Fresh Strawberry Pie
This old-fashioned fresh strawberry pie skips the Jell-O. Halved berries are folded into a glossy homemade glaze, piled into a baked pie crust, chilled until firm, and finished with whipped cream. It’s the classic summer pie from church suppers and family reunions.
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 387kcal
Ingredients
Pie
- 1 baked pie crust shell 9-inch, cooled completely
- 5 cups strawberries divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons
- ¼ cup cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon
- ¾ cup cold water
- ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Hull the strawberries and keep them as dry as possible. Cut 3 ½ cups in half, quartering any extra large berries, and place them in a medium bowl. Dice the remaining 1 ½ cups, mash half of the diced berries, and set all of them aside.
- Whisk the granulated sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Add the diced and mashed strawberries and the cold water and stir together.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil. Keep stirring and boil for exactly 2 minutes, until thicker, darker, and more translucent. Remove from the heat.
- Cool the glaze in the pan for 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon zest if using.
- Stir the glaze into the halved strawberries until all the berries are coated.
- Pour the strawberry mixture into the pie shell, using any extra glaze to fill gaps around the edges. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
Make the Whipped Cream
- Beat the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar with a hand mixer, starting on low until the sugar is mixed in, then on high until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe or spoon the whipped cream onto the pie just before serving.
Notes
- Blind bake the pie crust and let it cool completely before filling. Homemade or store-bought both work.
- Dry the strawberries well. Extra water makes the pie runny.
- Use cold water in the glaze so the cornstarch stirs in smoothly.
- Boil the glaze for exactly 2 minutes, and let it cool 10 minutes before adding the berries.
- Best served after 3 to 4 hours of chilling. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Best within 1 day, good up to 2 days.
- The whipped cream makes about 2 cups, enough to pipe around the edge. Double it to cover the whole pie. Store-bought whipped cream also works.
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 448IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
