within a day.
Fresh strawberry pie is best served with sweetened whip cream. You can easily and quickly whip the cream in a food chopper.
Pro Tips For A Successful Strawberry Pie
How much strawberries do you need for a pie? Use 2 pounds of strawberries for a 9 inch pie crust. See why above.
How do you thicken strawberry pie filling? In this recipe, I use cornstarch instead of gelatin. The cornstarch thickens the glaze beautifully.
Do you cut strawberries for pie? I wash and hull (I simply cut the tops off my strawberries). Then I slice them. You could leave the strawberries whole but I find that eating them whole is difficult. I want to enjoy my pie, so I slice the strawberries.
Will pie filling thicken as it cools? Yes, the pie does thicken as it cools. Do not cut into the pie until the filling sets or the filling will ooze everywhere. I couldn’t help myself but to cut into my pie before it was completely set. So, the strawberries kind of fell and glaze went all over my plate. But I still loved it. It is better to wait a minimum of 4 hours but overnight is best.
Do you refrigerate strawberry pie? Yes, fresh strawberry pie needs to be refrigerated. It will last about 3 days in the refrigerator but I find the pie is best eaten within two days of it being made.
Homemade Or Store Bought Pie Crust
Whether you make your pie crust from scratch or buy one from the grocery store, is purely personal preference.
However, the pie crust must be blind baked (meaning to prebake) because the strawberry filling is not baked.
How To Blind Bake A Pie Crust
There are a couple of methods to prebaking a pie crust. However, I only use one.
Tip: A chilled pie dough will prevent it from shrinking while baking. Whether homemade or store bought, chill the pie dough for the best results.
If using a from scratch pie dough recipe
- Place the chilled and rolled pie dough into the pie place. Crimp the edges. Then prick the piecrust all over the bottom and sides with a fork which is called docking. This prevents the pie crust from bubbling too much from the steam. It will bubble some but that is fine.
- Place the docked pie crust into a preheated 425℉ oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool completely before filling.
If using a store bought pie crust, follow the package directions to blind bake.
Many bakers use pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the pie dough while it is baking to prevent it from shrinking. I have never used this method. Using the docking method has worked for me.
Remember to chill the pie dough. This is an important element to prevent shrinking.
I always make my pie crust from scratch. It isn’t hard at all. It just takes a bit of extra time. I have some tips and a recipe on how to make a pie crust from scratch.
If you haven’t tried making a homemade pie crust, you should. The hardest part is transferring the dough onto the pie plate. Even if you tear the dough, you can easily pat the hole together.
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (9 inch) Prebaked Pie Crust
- 2 pounds strawberries (hulled and sliced)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Prepare Strawberry Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and corn starch. Mix well. Set aside.
- Take one cup of the sliced strawberries and mash them in a saucepan. Stir in one cup of water. Cook over medium heat till the mixture comes to a full boil.
- Add the combined granulated sugar and cornstarch to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat till the mixture is just thickened, stirring continually. Do not let the mixture continue to cook after it has thickened.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Prepare Strawberry Pie
- Add remaining sliced strawberries to prebaked pie crust. Spread evenly.
- Pour cooled strawberry glaze over the sliced strawberries, spreading evenly.
- Place fresh strawberry pie into refrigerator to set the filling for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the filling has set, slice and serve with sweetened whip cream.
- Store covered strawberry pie in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
We just went strawberry picking and I was in need of strawberry recipes so when I came across this recipe I knew we had to try it!!! I have soooo many to use ( kids went strawberry picking 🤪) do you think this would freeze well?
Strawberry picking is so much fun! I haven’t tried to freeze this pie so I’m not sure if the berries would hold up well. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
I made this yesterday and it was so easy and delicious! Everyone loved it. Thank you!
I am so glad that it was enjoyed by everyone!!! Thank you for the lovely comment.
Exactly the recipe I was hoping to find! I’m rating 5 ⭐️ because of ingredients & mind-tasting! I want to make assorted pull-apart mini pies, love fruit fillings but they are always too sweet & no jello thank you. I’m going to use frozen (it’s December) but they’re getting cooked so 🤷♀️. But, we’re getting a ninja creami for Christmas and I think this will also work as a swirl add-in for strawberry ice cream. I am very excited to try this recipe…thinking enhancing add-ins like cinnamon, cracked black pepper, drizzle of spiced rum, tiny dark chocolate bits……👍🏻
I love your ideas for add-ins. Especially for the ice cream. It all sounds yummy!
I made this yesterday and we just had a slice after dinner. WOW! We finished dessert and my husband got up and got himself a second slice. I did substitute the sugar, with monkfruit sugar, so it would be sugar free. It was outstanding! I used a pre-made pie crust. Diamond Walnuts has a pre-made crust, all walnuts, just like the gram cracker crust. The walnut crust had 3 grams of sugar and the monkfruit sugar, thus is the perfect guiltless dessert! I did have extra sliced strawberries and strawberry topping, I made up some extra in ramekin dishes, perfect serving size. I will be making this again next week. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pie. Thanks for letting me know about the walnut crust. That sounds delicious. I need to try monkfruit sugar.
I’m making this pie for the third time in as many weeks! Perfect for spring, just a hint of sweetness and so refreshing. Thank you for sharing!
Fresh strawberry pie is the best especially this time of year. Glad you are enjoying the recipe. Thank you so much!
Hi Carole,
Thanks for a no jello recipe, so my Mama doesn’t have to spin in her grave.
