Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Name: Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pie crust (parbaked and cooled); 1/4 cup heavy cream; 8 ounces whipped cream cheese; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; 1 pound strawberries (hulled and halved or quartered if large); 1/3 cup water; 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons sugar

Jump to Recipe

5 from 9 ratings

Hello, summer! Easy strawberry cream cheese pie with no Jello and no sweetened condensed milk! This version uses cornstarch to thicken the strawberry layer and has a base of sweetened cream cheese whipped with fresh cream for a decadent, creamy layer. Make this pie with your favorite pie crust; graham cracker or pastry pie crust both work deliciously! If you have an extra pie crust, make a no-bake chocolate pie while you're at it!

flatlay strawberry pie with cream cheese slice on plate with bite taken out.

Ok strawberry season, I see you.

We have been going through literal gallons of local strawberries since the season started, and every year we go through the "they're just so much better in season, right?!" conversations that we have every year. I mean, of course local, in-season stuff is better.

Strawberry pie is one of my favorite ways to use up bunches and bunches of strawberries, and there are tons of variations on strawberry pie. This is a strawberry cream cheese pie with a fluffy cream cheese layer, lightly sweetened fresh strawberry topping, and flaky pie crust because I just like it better than graham cracker crust.

Think: A strawberry cheesecake pie, which miiiiight be what I start calling this to give proper credit to the cream cheese filling layer. It is absolutely delicious.

PS, if you have extra strawberries, turn them into a salad with my favorite strawberry cucumber salad!

Recipe Notes and Variations

The filling of this pie is gluten free, so using a gluten free pie crust makes this a gluten free pie!
Lots of strawberry pies have graham cracker crusts, and that would work great here. I really love pastry pie crust, though, so I bought a storebought crust and baked it then cooled it - the pie filling doesn't get baked into the crust in this recipe. The layers are prepared separately (crust, cream cheese, strawberries), then chilled together to finish the pie.
This recipe will work with frozen strawberries, just thaw them a bit before you cook the filling, and eliminate the water from the strawberry layer.
If you prefer a dairy-free pie, I have a no-Jello strawberry pie that is also delicious!

single slice of cream cheese strawberry pie with plate and fork

Ingredients

There are two things that are often found in strawberry cream cheese pie: sweetened condensed milk and Jello. This version has neither of those things, and I think the result is a pie that tastes much fresher (more strawberry flavor, less gelatin/sugar) and holds up a little bit better. Instead of sweetened condensed milk I used powdered sugar for structure and heavy cream plus cream cheese for lightness and yummy flavor.

Pro Tip: If you have extra cream cheese, make some scallion cream cheese for breakfast!

To hold the strawberries together, I use cornstarch and sugar just like in my easy strawberry pie. That's a great option if you aren't into dairy or want to use even more strawberries.

strawberry cream cheese pie with one slice missing

First: Par Baking Pie Crust Without Weights

When baking an empty pie shell, be sure to fill it with something to help hold its shape. There's a kitchen gadget called pie weights for this, but I don't have them because there are a lot of kitchen gadgets in the world.

Instead, I use sugar because it's always in my house. To par bake (or blind bake, or pre bake) the pie crust, I line the empty crust with aluminum foil, then fill that with sugar. Then I bake the pie crust per the package directions (usually 400F for 20 minutes or so), then remove it from the oven.

I let everything cool together for a bit, then dump the sugar back into the container and bake with it later. Dry sugar doesn't change much, if any, in the oven, so no need to throw it away and waste it.

single bite of cream cheese strawberry pie on a fork

Strawberry Pie FAQ + Troubleshooting

How do you make strawberry pie filling from scratch?

In this pie, combine some cold water and cornstarch to make a slurry, then add to a skillet with fresh strawberries and sugar just until the mixture bubbles. Turn the heat off, and the filling will thicken as it cools in the pie crust.

How do you thicken strawberry pie filling?

There are all sorts of ways to thicken strawberry pie filling: using strawberry jam, Jello, or cornstarch and water. I like cornstarch and water the best for strawberry pie filling because it allows the flavor of the fresh strawberries to shine through the most. It also keeps the filling gluten free!

Why is my Strawberry Pie Runny?

This can happen, and it's such a bummer! The first thing to check is: have I let the pie chill for long enough? An hour or two more might do the trick!

If the pie has set for more than four hours, here are some other reasons the pie might be runny: Usually this happens when 1. the strawberries are extra juicy or 2. when the cornstarch isn't fully dissolved in cold liquid before adding to the hot pan. For the cornstarch to do its job, it needs to be dissolved all the way, then come to a boil just for a second to thicken the liquid from the strawberries.

Step By Step Instructions

Once the pie crust is baked and cooling, cut up the strawberries and measure the rest of the ingredients.

You can halve or quarter the strawberries, they will cook down a bit so aim for slightly larger than bite-sized pieces.

fresh strawberries sliced and hulled with knife

Next, make the cream cheese mixture. Start by adding the heavy cream to the bottom of a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, then whip the cream until it's fluffy - 5 minutes or so.

Next, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat together until the mixture is smooth and creamy and VERY YUMMY.

whipped cream chese on beater in stand mixer

fresh strawberries in skillet with cornstarch

Now, strawberries! Strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and water are all we need.

Preheat a medium skillet to medium heat, then add all of the filling ingredients. Stir together quickly - so the cornstarch incorporates with the strawberries, and turn the heat off as soon as the liquid bubbles. This activates the cornstarch and lets the mixture thicken then hold together once it cools.

Filling Pro Tip: The filling will seem a bit liquid while it is hot, but it will firm up and hold the strawberries together as it cools. Trust the process!

Now, we have a cream cheese mixture and strawberry filling cooling, so let's build the pie:

Spread all of the cream cheese layer all over the inside of the pie crust, including up the sides to make a little well for the strawberries. Pour the strawberry filling right into the center of the cream cheese mixture - this is mostly for looks so you can see the cream cheese layer, but it also prevents the crust from getting soggy if the pie sits in the fridge for a few days.

cream cheese filling for strawberry pie in crust

strawberries in pie crust before chilling

Let the pie chill for at least 2 hours, preferably longer, and loooooook at this beauty.

slice of cream cheese strawberry pie held up on a silver pie server.

Magic happens in the fridge, for real. The fresh strawberries hold together beautifully, the cream cheese layer props everything up, the flaky pastry crust is just a dream.