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Make this Fresh Strawberry Pie without Jell-O before summer is over! A classic buttery crust gets loaded with juicy, fresh strawberries coated in a strawberry glaze made from scratch and then topped with plenty of sweetened whipped cream. It's so good!
I love making homemade pies with fresh fruit when it is in season! Some of our other favorites are Fresh Peach Pie, Razzleberry Pie, and Homemade Blueberry Pie!
Fresh Strawberry Pie without Jell-O
This simple dessert recipe is made with only delicious natural flavor from actual strawberries. I don't have anything against Jell-O (I mean, there are quite a few classic Jell-O recipes on here like my favorite mandarin orange Jell-O and lemon pineapple Jell-O), but when it's so simple and easy to make a homemade pie with plenty of strawberries drenched in a thick, sweet glaze from scratch, I'm more than happy to save my box of Jell-O for some other use.
This fresh strawberry pie may have been made famous by restaurants like Shoney's or Frisch's Big Boy - they certainly are well-known for this beloved dessert that only comes around certain times of the year. The seasonal spring or summer strawberries make all the difference and you just can't get the same results with frozen berries.
And if you are new to making your own homemade pie crust, be sure to check out my video tutorial on YouTube where I show you how!
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Glaze from Scratch
To make the strawberry glaze, just wash and hull one cup of strawberries and puree them in a food processor (affiliate link). You could also just blend them or mash them really well with a fork, if that's what you have to work with.
Then it is just a matter of whisking together sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and adding the strawberry puree and water. Cook the mixture until it comes to a boil, then continue to cook, stirring almost constantly for three minutes until the glaze thickens and turns translucent. Cool completely before spooning over strawberries in a prebaked pie crust and chilling for 2 hours until the pie is set.
Tips for Making a Fresh Strawberry Pie
- I used my favorite pie crust recipe and blind-baked until it was golden, but you could use a store-bought pie crust or go with a graham cracker crust instead if you prefer.
- In a pie like this fresh, high-quality strawberries like the ones you get at the farmer's market are definitely the way to go. Depending on the size of your strawberries, you may want to halve or even quarter them so they are easy to eat in the pie.
- You can either arrange the strawberries in the pie and pour the glaze over them, or fold the strawberries into the glaze to make sure they get evenly coated. I usually take the latter approach, but for purposes of a prettier picture for this post, I arranged the strawberries first, then spooned the glaze over the top and jiggled it down into the pie. Both ways work.
- Definitely plan to eat this pie on the day you make it. The juicy fresh strawberry pie filling will make the prebaked crust soggy if the pie sits too long. I think it's best within 3 hours of assembly.
- Keep the pie refrigerated until you are ready to serve it and be sure to top it with whipped cream for pure strawberry pie perfection!
More Strawberry Recipes For Strawberry Season
- Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
- Homemade Strawberry Milk
- Spring Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake
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Fresh Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 [blind-baked pie crust]
- 8 cups fresh strawberries washed and hulled
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Puree 1 cup of the strawberries in a food processor or by mashing thoroughly with a fork.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch, then add the water and strawberry puree. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 more minutes, until the strawberry mixture turns thick and translucent. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Blind bake the pie crust by rolling out the pie crust and placing it into a pie plate, trimming any excess and crimping the edges. Line the pie shell with a double layer of aluminum foil, covering the edges to prevent burning. Fill the shell with pie weights and bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until the pie dough looks dry and light in color. Then remove the pie weights and the foil and continue to bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool completely, about 1 hour, before filling.
- Meanwhile, cut any larger strawberries in halves or even fourths and place in a large bowl. Add the glaze and gently fold with a spatula until the berries are evenly coated. Fill the cooled pie crust with the strawberry pie filling, piling them into a mound and turning any cut sides to face down. If you want a "prettier" pie, you can arrange the strawberries in the pie shell first, then spoon the glaze over the top. Chill for 2 hours until set.
- Prepare the whipped cream by beating the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, forming soft peaks. Serve the pie with the fresh whipped cream within 5 hours of chilling for the best results.
Nutrition
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Wendy Klik says
Fresh strawberry pie is one of my favorites.
Kelly Anthony says
I have been wanting to make this pie forever! Looks like you hit the nail right on the head. Can't imagine a better-looking strawberry pie!!
Mackenzie says
I love that this recipe doesn't use jello! I always love the look of this pie, but the jello turns me off! This is going to be a staple summertime dessert!
Melinda says
Do you think this would work with blackberries? Also, can tapioca work in place of cornstarch? Thanks!!
Amy says
Yes, I think this could work with blackberries. Although I don't know that tapioca and cornstarch would work as substitutes in this particular instance. But I haven't tried it and don't use tapioca all that often, so I can't say for sure.
Patricia Mackey says
Thank you so very much for posting this recipe! I looked through so many recipes for fresh strawberry pie but each and every one of them used cello. I really didn't want to make a pie with jello. Like you wrote Jello definitely has its place but I don't want it in my fresh strawberry pie
Sabrina says
Is that a deep dish pie plate?
Amy says
No, it's just a regular one.
Jackie says
I’m not sure about the measurements for the strawberry purée. Do you use enough strawberries so you end up with one cup of purée. I’m making two pies and I chopped up two cups. When I puréed them I only had 1 1/4 cups of purée
Amy says
Yes, you want 1 cup of puree for each pie.
