This delicious velvety no-bake strawberry cream cheese pie recipe is super simple! All you need is 15 minutes of prep time and 7 ingredients you probably already have around your house.
I am excited to share with you the easy to follow steps for you to make a luscious cheesecake pie. As soon as you taste how scrumptious it is, you can't help but fall in love.
If you are a strawberry fanatic, you are going to want to taste this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp too. It's so good!
Why this recipe works:
- The graham cracker crust only takes 2 ingredients, and you don't even need to bake it.
- The filling is super flavorful and has two heaping cups of fresh strawberries.
- Prep work only takes about 15 minutes.
- It is decadent, rich, and flavorful.
- It's a crowd-pleaser for all your parties, barbecues, and events.
Photo instructions
Blend strawberries with a hand blender until smooth. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and set a fine mesh strainer on top. Pour strawberries through the strainer into the saucepan. Press fruit and liquid through the strainer and discard solids. Bring to a boil for about 5-10 minutes until it is reduced by half. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter just until combined.
Transfer to a parchment paper layered 9" (23cm) round springform pan. Evenly press crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan with the back of a measuring cup. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl mix with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment cream cheese on medium speed until creamy for about 1 minute.
Add reduced strawberries, sugar, and vanilla* and mix until smooth.
Add heavy whipping cream and mix until soft peaks form for about 1-2 minutes. The filling is very liquid when you add the cream but don't worry, it will form soft peaks.
Pour filling into crust and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight until the filling is firm.
Continue spreading filling mixture evenly into pan.
Serve with whipped cream and strawberries on top if desired.
Top tips:
- Don't skip out on reducing the strawberries that is what gives the filling it's intense flavor.
- When making the filling using a mixer instead of doing it by hand will give you that fluffy, creamy texture, you can't get enough of.
- To make the graham crackers into a fine powder, pulse them in the food processor until they are the consistency you are looking for. You can also place graham crackers into a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to break them up.
Variations
There are a few things you can do to change the flavors too. It's wonderful to make substitutions to make this recipe your own.
Different fruits
I chose to make this cream cheese pie because we can't get enough sweet strawberries, but you could certainly try some different fruits. Follow the same process as directed, and you will be good to go. Here are some ideas to try:
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cherries
Note: It's essential to strain the reduced fruit so you don't end up with a bunch of seeds in the pie because they would be pretty crunchy and take away from the experience.
Additional Flavors
If you want to incorporate some additional flavors, you certainly can. Try these ideas to get you started:
- Add ¼ cup (32 grams) of white chocolate chips.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp (30 ml) with chocolate syrup on top of strawberry pie.
- Sprinkle ½ cup (64 grams) of crushed Oreos in the filling.
Vanilla Wafers
You can exchange vanilla wafer cookies for graham crackers. The vanilla wafers will add a little bit of a buttery flavor to the crust. It's delicious no matter what kind of crust you use.
You can actually use other cookies, and flavors of graham crackers if you wish. Just run them through the food processor to make them powdery and you are set.
I would stay away from cookies that have ingredients like chocolate chips because when you run it through the food processor, the particles from the cookie will clump to the chocolate chips.
FAQ's
Why is the filling lumpy?
If you are experiencing lumps in the filling, then it could be because the cream cheese was too cold. Whenever you are making a recipe that requires cream cheese, and it is supposed to be smooth, your best bet is to use room temperature cream cheese.
It's best if you set the cream cheese on the counter around an hour before you are getting ready to use it. This will allow for a nice smooth, and creamy texture.
Storage
Store it in the refrigerator. Cover it tightly so no air can get to it. On average, it will last around 3 days in the fridge. You can use plastic storage containers or glass, depending on your preference.
It's important not to let the cream cheese pie sit out longer than 2 hours, or it will go bad.
Freezing
While some pies do not do well in the freezer, this one does excellent! You can freeze it by wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap, then placing it in an airtight storage container.
You can also use the flash freeze method to ensure that the top doesn't get damaged or smashed. To flash freeze, place the pie in the freezer for 1-2 hours until it has frozen relatively solid. Then you can transport it to an airtight container.
Related Recipes
On the search for more strawberry recipes
Recipe
No-Bake Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (7oz / 200g)
- ½ cup butter, melted (113g)
Strawberry cream cheese filling
- 2 heaping cups strawberries, hulled and pureed (380g)
- 2 cups cream cheese (16oz / 455g)
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar (150g)
- 2 vanilla beans* (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240ml)
Instructions
- Blend strawberries with a hand blender until smooth. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and set a fine mesh strainer on top. Pour strawberries through the strainer into the saucepan. Press fruit and liquid through the strainer and discard solids. Bring to a boil for about 5-10 minutes until it is reduced by half. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter just until combined. Transfer to a parchment paper layered 9" (23cm) round springform pan. Evenly press crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan with the back of a measuring cup. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl mix with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment cream cheese on medium speed until creamy for about 1 minute. Add reduced strawberries, sugar, and vanilla* and mix until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream and mix until soft peaks form for about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour filling into crust and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight until the filling is firm. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries on top if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Top tips:
- Don't skip out on reducing the strawberries that is what gives the filling it's intense flavor.
- When making the filling using a mixer instead of doing it by hand will give you that fluffy, creamy texture, you can't get enough of.
- To make the graham crackers into a fine powder, pulse them in the food processor until they are the consistency you are looking for. You can also place graham crackers into a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to break them up.
Different fruits I chose to make this cream cheese pie because we can't get enough sweet strawberries, but you could certainly try some different fruits. Follow the same process as directed, and you will be good to go. Here are some ideas to try:
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cherries
Additional Flavors If you want to incorporate some additional flavors, you certainly can. Try these ideas to get you started:
- Add ¼ cup (32 grams) of white chocolate chips.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp (30 ml) with chocolate syrup on top of strawberry pie.
- Sprinkle ½ cup (64 grams) of crushed Oreos in the filling.
Other cookies You can exchange vanilla wafer cookies for graham crackers. The vanilla wafers will add a little bit of a buttery flavor to the crust. It's delicious no matter what kind of crust you use. You can actually use other cookies, and flavors of graham crackers if you wish. Just run them through the food processor to make them powdery and you are set. I would stay away from cookies that have ingredients like chocolate chips because when you run it through the food processor, the particles from the cookie will clump to the chocolate chips.
I'm not usually a big fan of cream cheese based pie fillings, but this recipe was perfectly flavored. I was very generous with the strawberries, did both extract and vanilla bean and added the zest and a juice from half a lemon to brighten it up a bit causes strawberries aren't in season. Also subbed Nilla Wafers and Walkers shortbread for the crust. It tasted like a Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake popsicle in pie form.
Will definitely be making this again next year when I can get fresh berries. Might try adding raspberry next time too!
That sounds delicious. Raspberries would be lovely as well. Thanks for the nice feedback!
Can I just use Strawberry purée instead of actually crushing the strawberries into purée??
Yes, absolutely.