Fresh strawberry pie is an easy dessert for spring and summer that doesn’t even require you to turn on the oven. Anyone who loves strawberries needs to try this pie!
Let it be noted that this pie contains no gelatin. As far as I’m concerned, gelatinous desserts should be banned from this earth. (That’s only sort of hyperbole.)
The only thickening agent going on here is cornstarch. (YAY!)
My first pie of spring needs to be something special, right? Something cheery and springy and full of bright colors. Fresh strawberry pie is where it’s at! It’s a glorious dessert that’s super easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients.
And if you want to make this pie totally no bake, I have options for you! I opted for blind baking a pastry crust for the pie in this recipe (instructions for that included below) but you can use a crumb crust.
Why you’ll love this fresh strawberry pie:
- It’s really easy to make, even if you’re not someone who bakes often
- The ingredients are all easy to find
- It’s a pie that needs to chill for awhile before serving so it’s a great make-ahead option
What is blind baking a pie crust?
Blind baking simply means baking your crust before you add the filling.
The blind baking method is used for pies in which the filling doesn’t bake at all (like this fresh strawberry pie) or in pies where the filling bakes for a short enough time that the crust wouldn’t finish baking without a pre-bake.
Blind baking sounds kind of fancy but it’s actually really easy.
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust
Step 1: Roll out your pie crust to an 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Prick the crust all over—up the sides and on the bottom—with a fork (this is called “docking.”) Refrigerate the crust for 20 minutes after docking it.
Step 2: After the pie crust has chilled, spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and press the foil, greased-side down, onto the pie crust. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 12 minutes.
Step 3: Take the pie out of the oven and CAREFULLY remove the foil and pie weights. Return the crust to the oven for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the crust is light golden brown, as in the last picture above. Then just let the crust cool while you work on your filling!
- Don’t stretch your crust to fit into your pie dish—stretching will cause the crust to shrink when you bake it. Roll your crust out to a big enough circle that it will easily fit into your pie dish with room to crimp the edges.
- After you transfer the crust to the dish, work your way around the pie dish lifting the crust up and allowing it to drape itself neatly into the bottom edge of the dish.
- When I blind bake my pie crusts, I use dried black beans rather than pie weights and I store them in a mason jar in my pantry. I’ve been using the same beans for more than a year now–they do eventually get gross, so you need to swap them out for new beans every so often.
No Bake Pie Crust Options
If you want to mix things up and make this pie a totally no-bake dessert, I have options for you! Because who wants to turn the oven on in the summer? (I mean besides me.)
- Use an Oreo crumb crust (Golden or regular!)
- Use a graham cracker crust
- Use a vanilla cookie crust
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Pie
All you need to make this fresh strawberry pie is:
- 2 pints of fresh strawberries
- granulated sugar
- cornstarch
- lemon juice
- salt
- a pie crust of your choosing
Make your pie crust first (either blind bake a pastry crust as explained above or make a crumb crust). Then you’re ready to get to work on the filling.
- Clean, hull, and halve one of the pints of berries. Use a potato masher (or your hands, if you’re like me and can’t find your potato masher) to crush the berries.
- Stir in granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Transfer that mixture to a medium saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s thickened. See in that first picture how it doesn’t run off the spatula? That’s what you’re going for. Take the berries off the heat and stir in a little fresh lemon juice, then let the berries cool to room temp.
- Once the mixture is cool, stir in the second pint of berries (that you’ve hulled, cleaned, and sliced ahead of time).
And that’s it! Transfer the filling to your pie shell and chill the pie for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Then serve with giant dollops of whipped cream. (Not strictly necessary but highly recommended.)
I have a feeling fresh strawberry pie will become your go-to dessert this spring and summer—it definitely will be making an appearance at every barbecue I attend in upcoming months.
And if I’m being totally honest, it will probably make an appearance at my breakfast table many times this summer too ;).
A few more summery desserts (in case you’re hungry)
Zucchini Cupcakes
Raspberry Cupcakes
Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Pie
Coconut Lime Cheesecake
Did you make this fresh strawberry pie? Awesome! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below. Then post a pic on Insta. Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see your beautiful creations!
This fresh strawberry pie is an easy dessert you'll want to make all spring and summer long!
- single crust for a 9-inch pie
- 2 pints strawberries divided
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- whipped cream for serving (optional)
(If you're using a crumb crust, as listed in the body of this post, then you'll skip the blind baking process. You'll only blind bake your crust if you're using a pastry crust.)
- Roll out your pie crust to an 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Prick the crust all over with a fork, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and press the foil, greased-side down, onto the pie crust. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove crust from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 350. Carefully remove the foil and pie weights and return the crust to the oven for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the crust is light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
- Clean, hull, and halve one of the pints of berries. Place them in a large mixing bowl and crush with a potato masher (or your hands). Stir in the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. While the mixture is cooling, clean and coarsely chop the second pint of berries.
- Once the cooked mixture has cooled, stir in the chopped strawberries. Scrape that mixture into the cooled pie crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
- Top the pie with whipped cream (if desired) and serve.
