This strawberry pie features a buttery graham cracker crust, an easy no-bake cream filling and a pile of fresh berries on top. You could slice the berries if you prefer, and I might suggest that if your berries are extra large in size. I pick my little bite-sized berries from my garden, so popping them on top whole like this is fun and makes for impressive presentation! A drizzle of melted chocolate on top creates a chocolate-covered-strawberry vibe and makes this pie extra delicious.
Ingredients Needed
- Graham Cracker Crust – I love a homemade graham cracker crust, but you can use a shortcut and just purchase a ready-made one at the store if you like.
- Fresh strawberries – This pie is equally delicious with other fruits, like raspberries or blackberries. I also love fresh peaches- but I personally skip the chocolate with those.
- Vanilla extract
- Light brown sugar
- Heavy whipping cream – heavy cream helps give this pie a firmer texture, but you can use regular cream if that’s what you have. It’s important to whip it firmer than you normally would.
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate chips or a chocolate bar – Use your favorite chocolate! I prefer dark chocolate or semi-sweet because I think it creates a good balance and contrast with the sweet filling.
How to Make a Strawberries and Cream Pie
- Crust: You can either use a store-bought graham cracker crust, or easily make your own at home. I definitely prefer a homemade crust, but feel free to use the short-cut if you need to!
- Cream Filling: You’ll start by mixing cream cheese, vanilla extract, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Then you’ll fold in some sweetened whipped cream for the most delicious fluffy base. Spread it out in your crust and chill this part for a few hours, or up to overnight.
- Berries: I like to slice the greens off my berries and then place them cut side down on some folded paper towels to absorb extra moisture and prevent seeping onto the pie. I also like to chill the pie first without the berries because that prevents them from leaking moisture onto the top.
- Assemble: place the strawberries, cut side down, on the whipped cream mixture. You can press them way down if you want (and even add another layer of berries if you feel the urge) or just have them sticking out like I do. You can also slice berries and layer on top. My berries are small so I love keeping them whole. If they’re extra large, I usually slice.
- Chocolate Drizzle: Break some chocolate into chunks (or use chocolate chips) and place in a small glass bowl with a tiny bit of coconut oil. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over pie. You can chill the pie at this point if you need to, until serving. The chocolate will harden but stay a little soft to the bite because of the coconut oil. I like to eat it freshly drizzled, but chilling is fine, too!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store your pie, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Promptly refrigerate any leftovers.
- Feel free to experiment with how you like your strawberries. You could cut them in half or in slices and lay them out in a circular pattern or even dice them up and pile them on for easier eating.
- You can definitely sub out other fruits if you like! Rasberries and blackberries are delicious with chocolate, and peaches are super good on this pie (though I usually ditch the chocolate for those, or sub white chocolate!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make mini versions of this pie?
yes! This recipe will fill 12 mini store-bought graham cracker crusts.
Could I make my own graham cracker crust?
Absolutely! They are quick and easy to make. Check out this post on how to make a perfect graham cracker crust.
Can I make this gluten free?
Of course! Follow the directions on this perfect graham cracker crust post but use gluten free graham crackers (or really any gluten free, crunchy style cookie). You can also find nut-based crusts on the baking aisle that are gluten free.
I can’t find good strawberries, what else can I put on top?
Use any fruit, or a combination of fruits, you like! You can arrange a medley of colorful fruits similar to a pie version of a fruit pizza . You could do diced apples with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar in the fall, or any berries or sliced stone fruits you like.
How far in advance can I make this?
You can prepare the pie 6-8 hours in advance and store in the fridge. I would wait to add the berries until closer to serving. You could make it a night before, just keep in mind the crust softens a bit with extended wait time- still delicious though!
Can I use Cool Whip in this recipe?
This pie tastes better with the whipped cream as written, but you can substitute 2 cups Cool Whip for the whipped cream and powdered sugar if you like.
Could I put this in a chocolate oreo cookie crust instead?
Yes! Delicious!
Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries and Cream Pie
A delicious no-bake pie with a creamy filling and chocolate covered strawberries on top!
