The BEST Icebox Strawberry Pie

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The best Icebox Strawberry Pie made with both frozen and fresh, ripe strawberries.

Icebox Strawberry Pie made with plenty of ripe strawberries scooped into a flaky pre-baked pie crust, then topped with lightly sweet whipped cream cheese.

If you love strawberries, then this is the pie for you! Made with minimal ingredients, the flavor of ripe strawberries really shine through. It’s tart and sweet, and a great way to enjoy the season’s best fruit.

When it comes to fruit-filled desserts, the quality of the fruit is everything.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep preaching the message; fresh, ripe, quality seasonal fruits make the best recipes! This pie recipe uses strawberries in three ways. Two pounds of frozen strawberries are cooked down to a thick, concentrated filling with a great big berry flavor. Lemon juice is added to brighten the tart-tanginess of the berries, and unflavored gelatin holds the intensely flavored filling together without being bouncy like jell-o pie.

Top this strawberry pie with fresh whole strawberries for that classic diner look.

Fresh sliced strawberries are added to the filling for great texture, and once set, the pie is topped with whole fresh berries to give it that ‘all-American diner’ look. The strawberries on top are optional and not really needed for flavor. I just thought the pie looked so pretty with giant whole strawberries on top! Honestly the weight of the whole berries is hard on the filling, so don’t feel bad if you leave them off. The filling is soft, but holds together well without being like set jello.

This strawberry pie filling is flavored, and made with, real strawberries.

The filling recipe was adapted from a Cook’s Country recipe. When researching this kind of pie I knew I didn’t want to rely with a box of strawberry Jell-O for the base. I wanted the flavor to come from real strawberries which is why I chose this recipe method. The strawberry flavor is the star of this recipe, just like our Strawberry Cheesecake Bars.

If you’ve never made a cream cheese whipped cream before, you’re in for a treat. It holds together beautifully and really adds that something extra to this Icebox Strawberry Pie. You can pipe it on top or spoon it over individual slices, it’s all good. The pie needs to stay cool to hold together so don’t leave it in the outdoor heat for long.

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5 from 7 votes

Icebox Strawberry Pie

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Yield: 8

Course: Dessert

Author: Tricia

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Ripe strawberries scooped into a flaky pie crust and topped with lightly sweet whipped cream cheese

Ingredients

For the pie filling:

• 1 Pie Crust, baked and cooled (see notes)
• 2 pounds frozen strawberries
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (two 1-ounce packages)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
• 12 fresh strawberries hulled, for topping (optional)

Cream Cheese Topping:

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

• Prepare and blind-bake a 9-inch pie pastry. Cool completely before filling.

To make the pie filling:

• Add frozen strawberries to a deep large saucepan. Cook over medium-low until some of the berries start to melt and release some juice, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the strawberries, stirring frequently, until thick and gemlike, about 25 minutes. IMPORTANT: Measure the cooked filling, you should have only 2 cups. If you have more, return the filling to the saucepan and continue cooking until it is reduced to exactly 2 cups.
• While the filling is cooking down, combine the gelatin, lemon juice and water in a small bowl. Set aside until gelatin is softened and the mixture is thick, about 5-minutes.
• Add the softened gelatin mixture to the hot reduced strawberry mixture along with the sugar and pinch of salt. Return the berry mixture to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, the remove from the heat and transfer hot filling to a clean heat-proof bowl to cool, about 45 minutes.
• (OPTIONAL) If topping with whole strawberries, place the 12 clean, dry strawberries in a small bowl. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cooked and cooled strawberry mixture over the berries. Toss gently to coat. Remove the whole berries to a plate, flat side-down like they will be on top of the pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Return any extra filling back into the remaining mixture.
• Fold the fresh sliced strawberries into the filling and spread evenly in the prepared pie crust. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. Add the whole strawberries in a circle in the middle just before serving.

To make the topping:

• Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, add the cream and beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Pipe around the outside edge of the pie if desired. Alternatively, double the topping recipe and dollop on top of each slice of pie when serving.

Recipe Notes

• You can use a baked frozen pre-made pie crust if you prefer or try our flaky Perfect Pie Crust Recipe (complete with how-to video) found HERE

 

• Feel free to double the cream cheese topping recipe if you’re going to spoon over each slice of pie instead of decorating

 

• Filling adapted from Cook’s Country 

We love strawberries in baked goods, salads and just about everything!

If you do too, check out these delicious recipes from the SRFD archives:

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Creamy, refreshing, and lightly sweet with an intense strawberry flavor making these deliciously crave-able and perfect for all your summer get-togethers!

Easy Small-Batch Spiked Strawberry Jam

Fresh and easy strawberry jam made with just picked strawberries, sugar and Grand Marnier Liqueur

Easy strawberry Sorbet Recipe

A simple, easy and delicious sorbet made with only 3 ingredients right in your blender!  The intense strawberry flavor is balanced by a few splashes of Grand Marnier which also helps develop the incredible texture.

Simple and light, and deliciously refreshing ~ Strawberry Salad with Chicken and Poppy Seed Dressing is a great main course salad with an amazing combination of flavors.  From the tender chunks of chicken and the creamy bite of feta cheese, to the toasted sliced almonds and poppy seeds, every bite will delight your senses!

Summer icebox pies are the best – here are a few more you might like. Would you believe this Tropical Icebox Pie is grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free? Sounds like an amazing recipe from Foodie With Family. All you Girl Scout Cookie lovers will flip for this Samoa Ice Box Pie from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen. Love this No Bake Peanut Butter Icebox Cake from Crazy for Crust. It looks so creamy and rich – yummy!