Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe

Strawberry Pie is Heaven

Spring and summer is berry season and my favorite berry is STRAWBERRY.  I think you could add strawberries to almost anything and it tastes better. One of my favorite things to do with strawberries is make this easy strawberry pie recipe.  I’m going to show you everything you need to know to make it.

My love for Strawberries started young.

Since I was little I’ve been obsessed with strawberries.  I was addicted to the cartoon Strawberry Shortcake (am I telling my age LOL).  I remember carrying this little Strawberry Shortcake blanket around everywhere. 

By the way, the below photo is a current photo. Yes, I still have it and I have no idea why I kept it. LOL. Nostalgia I guess.

Even for my fifth birthday, my mom made me a big strawberry cake (which she is known for) and I I was hooked.

The BEST Strawberry Pie Recipe

If you’ve been reading my posts, you know that I used to own a bakery (Learn more about my story here) and our #1 most requested cake was my mom’s strawberry cake.  Now, you would think that a post about strawberries would have to be about our famous strawberry cake…but NOPE. 

That’s one of those recipes my mom swore me never to give out.  A lot of people try to mimic it, but I promise, NO ONE makes it like my Momma.  So the next best recipe is my Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe.  It’s MMM MMM GOOD!

Have you ever had Shoney’s Strawberry Pie?

In the summertime, my dad would take me to Shoney’s after church on Sundays and the meal was not complete without a big slice of Shoney’s strawberry pie. 

It gives tartness from the strawberries combined with sweetness from the glaze filling and a crunch from the flaky crust. 

The best part…It’s a quick and easy pie recipe to make.  Just follow these instructions and you will have your crew asking for more.

Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pie shell (frozen or homemade)
• 2 lbs of Strawberries
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 3oz box of Strawberry Gelatin (I use Jello)
• 2 Tbsp of Cornstarch or Flour
• 1 cup of water
• 2-3 drops of lemon juice
• 8oz of Cool Whip

Start your Pie

First things first, you want to pick out good strawberries.  They are the star of this recipe.  You may have heard of the phrase, “the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice.” Well, it’s true.  You want to get dark strawberries that are still firm and not too ripe.  Really inspect the container because the moldy ones tend to hang out on the bottom.

The Crust

We’re gonna start with the crust.  You can make your own crust and put it in a pie shell or even buy a refrigerated crust and roll it out in your favorite pan. 

Since I want this to be an easy recipe, my favorite method is to purchase the frozen pie shells.  They come two in a pack and are tasty.  Pre-heat your oven, prick the crust with a fork, then bake according to the package instructions.  Once it’s finished, take it out and let it cool completely.

Strawberry Pie Recipe Filling

It’s all about the strawberry pie glaze filling! That yummy gooey filling that keeps the pie together is what makes it so great. 

The filling will get color from the gelatin, so no added food coloring is needed. 

To make the strawberry pie glaze, place your sugar, gelatin, and cornstarch or flour in a saucepan and combine with a fork. 

Tip for cooking your glaze:

It helps to combine your dry ingredients before adding liquid so you don’t any clumps.  You can use either cornstarch or flour.  Cornstarch will make the filling thicken up quicker and it will give it a clearer look.  More people have flour in the cupboard and not cornstarch, and guess what it works too.  With flour, Just cook the filling a bit longer to gel.

Second, pour in the water and boil over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Let the filling bubble for 4-5 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Remove the filling from the stove and add a couple of drops of lemon juice.  This give it a bright flavor and cuts the sweetness.  Let the glaze come to room temperature for about 10 minutes then place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to finish setting and cooling.

Cooking Tip: 

Never put any hot or boiling food directly in a refrigerator or freezer to cool.  The contrast of temperatures creates moisture which can be a breeding ground for bacteria to grow. 

It also can throw off the regulated temperature of your fridge causing it to work harder and possibly disturb the temp of other items in the fridge.  The best solution is to let food cool to room temp or break it down into smaller portions in shallow dishes so the food can cool quickly.

Strawberry Prep

It’s important to rinse the strawberries off.  I think this is a step some people skip, but it’s crucial to me since this strawberry pie recipe never goes into the oven to bake. 