Servings servings
Ingredients
Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs 165g
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Pie
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature light is fine, avoid fat-free
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Topping
- 1 quart fresh strawberries
- 2 ounces chocolate chocolate bar or chips
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
Crust
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and brown sugar to combine well. Press into the bottom and just up about 1 inch of the side of the pan and press in well. Set aside.
Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, (I do this in my stand mixer) beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until medium-stiff peaks form. Be careful to not create butter, but it's very important to whip it firmer than you normally would for whipped cream. It should be fairly firm and hold stiff peaks. If using a stand mixer, transfer the whipped cream into a separate bowl while you do the next step in your stand mixer. Otherwise, just grab another bowl for the next step.
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. It's important for the cream cheese to be room temp or softer so it will mix well without lumps.
- Add about 1 cup of the whipping cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and well-combined. Add the remaining whipping cream mixture by hand and fold in until just combined.
- Cover the pie and chill in the fridge for several hours before adding strawberries. I would say 3 hours *minimum*, but the center will be firmed up better with more like 4-6 hours or more of chill time. *Note: you may add the berries and chocolate before chilling if you need to for timing purposes, but I prefer to chill the pie un-topped and then add the berries and topping close to serving time.
Topping
- Wash the strawberries and pat dry, well. Cut off stems and place berries cut-side down on some folded paper towels while you work, to absorb extra liquid. You may also simply slice berries, if you prefer. The whole berries look gorgeous and impressive, but they can be a little messy to cut and serve, just be prepared! Arrange berries on top of pie however you choose.
- Place chocolate and coconut oil in a heat-safe bowl. (If you're using a chocolate bar, break it into small equal-sized pieces first or finely chop) Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate on top of pie. Serve immediately, or chill until serving. Note that the chocolate will firm up once chilled, or stay soft and melted if served immediately.
Notes
- Store your pie, tightly covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Promptly refrigerate any leftovers.
- Feel free to experiment with how you like your strawberries. You could cut them in half or in slices and lay them out in a circular pattern or even dice them up and pile them on for easier eating.
- Shortcut Substitutions: You can use a store-bought prepared graham cracker crust in place of the homemade one.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 481kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 85mg, Sodium: 274mg, Potassium: 315mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 1095IU, Vitamin C: 70mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 481kcal
Cost: $12
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Questions & Reviews
I made this for an Easter dessert, as well. Oh, wow. First thing I’ve tried off your website, but now I’ll be trying more, for sure! I made my mother’s home-made rolls for dinner, which took hours, but this pie (which was so easy!) was the hit of the night. I drizzled a Cadbury bar on top, which was bad because it pushed it over the top and made me want to eat half a pie myself! Thanks!
This will be my new Easter dessert! Super easy and super yum! Thanks
I made this today for Easter dessert–beautiful and, I think, a good fit for Easter, but I was a little disappointed with the taste. It didn’t taste bad by any means, it just wasn’t that amazing either. Also, mine was in the fridge for about 6 hours, but it still fell apart when we cut/served it. Overall, I would probably make it again, but not because it was my favorite flavor-wise–it was just so darn pretty! (FYI–I have loved every other recipe I have ever tried on this site so far–thanks for all your work! I want your cookbook!)
Made this tonight for Easter dessert (like we needed more sugar, right?) Fantastic. I used an Oreo crust because I like chocolate that much. Amazing. Thanks for a super easy one! (Easy as pie, even.)
Made this to go with our Easter dinner today. It turned out even yummier than I had expected. Then again, so does every recipe that I make off of your website. I did forget to dry my strawberries well, my pie turned out just a bit watery on top. But it was oh-so-delicious. Thanks!
Made this for Easter dinner – fantastic!! I made it this morning and refrigerated until dinner time. I melted dark chocolate chips for the chocolate drizzle. I may never have strawberry shortcake again – this is too good.
This is absolutely wonderful! I bought way too much Easter candy and so I melted the milk chocolate eggs that I had on hand. Next is to make the strawberry syrup with the leftover strawberries. Yum!
So will you guys ever make it to southern utah for a book signing? Would love it if you came to Cedar City or St. George!!!
Easter dessert, not desert 🙂
I just made this for Easter desert…I added a layer of ganache on the bottom of the crust and let it set up before adding the whipped cream mixture. Then drizzled ganache on the top. Oh.my.goodness.
A little slice of heaven!