Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

This fresh strawberry cream cheese pie combines a crumbly, buttery graham cracker crust, mousse-like whipped cheesecake filling, and a jammy strawberry topping made without artificial flavor. This is a great make-ahead recipe because it takes a while to set up, so it’s actually best made a day ahead.

No lie, when I first tasted this summery strawberry cream cheese pie, I said out loud to an empty kitchen: “Well this is the best pie I’ve ever had.” And, well, I’ve made many pies before.

Today’s pie closely resembles this blueberry cream pie; the filling is a light cheesecake/whipped cream hybrid, and we’re cooking the strawberry topping into a preserves-like consistency, before folding in more fresh strawberries.

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Tell Me About This Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

• Texture: Oh, this pie sure delivers on texture! Enjoy 3 layers of very different textures in every magnificent bite. It has a crunchy, crumbly graham cracker crust, a creamy-yet-light whipped cheesecake filling, and a jammy topping made with plenty of fresh strawberries.
• Flavor: Do you like strawberries? Do you like graham cracker-crusted cheesecake, and cream pies? You’re in the right place. The filling is similar to no-bake cheesecake and has a delightful tang from the cream cheese and lemon juice. Lemon zest in the sweet topping keeps the natural strawberry flavor bright and fresh. I use it in the filling for these strawberry shortcake cupcakes, too. You could even mix up the flavor by using a Biscoff pie crust instead.
• Ease: You’ll bake the graham cracker crust and cook the strawberry topping on the stove, but the cheesecake filling doesn’t need to bake—just set up in the refrigerator. Since there’s a few different layers, read through the recipe before starting so you don’t get stuck in the process. A homemade whipped cream garnish is optional, if you want to dress it up a bit before serving.

One reader, Paula, commented: “The best pie my family has ever had! We all loved it. It was perfect! Two pies gone in two days!! Followed the directions and it came out just like the picture. ★★★★★”

Another reader, Mary Rose, commented: “This was perhaps the best pie I’ve ever made. Absolutely over the top. ★★★★★“

Success Tip: Temperature is Everything

You have 3 layers in this recipe and you need 10 ingredients total. Here are the layers:

1. Fully Baked Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
2. Mousse-Like Cream Cheese Filling
3. Fresh Strawberry Topping

Even though it’s the topping on the pie, your first step is to make the strawberry mixture. The topping must completely cool before layering on top of the cream cheese mixture otherwise your pie will be runny and fall apart. Also, it’s ideal that the baked crust is still slightly warm when you spread in the filling so the filling can adhere. Follow the recipe below and you’ll be all set.

The great news is that many of the ingredients are repeated in each layer. Not pictured are 2 of the 3 graham cracker crust ingredients (the graham cracker crumbs and the butter).

Recipe Testing: Strawberry Topping

When I tested this recipe, my first attempt at the strawberry topping was too runny. I found what works best is using a mix of mashed, cooked strawberries (we’re basically making a simple homemade jam, or strawberry sauce), and fresh sliced strawberries. Let me break it down for you.

1. Start with 1.5 lbs (24 ounces or about 680 grams) of fresh strawberries.
2. Rinse and hull all the berries.
3. Chop some of the strawberries until you have 1 cup, or 150–160 grams/5.5 ounces. We’re going to mash these (use a pastry cutter, potato masher, or a fork) and cook them with sugar, water, and cornstarch. Mix in the lemon zest and then cool completely. This will act as a binding to hold the rest of the berries together.
4. Quarter the remaining strawberries. Strawberry size varies greatly, so if your strawberries are massive, you might need to slice the quarters again. You should end up with about 3.5 cups, or about 500 grams/18 ounces, of quartered strawberries.
5. Once the cooked topping has cooled, fold in the quartered strawberries. Now we have a strawberry pie topping that will set up nicely in the refrigerator.

Roughly mash your chopped strawberries (below left) and then cook down on the stove according to the instructions (below right). Cool the mixture completely.

Here are the quartered strawberries. Mix them with the cooked & cooled strawberry mixture:

Let Me Show You How to Assemble the Pie:

Crust: Mix your graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together. Press into your pie dish and bake for 15–16 minutes. This is the only baking the strawberry pie requires.

Filling: Have you ever made cookies & cream pie or no bake cheesecake jars? Today’s filling is similar. Whip heavy cream into peaks and then set aside. This unsweetened whipped cream adds a stable, yet creamy foundation without the need for gelatin or other thickening ingredients. Then mix cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice together (below left). Fold in the whipped cream (below right).

Spread filling into your slightly warm graham cracker crust. I like using a large or small offset spatula to make this step easier. Finally, pile on the strawberry topping. The topping would be excellent on regular cheesecake too!

Chilling & Serving Your Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

This pie takes at least 8 hours to set up in the refrigerator, so plan ahead. Between cutting up the strawberries, making and baking the crust, cooking and chilling the topping, and whipping up the cheesecake filling, prep time is about 50–60 minutes. This pie is a great choice if you don’t have time to make dessert the day you plan to eat it, because it’s best made a day ahead.

Be warned: slicing into this pie can be messy. The first slice is never the prettiest!

Special Tools

• Pastry cutter, potato masher, or a fork
• Electric mixer (handheld or stand)
• Food processor for graham crackers
• 9-inch pie dish (this is my favorite pie dish)
• Offset spatula

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