This Cream Cheese and Strawberry Pie has a graham cracker crust, a no-bake cream cheese filling, and a sweet homemade strawberry pie topping. It is an easy dessert, perfect for the summer holidays, and is a favorite at family gatherings.

What we love about this Cream Cheese Strawberry Pie

Nothing says summer like this strawberry cream pie. It really is creamy and delicious. The hint of vanilla and lemon with the whipped cream and cream cheese is lovely by itself and pairs beautifully with the sweet strawberry topping. The strawberries with the strawberry glaze are heavenly. This pie is the ultimate strawberries and cream dessert.

The Graham cracker crust comes together easily and stays together so well. I have often made this with gluten-free graham crackers for those needing a gluten-free option. The crust and filling are easy to make in advance, as the creamy filling needs to be refrigerated for a few hours. The oven is only on for the crust, so it’s a perfect summer dessert.

Looking for another cream cheese dessert? Try our favorite Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danishes, or our delicious Cherry and Cream Cheese Pie.

What you need to make this Strawberry and Cream Cheese Pie

You will need the following ingredients:

Graham crackers
Granulated sugar
Butter
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Fresh lemon juice
Vanilla
Whipping cream
Strawberries
Cornstarch
Water

Strawberry Pie with Cream Cheese Substitutions

I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:

If you’re not a fan of strawberry topping, you can try other toppings or compotes like blueberry or cherry.
A store-bought graham cracker crust could be substituted for the homemade.
You could use all vanilla or all lemon juice to flavor the cream cheese filling.
If you don’t have time to make a homemade topping, you can use a canned pie topping.

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1. Using a food processor or a rolling pin with a large ziploc bag, crush the Graham crackers into as fine a crumb as you can. If using a food processor, add the sugar with the graham crackers when you crush them. If using a bag, pour the crumbs into a small bowl and stir in the sugar. Stir or process in the melted butter.

Step 2. Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan. Using your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan using gentle pressure. After using your hands, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the bottom of the Graham cracker crust so that it is even. Then, use a spoon to press in at the seam of the bottom and sides of the crust.

Step 3. In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese so that no lumps remain. Beat in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. In a separate medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.

Step 4. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. This will take several strokes to ensure it is all incorporated.

Step 5. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Using a spatula or an offset/angled spatula, spread the filling into the crust to form a smooth, even layer. Chill while you make the strawberry topping.

Step 6. In a small bowl, mash 1 cup of the berries with a potato masher. In a small pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water and mashed berries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to help the strawberry glaze cool faster.

Step 7. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to help the strawberry glaze cool faster. Once completely cool, stir in the remaining strawberries.

Step 8. Pour the strawberry mixture over the cream mixture, keeping the topping towards the center of the pie. Continue to chill the pie for a total of at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours before serving. I recommend serving the pie the day you top it with the strawberry mixture for the best appearance.

Tips

Have you had problems with your Graham cracker crust falling apart? When assembling the Graham cracker crust, you want to apply gentle pressure with your hand as you press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. You don’t want any loose crumbs, and you also don’t want it extremely firmly packed. After using my hands to press the crumbs, I use the bottom of a measuring cup to gently press the crumbs on the bottom for a smooth crust. I then use a spoon to press the crumbs at the seam of the bottom and sides. The spoon helps create a curved edge at the seam. You don’t want a 90-degree angle at that seam, or the sides of the crust can more easily detach from the pie when you serve it.
Once the bottom and sides are pressed together, I use the finger of one hand to press on the top crumbs, while using my other hand to hold the side crumbs in place. This helps create a nice line for the top of the crust while ensuring you don’t have any loose crumbs.
A food processor makes crushing the Graham crackers so easy. I have a Ninja food processor that came as an attachment with a blender I bought a few years ago. It has worked really well for me and I use it for many things, including Graham cracker crusts and traditional pie crusts.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Cream Cheese and Strawberry Pie be made in advance?

a. The Graham cracker crust can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored at room temperature or in the fridge. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap once the crust is completely cool to store.
b. Cream cheese pies can last in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days. For best flavor and texture, consume within the first 1-2 days. Once the strawberry topping is added, I like to serve it the same day for the best presentation.

Can you freeze a Strawberry Cream Cheese pie?

a. You can freeze an unbaked or baked crust. To keep the crust from getting soggy, make sure to thaw the unbaked crust completely in the fridge before baking.
b. You can freeze the pie for up to 3 months when placed in an airtight container. However, the cream cheese might be slightly grainy after freezing, and the texture of the strawberries will be different..

Cream Cheese and Strawberry Pie

Recipe by Risa

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Chilling time

4-24

hours

Total time

hours

Serving Size

6-8

slices

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:
12 sheets Graham crackers (24 half-squares) to make 1 ½ cups Graham cracker crumbs
½ cup + 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, divided
⅓ cup of butter, melted
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
Strawberry Topping:
4 cups culled and halved strawberries, divided
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a food processor or a rolling pin with a large ziploc bag, crush the Graham crackers into as fine a crumb as you can. If using a food processor, add the sugar with the graham crackers when you crush them. If using a bag, pour the crumbs into a small bowl and stir in the sugar. Stir or process in the melted butter.
Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan. Using your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan using gentle pressure. You don’t want any loose crumbs, but you also don’t want it extremely hard-packed. After using your hands, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the bottom of the Graham cracker crust so that it is even. Then, use a spoon to press in at the seam of the bottom and sides of the crust. The spoon helps create a curved seam. A 90-degree seam can have problems with the side of the crust detaching from the bottom when you remove it from the pan to serve.
Finally, use the finger of one hand to press on the top crumbs, while using your other hand to hold the side crumbs in place. This helps create a nice line for the top of the crust while ensuring you don’t have any loose crumbs.
Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven to completely cool before filling.
In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese so that no lumps remain. Beat in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. This will take several strokes to ensure it is all incorporated.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Using a spatula or an offset/angled spatula, spread the filling into the crust to form a smooth, even layer. Chill while you make the strawberry topping
In a small bowl, mash 1 cup of the berries with a potato masher.
In a small pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water and mashed berries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to help the strawberry glaze cool faster.
Once completely cool, add the remaining strawberries and pour over the cream mixture, keeping the topping towards the center of the pie. Continue to chill pie for a total of at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours before serving. I recommend serving the pie the day you top the pie with the strawberry mixture for best appearance.

Notes

I have had great success with my Graham cracker crusts following the directions in the notes and recipe. The two notes that have made the most difference are 1. Make sure to press the crumbs so no loose crumbs remain, but not so it is extremely hard-packed. I start with my hands, then use the bottom of a measuring cup for the bottom crust and a spoon for the seam of the bottom and sides.
Secondly, using a spoon to help make a curved seam makes a huge difference. Your Graham cracker crust will stay intact this way. If the seam is at a 90-degree angle, the side of the crust can detach from the bottom of the crust when removed from the pan.
I indicate in the recipe that you can chill the pie for 4-24 hours. I usually chill it for 4 hours, and the pie has chilled and firmed up enough in that time.
I recommend using Honey Maid Graham crackers for the crust, and I have had great success using Pamela’s Gluten-Free Graham Style Crackers for a gluten-free crust by following the directions for their crust on the box.