Summertime Bliss: Strawberry Pie is the Perfect Treat.
Warm summer breezes, sunshine, and fresh strawberries: what’s not to love? Especially when strawberries are in season, head to a farmer’s market or a U-pick farm and load up on fresh berries. Take your whole family, and make your way through rows of fresh berries, just waiting to be picked (and of course, you eat some as you go—that’s part of the fun). Popping fresh berries in your mouth is great, but if you have a lot of berries to use, making Strawberry Pie is a solid game plan.
Strawberry Pie is a beloved dessert that became popular in the U.S. in the 19th century. While the crust is cooked, Strawberry Pie is a great summertime option because the fresh berries are just coated with a glaze and placed in the baked shell. Chilled and topped with cream, Strawberry Pie is sweet, refreshing, and beautifully red in color.
You will love homemade Strawberry Pie because of its great taste, color, and texture. Although it’s not hard to find a slice of Strawberry Pie in a diner or restaurant during the summer months, often, their pies are a bit gelatinous because they use strawberry Jello to hold the fresh fruit in place. This recipe replaces the Jello with a simple cornstarch and sugar mixture that lets the berries shine.
Blind-Baking a Pie Crust
If you use a from-scratch pie crust, you want to blind-bake it first. This simply means you bake it empty. However, if you just pop your unbaked pie crust in a hot oven, it’s likely to shrink and not keep its shape. To maintain the shape of the crust, first, poke some holes in the crust with a fork. Then, place a piece of parchment paper over the dough. Next, fill it with either pie beads (small, ceramic beads you can get at any cooking store) or any kind of dry beans to help weigh down the dough as it bakes. Let the crust cool and remove the beads or beans by carefully lifting the parchment and transferring it to a bowl. You’ll have a beautiful, baked crust ready to fill with strawberry goodness!
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Chilling is essential for this pie to set up, so it’s a great make-ahead recipe. Cover the pie securely with plastic wrap to keep out the air. Strawberry Pie can be chilled for up to 2 days and still taste great. After that, the strawberries will lose their firmness. Freezing is not recommended.
How Do I Know When to Take the Glaze off the Stove?
In Step 2, keeping an eye on the glaze as you’re cooking it is key. Once it starts to thicken, you want to watch for it to congeal a bit and develop a texture similar to pancake syrup or Karo syrup. As always, use caution when folding in the berries, as the glaze will be hot! As soon as the berries are coated, pour into the cooled pie crust.
Why is My Strawberry Pie Soggy?
The cornstarch may not have thickened the glaze enough. When using cornstarch and water, make sure to dissolve the cornstarch first in the 1/2 cup of water and use very cold water. Also, cornstarch needs to reach a minimum of 203°F to activate, so be patient when cooking the glaze, and try not to rush the process. You can use a cooking thermometer if you want to be sure.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Strawberry Pie with Sweetened Whipped Cream or Vegan Whipped Cream for a totally plant-based dessert. If whipped cream is not your jam, vanilla or Neapolitan ice cream is yummy as well. Strawberry Pie is perfect for dessert after a summer meal on the patio, for birthdays, or on special occasions.
Strawberry Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 9- inch pie crust
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries hulled and halved
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sweetened whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- Pre-bake your pie crust according to package instructions and let it cool completely.
- In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, water, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes clear.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and gently fold in the halved strawberries until they are evenly coated with the glaze.
- Pour the strawberry filling into the cooled pie crust. Arrange the strawberries to create an even layer.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours to allow the filling to set.
- Serve each slice topped with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
can you make this keto
Hey Donna! Try swapping the pie crust for an almond flour or coconut flour crust, replace the granulated sugar with a keto-friendly sweetener like erythritol or monk fruit, and use xanthan gum instead of cornstarch to thicken the filling. Enjoy with homemade keto whipped cream 😊