You can substitute a cookie crumb crust for a pastry crust in this recipe. Use your favorite cookie crumb; see the body of the post for recipe links, if desired.
If you opt to use a pastry crust, I've included step-by-step photos in the body of this post if you need a visual aid.
Dana says
This is pretty much how I make my fresh strawberry pie as well Kelsie! No gelatin or that weird goopy stuff you add to the cooked strawberries. I add cornstarch too and it works like a charm! I am so excited for strawberry season as well, fresh strawberry pie is the best!! Btw, I have made the same pie with blueberries or raspberries and it works great!
Looks so wonderful, now I want me a slice of this pie! Hope you’re having a great weekend lovely!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Dana! I bet this would be amazing with raspberries!
Tammie says
…I imagine you could do the very same thing with fresh blueberries..??
Kelsie says
Hi Tammie! I think something similar would work with blueberries but I imagine you’d have to tweak the recipe a little bit. I’d guess blueberries would require less sugar since they’re so sweet and I don’t know whether the amount of cornstarch would be the same or not. Hope that helps!
Carlee says
I have a ton of strawberries in the fridge now. I was going to make yogurt partfaits tonight, but you have me seriously questioning that decision!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Carlee!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
The freshness of the strawberries really shines through on this one Kelsie! I love that I can even go with a no-bake crust and make this with relative ease this summer! Not that no-bake is essential around here. We only have 3 hot days during the entire summer. Haha! Hope you’re having an awesome week!
Kelsie says
Thank you so much, Leanne!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
This is a nice, easy recipe. So I can make it often! Well, often during strawberry season, that is. 🙂 Thanks!
Kelsie says
Thank you, John!
Kelly | Foodtasia says
This is strawberry heaven, Kelsie! I love how pure and fresh the filling is! YUM!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Kelly!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
Why I don’t mind gelatinous desserts (Wait, marshmallows are technically a gelatinous dessert, too!), I will certainly choose a fruit pie. Always. Glad that you’re moving to summer recipes, and this pie looks and sounds fantastic! I’ve heard tapioca is a good option too, but I need to try it yet.
Kelsie says
Thank you, Ben!
Marissa says
You are adorable, “gelatin should be banned from the Earth!”…lol! Fresh Strawberry Pie is one of my favorite desserts, so I definitely need to try your version!
Kelsie says
Aww thanks, Marissa! 🙂
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Your recipes always me me so happy! This has springtime written all over it! Pinned!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Annie!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
I didn’t even know what blind baking a crust meant, so I had to Google it. Thanks for teaching me something new today!! I love how THICK and delicious this pie filling is!! I can’t wait for strawberries to be in season soon!
Kelsie says
Haha! Thank you, Katherine!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Strawberries are my all time favorite fruit, so this pie is definitely screaming my name!! And I absolutely love that it’s no bake!! Plus there’s no gelatin?!? Guuuurl, sign me up!!! I absolutely need this in my life!
Kelsie says
Thanks, Chey!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I will most definitely be getting this pie on my summer baking list Kelsie! Can’t wait for all the n season beautiful berries!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Mary Ann!
Laura says
Kelsie – we used to sell fresh strawberry pie – using a gelatinous thing to bind the berries together – at this place where I worked as a teenager. I love this idea so much more. It’s a proper pie, with cooked fruit! I love the idea of eating it for breakfast, too – after all, it is fruit and grains, right?
Kelsie says
Thank you, Laura!
Joanne Rappos says
I love berry pie and what a great way to kick off spring!! I loved all your wonderful pie crust tips!! Thanks for a great post Kelsie!!!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Joanne!
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says
I’m sooo happy that it’s finally strawberry season!! This pie looks insanely fresh and delicious! I love that you included instructions for the pie crust too! They can be so finnicky sometimes!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Haylie!
Milena says
Good deal – I love the simplicity of this pie and totally appreciate the fresh strawberries in the center of it all! Perfect summer option indeed. Pinned!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Milena!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
What a delicious idea! I do love strawberries in any dessert – this pie looks so scrumptious 🙂
Kelsie says
Thank you, Alexandra!
David @ Spiced says
Oh, this pie could totally serve as a breakfast item! It looks amazing, Kelsie. I also hear ya about gelatinous desserts. I made a strawberry gelatin pie a summer or two ago, and it was fun…but I totally get your point about gelatin. I love that you did this with cornstarch! Strawberries are still on great sales around here, and I’m thinking I need one of these pies in my life. Although I could stand to turn the oven on. Our high temp yesterday was in the mid-upper 40’s. In the middle of May. What the heck, New York!? Happy Monday, my friend!
Kelsie says
The 40s? In May? Three words: move to Phoenix :). Thanks, David! Have a great week!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Love how few ingredients there are and that you thickened with cornstarch! This pie is so summery and makes me super excited for the next couple of months! Pinned 🙂 Happy Monday, Kelsie! P.S. totally think whipped cream is not an option…pile it on 😉
Kelsie says
Thank you, Dawn! I’m in the extra whipped cream club too 🙂