Hi Janie,
Thanks for the smile! Hope you enjoyed the recipe.
This was delicious! Yes even better than the version with jello.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Best recipe ever for strawberry pie! I will make no other. Thanks so much for sharing this.
I’m happy that you love the recipe!!!
Where can I purchase walnut crust?
Walmart sells them. Hope this helps.
The absolute best fresh strawberry pie! No fail recipe and easy! Thanks for this. Every time I make it, everyone raves!
I am so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for the lovely comment!
I made this today and it was delicious! I have a family of 4 and there’s only one slice left. I had a bit excess glaze but I saved it and plan on using it to top my Greek yogurt in the morning. I mixed the glaze a tad with the top layer of strawberries to get it to soak in a little, not completely, just a bit. I’m sure I’ll make this again, my family loved it.
I love this tip for using the glaze on yogurt. I’m so glad your family enjoyed the pie!
I’ve just made this recipe for the 3rd time. It’s a keeper and my favorite pie.
I have a ton of cherries. I love fresh strawberry pie like this. Can I substitute cherries for strawberries? Thanks!
I haven’t tried substituting cherries so I’m not sure how that would turn out. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out. Thank you!
Love this recipe! I didn’t have enough strawberries so I’ve also added blackberries and blueberries too!
That sounds delicious! I am going to have to try that. Thanks so much for the lovely comment!
Not what I was expecting. I think I had the glaze thicken too much. I thought after pouring it over the strawberries in the crust that it would flow through and fill the nooks and crannies. It did not. Instead I have a pie shell with a pile of strawberries in it and some jammy stuff on top. Next time I’m just going to stir the strawberries into the glaze and put them in the crust that way.
Disappointed.
The glaze should have been thin enough to actually fill in between the strawberries. I’m sorry the recipe didn’t come out as expected.
This is the second time I have made this pie in the last month! Delish!!! So easy and quick! Gave some to my two neighbors and they raved about it too. Thank you for the great desert!
I’m so glad you like this recipe!!! I just bought some strawberries and my husband has requested this pie. Thanks so much for the lovely comment!
Absolutely beautiful and delicious. It didn’t make it to the fridge…
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the lovely comment.
I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) to make a double crust baked strawberry
pie (w/o the whole berries turning too soft).
Would you suggest me doing the following:
1. Placing the strawberries ladled w/ your glaze in a prebaked crust.
2. Folding the top pastry crust under the baked lower crust, pinching to seal.
3. Baking at 450 degrees (F) for 10 minutes. Reducing heat to 350, and baking
for 30 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Thanks
Hi Clarence,
I’ve never tried making a double crust strawberry pie. If you try this, please let me know how it turns out. Wish I could be of more help.
I tried this pie and it was a refreshing treat!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this pie!!! Thank you for the lovely comment.
I, like your Commenter Sara (June 28, 2023), found the glaze too thick after letting it sit until it reached room temperature. Your response to Sara was, “The glaze should have been thin enough to actually fill in btwn the strawberries.” Pursuant to your response, I loosened my glaze w/ a little juice and poured it over the berries in the prebaked pie shell before placing the pie in the frig. The next time I will reduce the cornsttarch from 3 TBS.
I am just finishing my pie. The glaze gets thick fast when cornstarch & sugar are added, maybe a minute. My guess since strawberries & water were a full boil. It had thickened so I pulled the pan off the burner. Glaze takes a while to cool to room temp. I have left it sit 45-60 min, now going to put on berries & put in refrigerator to set. See how it goes. Thanks!
I am making this today! I have always done pie with gelatin and this one is just as easy and I am anxious to taste it after it is chilled. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Really good and fairly easy. I used a 9 inch graham cracker crust. I love graham crusts! If you use a store-bought graham crust, one pound of strawberries is MORE than enough as I just found out. I have a heaping pie and half my strawberries left!
Made this first time It was very easy and delicious. Will definitely make again
Thanks for this recipe . I just made this today. So nice to have a recipe without Jello….no artificial flavouring and colour. I changed it just slightly. I added the sugar to the crushed berries and water, brought to boil and then thickened with a cornstarch and water slurry. After cooling everything I folded the sliced berries into the glaze(it was pretty thick) and then put the mixture in a prebaked shortbread-like piecrust. It looks amazing and I’m sure it will taste yummy!
I hope you enjoy the pie!! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Just made this into mini pies for my 5 and 7 year old daughter’s tea party in their playhouse! Absolutely perfect!
I love this idea! What a wonderful treat for a tea party. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, I’ve made this twice now. I’m not sure how long to boil the corn starch, 1 cup of berries and sugar? It kind of looks thick after a couple of minutes? So the first time it didn’t set up, it was runny. Second time,
I think I boiled for 10-12 mins and was a littler more firm but still put it in the freezer to firm up. Help! I love the taste just not sure what consistency I’m looking for ?!
Hi Melissa,
The glaze mixture should be thick after only a couple of minutes once you’ve added in the sugar. It shouldn’t take long at all. It will firm up as it cools. You don’t want it too thick or you won’t be able to pour it over the strawberries. Look for a pourable consistency. Another thought, the glaze should coat the back of a spoon. It needs to be thin enough to fill in between the strawberries in the pie crust. I hope this helps.
Delicious! So much better than strawberry pies made with gelatin.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the strawberry pie! Thank you for the lovely comment.
Delicious! So much better than strawberry pies made with gelatin.