Mom's Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie recipe is a classic easy dessert for the spring and summer months! Fresh berries are coated in a sweet glaze and finished with a dollop of whipped cream, making this light and beautiful treat a family favorite.
The sweet, juicy taste of a fresh strawberry pie recalls summers from my childhood. This old-fashioned, rustic dessert was a regular on our beach vacations at the Vineyard, where we would spend hours picking strawberries at a local farm -- only to return home to watch Mom process jars of strawberry jam and bake fresh strawberry pie for dessert. Food memories are seriously the best, and this pie is totally nostalgic!
How to make an Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie Recipe:
I love the shortcut of a store-bought pie crust, but you will make the strawberry pie filling completely from scratch. No Jell-O, no prepared glazes, just a simple, thick sauce that enhances the sweetness of the fresh fruit.
Here's what you'll need:
- One baked deep-dish pie crust
- Fresh strawberries
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Salt
- Optional: red food coloring; whipped cream
Bake the Crust:
Mom always uses a store-bought refrigerated crust that she bakes and cools before filling. She prefers this refrigerated pie crust; however, here I've shown a frozen deep-dish 9-inch pie crust, which I baked according to the package instructions. Either option is fine -- or you can make your own crust from scratch using your favorite recipe.
Make the Strawberry Pie Glaze:
Once the pie crust has cooled, it's time to make the glazed strawberry pie filling from scratch! The best part is that you don't even have to bake this pie -- it just chills in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and it's ready to enjoy.
First, mash 1 cup of the strawberries and set them aside.
Then boil the mashed berries with the sugar, cornstarch, cold water and salt until the glaze is thick and clear. The cornstarch acts as the thickening agent, and the salt is a perfect balance for all of the sweetness in the pie. You can add red food coloring for that vibrant color, but it's not necessary.
While the glaze cools for about 10 minutes, arrange the remaining 5 cups of halved, hulled strawberries in the pie crust. Then simply spoon the glaze over the berries and chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
I like to garnish the pie with whipped cream just before serving, but that's totally optional. The pie is delicious on its own, too!
Preparation and Storage Tips for an Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie Recipe:
- This pie is best when prepared on the same day that you plan to serve it. I do not recommend assembling the pie the night before, because the berries naturally release juices as they sit -- making the crust soggy.
- The leftover pie will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days, but remember -- the crust gets softer as it sits (thanks to the the natural juices from the berries). We love strawberry pie for breakfast the next morning, though!
- While you can freeze the strawberry pie for up to 3 months, be warned that the thawed pie will likely be soggy. Again, this is one of those desserts that's best enjoyed on Day 1!
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- I like the shortcut of using a refrigerated pie crust or a frozen pie crust, which I bake according to the package instructions. If you prefer, you can use your favorite homemade deep-dish pie crust recipe and blind-bake the crust before filling.
- Use the sweetest, freshest berries that you can find for the sweetest pie! I don't recommend using frozen strawberries in this recipe.
- Garnish the pie with homemade whipped cream, canned whipped cream (such as Reddi-Whip) or whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), if you like. It's also great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- You can use this strawberry pie filling and glaze with a graham cracker crust. Here's an easy, step-by-step recipe to make your own graham cracker crust at home.
What to do with lots of fresh strawberries:
If you were over-enthusiastic with your strawberry picking or strawberry shopping at the farmer's market, here are some other great recipes to take advantage of the fresh berries:
- Strawberry Muffins
- Strawberry Jell-O Salad
- Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
- Chocolate Donut Kabobs with Strawberries
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, baked*
- 6 cups fresh hulled and halved strawberries, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup cold water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: few drops of red food coloring
- Optional, for serving: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Mash 1 cup of the strawberries and set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, cold water and salt. Stir in mashed berries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. If using, stir in food coloring. Continue cooking and stirring until thick and clear (about 3 more minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Arrange the remaining 5 cups of berries in the baked pie shell. Spoon the glaze over the berries, coating each one.
- Place pie in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream just before serving.
Notes
- This pie is best when prepared on the same day that you plan to serve it. I do not recommend assembling the pie the night before, because the berries naturally release juices as they sit -- making the crust soggy.
- I like the shortcut of using a refrigerated pie crust or a frozen pie crust, which I bake according to the package instructions. If you prefer, you can use your favorite homemade deep-dish pie crust recipe and blind-bake the crust before filling.
- Use the sweetest, freshest berries that you can find for the sweetest pie! I don't recommend using frozen strawberries in this recipe.
- Garnish the pie with homemade whipped cream, canned whipped cream (such as Reddi-Whip) or whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), if you like. It's also great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- You can also use this strawberry pie filling and glaze with a graham cracker crust. Here's an easy, step-by-step recipe to make your own graham cracker crust at home.
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