A Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
& More Berry Faves
As the kids start to get their school supply lists, I feel the dog days of Summer wrapping up, even though it’s still 9 million degrees out. The kids are ready to get back with friends and schedules and I have mixed feelings.
I don’t love the pressure of early mornings with kids. I’ve been up since 6 this morning, but it’s on my terms, and the older I get the more I want to be in control of my schedule. They love school though, so I have to pull it together, haha!
Last weekend we were in Buffalo for a wedding. I ate my way through that town. Pizza, wings, donuts, burgers, tacos..you name it. The donut shop was my favorite stop and my family fought me to go to Paulas instead of Eileens, which was honestly amazing. You can see the peanut log on the bottom left, which is my FAVE. Besides an 11 hour drive each way, it was a great trip. I got to see a ton of my family.
Usually I stick to no baking throughout the Summer, but the past few weeks, I’ve been really into desserts with fresh fruit.
This Strawberry Pie is ridiculously good with a buttery crust, whipped cream cheese and fresh strawberry topping. It’s a must make!
The Video
This recipe calls for 1.5 lbs of strawberries, and since they come in pounds, whether you buy two small ones or one large 2 lb package, you’ll have some extras.
Try these Berry recipes too:
I’m headed out to do a bit of school shopping with the kiddos. I hope everyone has the best weekend. I’ll be working on easy kid’s lunch ideas and busy weeknight meals coming up in the next month.
Talk to you soon and happy cooking.
xoxo~Tara
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
Time to Prep: 40 minutes
Fridge Time: 6 hours to overnight
Yield: 1 pie, 8 slices
INGREDIENTS:
1 and ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
⅓ cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of salted butter, melted and hot
1.5 lbs fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water mixed together until smooth
8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar in large bowl. Pour in hot melted butter and stir to combine.
Pour the graham cracker filling into a standard 9 inch pie plate and use the back of a measuring cup to pack down the filling tight. Bake for 12 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool.
Remove stems and slice strawberries into about 5-6 pieces each. Place ⅓ of them into a Tupperware and store in the fridge for serving.
Transfer ⅔ of the fresh strawberries into a medium sized pot and cook covered on the skillet over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir and cook for another 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the cornstarch slurry. Stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes until it turns into more of a syrup. Turn off the heat and allow the strawberries to cool, then transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge until serving.
In a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese for a minute over medium speed. Turn off and add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Return to low speed to combine for a minute, then turn off and scrape down sides. Mix again over medium speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Set aside.
In another stand mixer bowl, or a large bowl with hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. This means when you pull the mixer up, it leaves a mountain like area in the whipped topping and holds well and is no longer liquid.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with a frosting spatula and continue to combine until fully mixed.
Plop the filling into the center of the cooled pie crust and spread out on top of the crust. Work carefully to avoid getting graham cracker crumbs in the filling. It's not a big deal if there are a few because we cover most of it with strawberries. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Spread the strawberry filling over the inner circle of the pie, then top with fresh strawberries. I like to leave the outer edge with just the cream cheese filling.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
EXPERT TIPS
When mixing the pie crust, it's best if the melted butter is still very warm. It combines better without clumping the crust.
Make sure the cornstarch is mixed with water into a slurry before adding it to the strawberries. If not, the powdery chunks won't break down correctly.
It's best to refrigerate overnight for the best texture, but if you make it in the morning, it will be good to go for dessert.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
Want to skip the homemade pie crust step? Buy a store-bought graham cracker crust instead.
Add whipped topping for an extra treat.
Fresh blueberries can be added to the top with the strawberries for a variety of color.
Love tart flavors? Add a little zest of lemon to the strawberry sauce or over the top of the pie before serving.
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