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Make the most of strawberry season with this Strawberry Pie! Fresh strawberries are tossed in a light glaze (jello-free glaze, I might add!), added to a pie crust, then chilled until set for an easy strawberry dessert that’s a spring and summer favorite.
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Strawberry pie is one of my favorite desserts to make when strawberries are in season. I love starting by macerating the strawberries with a bit of sugar to bring out their juices. This step really brings out the natural sweetness of the strawberries and creates a delicious base for the pie.
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sweet strawberries
Skill Level: Easy
- Simple & easy: This fresh strawberry pie is easy to make with just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on time.
- Great for using up strawberries: I always end up over picking when we go to the strawberry fields, and by turning my extra strawberries into pie filling, I avoid waste and make a great dessert.
- No gelatin needed: No need for gelatin in this strawberry pie recipe without jello! Instead, the berries are tossed in a cornstarch-thickened strawberry glaze that holds the pie together.
Ingredients to Make Strawberry Pie
- Pie crust: Either store-bought or homemade pie crust, your preference.
- Strawberries: Strawberries, hulled and quartered. Fresh, in-season strawberries make the best strawberry pie. Choose berries that are bright red and shiny without blemishes or many soft spots.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar
- Strawberry juice: From the macerated strawberries.
- Water: Added to the strawberry juice to create a total of 1 cup liquid.
- Cornstarch: Makes a thick and rich glaze that holds the strawberry pie filling together.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Add extracts: A teaspoon of vanilla extract and/or ¼ teaspoon of almond extract, added to the glaze after it’s cooked, adds an extra flavor note.
- Add lemon juice & zest: The zest from a fresh lemon, along with a couple of tablespoons of the juice added to the liquid, adds a bright, lemony note.
- Add blueberries: For a red, white, and blue theme, stir in 1 cup of fresh blueberries with the strawberries and top slices with whipped cream, plus a few extra red and blueberries.
- Swap the crust: Try this strawberry pie filling in a graham cracker crust for a delicious variation.
How to Make Strawberry Pie
This fresh strawberry pie starts with macerating the strawberries. The quartered strawberries are tossed with sugar, then, as the mixture sits, the berries soften and produce juice. That juice is cooked and thickened, tossed with the berries, and then poured into the pie crust and chilled until firm.
Make the Strawberry Pie Filling
- Combine the quartered strawberries and sugar in a bowl.
- Let the berry-sugar mix sit until the strawberries are softened and juicy, the sugar has completely dissolved, and the mixture has produced about ¾ cup of strawberry juice.
- Strain the liquid from the strawberries and add water as needed for a total of 1 cup of liquid.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the liquid.
- Add the liquid to a small pot along with a few of the strawberries. Mash the berries into small pieces.
- Cook over medium-high heat until thickened to a jam-like consistency.
Prepare the Strawberry Pie
- Pour the sauce over the remaining strawberries and toss gently until combined.
- Spoon the strawberry mixture into the cooked pie crust. Refrigerate until set.
Tips for Making the Best Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Prick and blind bake your pie crust: It’s best to prevent the crust from puffing up too much while it bakes by taking a couple of extra steps. First, prick the base a few times with a fork to help any trapped air release. Second, blind bake your crust by lining it with parchment and adding raw beans or pie weights to help hold the crust down as it bakes.
- Don’t change the amount of sugar or cornstarch called for: It’s best not to tweak these two strawberry pie ingredients. The sugar is needed to help produce strawberry juice, and the full amount of cornstarch is needed for a thick, sliceable pie that’s not soggy.
- Keep the strawberries on the larger side: Quarter your berries, but resist the urge to make them any smaller. The larger berries will help ensure the crust doesn’t get soggy.
- Chill for at least 4 hours: It’s important to let the pie chill for several hours so that it sets completely and slices well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cover leftover strawberry pie with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate to store.
Fresh strawberry pie will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
I don’t recommend freezing this strawberry pie because the freezing and thawing process will result in mushier berries and texture changes.
The glaze may not have set up properly. For the thickest glaze, use the full amount of cornstarch, and cook it for the full 8-10 minutes until it’s a jam-like consistency.
Frozen strawberries tend to be mushier and release more liquid, which could affect how this pie sets up. I don’t recommend frozen strawberries for this particular strawberry pie recipe.
With a short list of ingredients and very little hands-on time, this strawberry pie is an easy and delicious way to celebrate strawberry season. If you’re looking for a strawberry pie recipe without jello, you’ve got to try this one! I love that it makes use of the natural juices and pectin from the strawberries, plus cornstarch, for a flavorful glaze that surrounds very juicy bite of fresh berry. Strawberry pie is the perfect summer dessert!
More Dessert Recipes:
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Summer Peach Galette
- Apple Crisp
- Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
- Peach Crisp
- Strawberry Oat Bars
- Mixed Berry Crisp
- Homemade Strawberry Poptarts
If you try this feel good Strawberry Pie recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
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Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought pie crust baked as directed
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries quartered
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup strawberry juice *from macerated strawberries
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Bake pie crust as directed or make a homemade pie crust.
- Combine sugar and quartered strawberries in a bowl. Allow to macerate for about 20 minutes at room temperature or until you have ¾ cup strawberry juice and the sugar completely dissolves. Strain the liquid from the strawberries into a measuring cup and add water as needed, about ¼ cup, until you reach 1 cup of liquid. Set the strawberries aside.
- Whisk 3 tablespoons of cornstarch into the liquid and transfer to a small pot with about ¼ cup of the strawberries. Use a potato masher or spatula to break the strawberries into small pieces. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat and stir constantly for about 8-10 minutes until it thickens to a jam-like consistency.
- Pour the thickened strawberry sauce over the remaining strawberries and toss to combine. Then transfer the mixture into your prepared pie crust and flatten the berries with a spatula. Refrigerate your pie for at least 4 hours or until completely set.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Super yummy 😋
Yay, so glad you liked it!!
Hi, where do I get the strawberry juice from for this pie?
Hi Christina, the strawberry juice comes from the macerated strawberries. After you toss the quartered strawberries with sugar, they will soften and produce juice as they sit.
Hi Thank you can i then use those strawberries from that water
hi is there a sort video for this pie…..
Hi I’ve made this a few times now but stuck on a few things, do you toss all the strawberries in the sugar
Sorry for the confusion, Christina! Yes, you toss all of the strawberries in the sugar. After they sit long enough to produce 3/4 cups of juice (about 20 minutes), strain the liquid and set aside the strawberries. Add water to the juice to make 1 full cup of liquid, then use that liquid and 1/4 cup of the strawberries to make the thickened strawberry sauce on the stovetop. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much, no problem at all