Just think of all the hands and gnats that have touched the fruit before you eat it.  Whew.  Rinse them really good in cold water and let them air dry on a paper towel.

Next, cut the stems off the strawberries and if the strawberry is big, cut it in half.  I see a lot of strawberry pie’s with strawberries that are cut up.  I prefer to put whole strawberries in the pie.  Ultimately, that’s how I remember it from Shoney’s and it gives a beautiful slice when you cut it. (see my slice picture below)

Assemble Your Strawberry Pie

Put the first layer of dry strawberries in the cooled crust with the flat cut part facing down.  Place the next layer of strawberries in the gaps, pointed side down. Fill in the top layer with your remaining strawberries.

Add the Yummy Strawberry Glaze

Another fun part is pouring that ooey gooey glaze over the strawberries.  Stir up your cooled filling and pour over the strawberries in the pie shell.  Make sure all the strawberries get coated by the glaze and the rest will flow into all the empty space. 

Finally, place your pie in the fridge for about an hour to allow everything to gel.

Finishing Touches

Add whipped cream on top for final touches.  Listen, I’m a baker so I want my pies to look display case ready.  I achieve this by placing whipped cream in a pastry bag with a #3 piping tip and pipe a cute design. 

If you don’t have piping bags you can use canned whipped cream with a nozzle or fill a plain plastic sandwich bag with whipped cream and cut off a tiny corner to pipe a design.

Enjoy!

Certainly, the best part of all this…Cutting into it and eating a big slice. Look at those pretty layers. 

This pie last about 2 days.  After that the crust gets a bit soft, but it’s still yummy.  

Hope you enjoy this Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe!  Feel free to share your pictures below.  I’d love to see your yummy pies. 

Yield: 1 Pie

Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe

Print

Spring and Summer is berry season and one of my favorite things to do with Strawberries is make Strawberry Pie. This recipe is easy and will be a crowd pleaser.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Active Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

• 1 Baked Pie Shell (From Frozen or Homemade)
• 2 lbs Fresh Strawberries
• 1 cup of Sugar
• 1 3 oz Box of Strawberry Gelatin
• 2 Tbsp of Cornstarch or Flour
• 1 Cup of Water
• 2-3 drops of lemon juice
• 1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip

Instructions

1. You can make your own crust and put it in a pie shell or even buy a refrigerated crust and roll it out in your favorite pan.  Since I want this to be an easy recipe, my favorite method is to purchase the frozen pie shells.  They come two in a pack and are tasty.  Pre-heat your oven then bake according to the package instructions.  Once it's finished, take it out and let it cool completely.
2. Place your sugar, gelatin, and cornstarch or flour in a saucepan and combine with a fork.  Then pour in the water and boil over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Let the filling bubble for 4-5 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.  
3. Remove the filling from the stove and add a couple of drops of lemon juice.  This give it a bright flavor
   and cuts the sweetness.  Let it come to room temperature for about 10 minutes then place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to finish cooling.  
4. Rinse the strawberries really good in cold water and let them air dry on a paper towel.
5. Cut the stems off the strawberries and if the strawberry is big, cut it in half. 
6. Put the first layer of dry strawberries in the cooled crust with the flat cut part facing down.  Place the next layer of strawberries in the gaps, pointed side down. Fill in the top layer with your remaining strawberries.  
7. The fun part is pouring that ooey gooey filling over the strawberries.  Stir up your cooled filling and pour over strawberries in the pie shell.  Make sure all the strawberries get coated by the glaze and the rest will flow into all the empty space.  Place your pie in the fridge for about an hour to allow everything to gel.  
8. Add whipped cream on top for final touches.  I achieve this by placing whipped cream in a pastry bag with a #3 tip and piping a cute design.  If you don't have piping bags you can use canned whipped cream with a nozzle or fill a plain plastic sandwich bag with whipped cream and cut off a tiny corner to pipe with.
9. That's it. You're done. Enjoy!

Notes

Fresh Strawberry Pie last about 2 days.  After that the crust gets a bit soft, but it's still yummy. 

Until Next Time…Stay Crafty!

Angie