Connie Woll says
Tapioca is a great thickening agent. I use it regularly. It’s especially good when you make a pineapple cream pie. Doesn’t change the flavor but it does add a little texture so I wouldn’t recommend using for the satiny gloss of a strawberry glaze.
Amy says
Thank you! That's good to know!
Anne says
To prevent a soggy crust, brush an egg wash on the crust and bake for 3-5 minutes until dry. Cool and fill as instructed.
Jessica says
Awesome! I made two of these strawberry pies last night and nothing but rave reviews. I had whole wheat crusts in the freezer, so of course used them. The pies were so fresh and just the right amount of sweetness.
Pam says
I made this today. The flavor was perfect. My only problem was that the glaze was slightly thick. So next time I will add a little more water. I am so happy to find this recipe. I may try it with fresh peaches. It reminds me of the pie from Marie Callender’s restaurant
Kristen says
This pie instantly became my all-time favorite dessert. That is no easy feat, i love dessert!! It’s so simple, but the strawberry flavor is amazing! My first time making it i had subpar strawberries, but it was still phenomenal!
Amy says
I'm so glad you loved it!
Liz @ project pastry love says
This looks glorious! I'm making this pie for my birthday today! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Trace y says
Turned out amazing! Recipe is a keeper!
Stephanie says
This pie is chilling in my fridge right now. I used Sweet Sweet Strawberries from my farmer and made my own crust. Otherwise, I didn’t change a thing. Sadly, I had glaze issues. It became a concrete mess that couldn’t be spooned over my berries even after I thinned it out with OJ. I had to dump my gorgeous arrangement and settle for a gloppy mess covered in pink mud. Not sure what I did wrong in the process, but I’m hoping the taste is there: I usually don’t bake for aesthetics, but in this case, I actually braided the top crust to compliment the pretty berries, so I was especially bummed when I had to dump the berries out to coat them- I decided I can cover my mishaps with whipped cream. I will make this recipe again, just to see if the second times a charm.
Stephanie says
ADDING REPLY: pie was absolutely delicious - everyone loved it and the thicker glaze was not a problem.
Emily Larson says
If I wanted to make ahead. How many days would it stay good for?
Amy says
I wouldn't make this pie more than 1 day in advance.
Jane Koszarek says
Are you using a 10 inch pie pan or a 9 inch?
Amy says
Mine is a 9-inch.
Suzanne says
I've made this pie twice this summer. It is simple and delicious. A hit with my family and teenage kids.
Sarah says
This pie was delicious, but my glaze was thick and gloppy. It had the consistency of jam. I see from other comments that I was not alone in having this problem. I think next time, I will reduce the cornstarch down to 2 tablespoons and maybe even only one tablespoon. I’d prefer my glaze to be pourable.
Sharron285 says
My gel did not turn translucent what happened
Amy says
If it stayed cloudy that means it needed to cook a bit longer.
Matthew James says
If I knew how easy this pie is to make I would have made open long ago. As it is, this is my first and it is delicious! I will be making vegan whipped cream to make it all plant-based. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Carol says
This is approx the same recipe I use every summer. This year I have not had a chance to make it, and I am finally getting around to making one today with some beautiful fresh local berries I have obtained! A nice little flavour twist- replace the vanilla with almond extract. Delicious!
Elisabeth Angelini says
I made your recipe for strawberry pie today and it was fabulous. My guests said that it was the most amazing pie they ever tasted! That is saying a lot because I have to uphold my reputation as THE BAKER whenever there is a get-together or a party!!! Thank you for this recipe. Now I will have to try some of your other ones.
Amy says
I love hearing this! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Donna says
I think I overcooked the glaze -- it was too thick and didn't pour over the strawberries; I had to spoon it over them. I am anxious to see how it tastes though. Thank you for this non-jello recipe!
Bernie says
Why did my purée when boiled did not turn trancusate ,,It did thicken but it seemed jelly like, iS this the way it’s suppose to be,.....?Thank you,
Jenny Jadick says
“If that’s what you have to work with,” was that totally necessary? I can’t afford an expensive food processor and that comment really hurt my feelings. You kind of sucked the excitement out of trying this recipe.
Amy says
I'm so sorry Jenny! I really didn't mean it that way at all! I didn't have a food processor for YEARS and was more trying to just express how it's not necessary to have one and that this recipe (like so many) can be made without the fancy gadgets and tools that some bakers rely on. A good old fashioned masher can definitely do the trick and just requires a little extra elbow grease than blitzing things in a food processor.
DJ says
Amy, any thoughts on those of us whose glaze was too thick and not pourable as yours is in your wonderful video? The pie is absolutely delicious but I want a pourable glaze as my glaze overly congeals. Thank you!
jude says
thanks for this great simple recipe and video, amy. it all came together so easily. i made the pie crust last night and also the puree. my blender left little bits of pieces of strawberry, which were fine. i put it together this morning and my husband is inhaling it right now. the only change i'll make next time (probably next weekend after a trip to the farmer's market) will be to halve the sugar. he likes things less sweet. thanks again!
Rose Tysiak says
My syrup after cooled down seems too thick what can I do to make it more pourable heat it up?
Amy says
If it thickens too much, you can thin it out by stirring in a couple tablespoons of water at a time.