When it comes to desserts, simple is often best. This little pie is deceptively simple to make, even though it looks rather elegant with its mountain of glazed strawberries. But the truth is, with just a few minutes of work, a little chilling time, and a handful of ingredients, you’re well on your way to digging into this sweet and creamy beauty.
The only baking you’ll need to do here is a quick turn in the oven for the graham cracker crust to firm it up. It’s just the usual mixture of graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar pressed into a pie dish, so much easier than chilling and rolling out dough.
The filling is no-bake-cheesecake in style – cream cheese beaten until smooth and lightened up with whipping cream. It’s slightly sweet and irresistibly creamy, the perfect base for a heap of fresh berries.
But these aren’t just any fresh berries. These are tossed in a quick glaze that gives them a sugary sheen without a hard candy crack. It adds sweetness, but not a lot of trouble. All you have to do is simmer some water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch into a smooth syrup before folding it around the strawberries.
You can leave them whole, or slice them up, but either way the combination of the sweetened berries with the creamy cheesecake tang and a bit of a graham cracker crunch is a true winner. A simple pie that doesn’t look so simple!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Allergens: Milk
For the crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- Juice from one lemon
- 4-5 cups strawberries, stems removed
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and salt. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- In a clean bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture and gently spread in cooled crust. Chill for 1 hour.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together cornstarch, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat until thickened, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before stirring in strawberries.
- Spoon glazed strawberries over pie filling and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Small Town Woman.