Strawberry Cream Pie
Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie – Homemade strawberry pudding, cream cheese, and whipped cream are combined to create a silky, light, and fluffy no-bake strawberry pie recipe that’s perfect for spring and summer.
Strawberry Cream Pie
Ah, spring.
The days are longer, the weather is getting warmer, and the flavors of fresh produce are sweet and bold.
Is there anything better?
I don’t know about you, but as soon as the first seedlings start to sprout I’m ready to do away with the heavy comfort foods of winter, and dive head-first into light, bright, no-baking-required recipes.
This Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie is exactly what you need for welcoming the changing seasons. It’s easy to make, airy, yet creamy, and is packed with sweet strawberries.
The Best Strawberry Cream Pie
The secret to making the BEST Strawberry Cream Pie is to first and foremost use real strawberries to make a simple homemade strawberry pudding.
To achieve that heavenly fluffy consistency, the pudding is combined with cream cheese and freshly whipped cream. The result is a slightly tangy, wonderfully fruity, and refreshing cream pie.
And you’ll love how easy it is to make the terrifically crumbly no-bake crust for this Strawberry Cream Pie recipe!
You can even whip up this pie a day or so in advance of enjoying and keep in the fridge, making it perfect for spring and summer picnics and potlucks.
What Ingredients You Need
You’ll be amazed at how simple the ingredients are to make this impressive, decadent Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie recipe.
To Make the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Graham crackers
- Melted butter
- Sugar
- Salt
For the Strawberry Cream Pie Filling:
- Sliced strawberries in syrup
- Whole milk
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Heavy cream
How to Make Graham Cracker Crust
1. Place the graham crackers in a large food processor, and pulse into fine crumbs.
2. Next, add the melted butter, sugar, and salt to the food processor. Pulse again a few times to combine. Pour into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, and use your fingers to gently press the mixture up the sides of the pan and flat on the bottom to create a smooth crust.
Refrigerate the crust until ready to fill.
How to Make Strawberry Cream Pie Filling
1. First, make the whipped cream: Wash the food processor bowl to reuse. (Or, use an electric stand mixer with a whip attachment.) Pour the heavy cream into the food processor and add 3 tablespoons sugar. Turn on high to whip the cream into firm peaks. Scoop the firm whipped cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate.
2. Next, add the strawberries in syrup, whole milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt to the food processor. Puree until very smooth.
3. Pour the pudding mixture into a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stir and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken the pudding. It’s ready when it coats a spoon with thin opaque layer that stays separate when you run your finger through it.
4. Next, pour the pudding back into the food processor and add the cream cheese (to help cool down the pudding) and vanilla extract. Puree until smooth. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to bring the pudding temperature down to room temperature.
5. Once the pudding has cooled to room temperature, scoop HALF the whipped cream into the pudding mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula. Once the whipped cream is fully combined and the filling is smooth, scoop the mixture into the graham cracker crust. Spread the filling to the sides of the crust.
6. Scoop the remaining whipped cream on top of the pie filling. Use a spatula to spread it into a visually pleasing mound.
Refrigerate for 4+ hours before enjoying.
I like to add a few fresh strawberries right on top for an extra pretty presentation.
Get the Complete (Printable) Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe Below. Enjoy!
The longer this easy strawberry pie chills in the fridge, the better the filling will set. Firm filling makes it much easier to cut and lift out of the pan.
Because it needs to set for several hours, this is a great recipe to make a day ahead of a picnic or party!
Covered loosely with plastic wrap or foil, Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie will keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Tips & Tricks
- For ease, use a store-bought graham cracker pie crust!
- For extra fruity flavor, garnish with diced strawberries and other berries like blueberries or raspberries!
- If you prefer a pastry crust, you can totally make (or buy) a pastry crust and bake it before adding the strawberry cream pie filling!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Make This a Gluten-Free No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe?
You can use Gluten-Free graham crackers is you like. Just make sure you have a full 1 ½ cups of crumbs.
What If I Can’t Find Frozen Sliced Strawberries in Syrup?
The sweetness from the fresh strawberries in syrup is pretty essential for getting the bold and bright strawberry pie flavor. You can easily make your own at home; I recommend putting together several batches at once to have on hand!
How Long Does No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie Last?
This strawberry pie will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator! Keep it covered tightly until you are ready to serve.
Looking for More Easy Dessert Recipes?
- Fresh Strawberry Bundt Cake Recipe
- Meyer Lemon Tart
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Fluffy No-Bake Chocolate Banoffe Pie
Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe
For the Crust –
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers crumbs about 12 whole graham crackers
- 7 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Strawberry Cream Pie Filling –
- 10 ounces frozen sliced strawberries in syrup thawed
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar + 3 Tb for the whipped cream
- 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
For the Crust:
- Place the graham crackers in a large food processor. Pulse into fine crumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the graham crackers in a large zip bag and use a rolling pin to smash them into crumbs.)
- Add the melted butter, sugar, and salt to the food processor. Pulse again to combine. Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a 9 inch deep-dish pie pan.
- Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture up the sides of the pan, and flat on the bottom. Try to make the crust as even and smooth as possible. Then refrigerate until ready to fill.
For the Strawberry Pudding Filling:
- Wash the food processor bowl to reuse. (Or use an electric stand mixer with a whip attachment.) Pour the heavy cream into the food processor and add 3 tablespoons sugar. Turn on high to whip the cream into firm peaks. Scoop the firm whipped cream into a separate bowl. Refrigerate.
- Next add the strawberries in syrup, whole milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt to the food processor. Puree until very smooth.
- Pour the pudding mixture into a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat. Stir and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken the pudding. It’s ready when it coats a spoon with thin opaque layer that stays separate when you run your finger through it.
- Then pour the pudding back into the food processor and add the cream cheese and vanilla extract. Puree until smooth. (Adding the cream cheese later helps to bring down the pudding temperature.)
- Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to bring the pudding temperature down to room temperature.
- Once the pudding has cooled to room temperature, scoop HALF the whipped cream into the pudding mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula. Once the whipped cream is fully combined and the filling is smooth, scoop the mixture into the graham cracker crust. Spread the filling to the sides of the crust.
- Scoop the remaining whipped cream on top of the pie filling. Use a spatula to spread it into a visually pleasing mound.
- Refrigerate for 4+ hours, before serving.
I made this last year and it was a great hit. I’m not a cook at all so I was pretty proud of myself. However, I could never quite get the mixture to ‘set’. When I cooked it, despite constant stirring and even a lower heat, it wouldn’t thicken up as much as I think it should. It never did the ‘separate’ thing when I put my finger through it. Is there a tip or trick I missed?
Hi Rachel!
Hmmm, with that much cornstarch it should have thickened up. Any change you used 3 1/2 teaspoons instead of tablespoons? If you encounter this issue again, and you are sure you measured accurately, remove some of the strawberry sauce, whisk in another tablespoon of cornstarch and stir it back into the whole batch of sauce. (This method ensures you don’t have clumps of cornstarch you can’t work out.)