No Bake Strawberry Pie with Cream Cheese Recipe
This no-bake strawberry pie combines a luscious cream cheese filling with a glossy homemade strawberry topping, all nestled in a buttery graham cracker crust. Perfectly chilled and easy to prepare, it’s a delightful dessert showcasing fresh strawberries with a creamy, fluffy texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 23 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
- 1½ pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered (divided use)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste (divided use)
Cream Filling
- 1 (8-oz) block cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 (8-oz) container thawed whipped topping or homemade whipped cream
Pie Base
- 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Prep strawberry sauce: Place ⅓ of the quartered strawberries into a medium saucepan with the cornstarch and sugar. Stir until fully coated. Stir in the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste until combined.
- Simmer strawberry sauce base: Bring the strawberries to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, until strawberries are cooked and the liquid becomes glossy and jammy. Ensure the milkiness from the cornstarch disappears during this process.
- Finish strawberry sauce: Reduce heat to low, stir in the remaining ⅔ of the strawberries, and cook for 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, spreading in a shallow dish to speed cooling if desired.
- Beat cream cheese: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Beat with a handheld mixer using whisk or beater attachments until creamy and smooth. If using homemade whipped cream, add powdered sugar as noted.
- Assemble cream filling: Gently fold 2 cups of the whipped topping or whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula with a “j” shaped folding technique to maintain airiness. Reserve remaining whipped topping for garnish.
- Assemble and chill pie: Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly into the cooled graham cracker crust. Top with the cooled strawberry sauce, mounding slightly in the center to prevent overflow. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably 8-12 hours.
- Serve: Before serving, pipe the reserved whipped topping around the edge of the strawberry filling. Slice and serve. Note that slicing is neater after longer chilling.
Notes
- For a homemade whipped cream, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar to desired stiff peaks.
- You can use a store-bought graham cracker crust or make one by combining crushed graham crackers with melted butter and pressing into a pie pan.
- Ensure the strawberry sauce is fully cooled before assembling the pie to prevent melting the whipped filling.
- Longer chilling improves sliceability and flavor melding.
