Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
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Fresh strawberry cream cheese pie is a delicious spring dessert to make with the season’s freshest berries. With a layer of cream cheese filling, and a homemade strawberry pie glaze, this impressive-looking dessert is ideal for any spring or summer gathering. (This recipe was first published on April 15th, 2014)
Strawberry cream cheese pie from the 50s
This recipe for fresh strawberry pie comes from the book Thoughts for Buffets, which was published in 1958. Intended for the “woman who is both home-maker and hostess,” it was given to my mom in the early 60’s by my aunt, and signified a time when America was changing both culturally and gastronomically. The book is dog-earred where Mom has turned down pages, and the pages are stained and grease-spattered.
One of the best strawberry pie recipes, it has withstood the test of time and seems just as fresh and current today as it must have 50 years ago.
Ingredients for Strawberry Glaze Pie
To start, you’ll need a pie crust. You can buy one or make your own with this recipe for one minute pie dough. I used half 1/2 of the recipe, and added one teaspoon of sugar. Pre-bake the pie shell using pie weights.
If you’re planning on baking more, you could make the full pie dough recipe and use the leftover dough for these mini Jam Tarts.
You’ll need 2 full pounds of fresh strawberries. Frozen won’t do! Some will be used for the glaze, some for the top, and some will be sliced.
The filling is made with 8 ounces of cream cheese and 5 Tablespoons of sour cream, which is a delicious counterpoint to the sweet berries and glaze. There is no additional sugar in the filling, so it’s not overly sweet. You’ll also need sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice for the strawberry glaze recipe.
Since this is a recipe from the 50s, I decided to decorate my edges with circles, which have kind of a vintage flair. You can use pretty pie cutters, or just the bottom of a piping tip.
Strawberry glaze recipe
The star of this pie is the strawberry glaze! Unlike store-bought glazes, this strawberry glaze does not contain artificial coloring, flavoring or high fructose corn syrup. It’s simple berries, sugar and water. You can even substitute the sugar for Swerve if you’re watching your sugar intake.
To make the strawberry glaze, you’ll need:
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
Place the berries in a saucepan with water and simmer over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Combine the sugar and cornstarch and add it to the cooked fruit. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until the syrup is thick, glossy and red. Remove from the heat, then add the lemon juice and cool for about 10 minutes.
How to finish strawberry cream cheese pie
Now that your glaze is done, the rest of the pie is super easy to assemble.
Spread the cream cheese filling over the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. I use a glass pie dish.
Then slice about 1 cup of the berries and place them over the filling.
Next, top the filling with the remaining whole, hulled strawberries.
Finally, pour, brush or spoon the glaze over the berries. These pastry brushes are my favorite.
Chill the pie for at least one hour. You’ll get prettier looking slices the longer it chills.
Should glazed strawberry pie be refrigerated? Yes! This pie contains cream cheese and sour cream, so chill before serving and keep in the fridge after serving.
I hope you enjoy this old fashioned strawberry cream cheese pie!
Looking for more strawberry recipes? Try my Strawberry Fool or Eton Mess.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5 Tablespoons sour cream
Strawberry Glaze
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped strawberries (from the 2 pounds below)
Finishing the strawberry pie
- 1 pre-baked 9″ pie crust either homemade or store-bought
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries washed, hulled and divided (some are for the filling, some for the glaze)
Instructions
- Pre-bake a pie shell until golden brown. Cool.
- Meanwhile Beat together the cream cheese and sour cream together in a mixer.
- Spread over the baked pie shell.
- Wash and hull strawberries. Reserve one berries pound for the top, 1 cup for the glaze, and 1 cup sliced to put on top of the filling.
Glaze
- Chop a few berries to measure 1 cup. Place in a saucepan with water and simmer over a medium low heat for 5 minutes.
- Combine sugar and cornstarch. Add cornstarch and sugar mixture to cooked fruit continue cooking, stirring constantly, until syrup is thick and clear, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and cool about 10 minutes.
Finishing the pie
- Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled pie shell.
- Arrange 1 cup sliced berries on the cream cheese mixture.
- Arrange remaining whole berries over the top of the sliced berries.
- Spoon cooked strawberry syrup over fresh berries.
- Chill 1 hour or longer.
Notes
- Use fresh berries for this pie.
- The pie shell can be baked up to a day ahead of time. Wrap well and do not refrigerate.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Hi Cynthia! Thank you for sharing your beautiful strawberry pie to my Fruit pie party. Here’s the link to the party with all the recipes. Enjoy! http://www.delscookingtwist.com/2014/04/22/fruit-pie-party-with-a-twist/
Thank you Del!
this looks delicious!
Thanks Dina!
I saw this on Pinterest and yes my first thought was ‘she made my pie!’ but only because I took a very old recipe from a 1970’s version of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and added a layer of whipped cream cheese between the crust and berries; initially as a way to preserve the crust which gets very soggy without it. Of course we now love the flavor and it has to be included and you are one person who knows why; that tang adds a great balance to the sweetness of the berries.
Still such a favorite and now that fresh berries are showing up in abundance; one that will be made more then once in the coming weeks!
Haha Barbara! My mom started making this pie from a cookbook she got in ’58 or ’59. It’s a delicious recipe! I’m sure yours is fantastic too!
I just LOVE old cookbooks. I go to a used bookstore some times just to see what kind of gems I can find. 🙂 This strawberry pie looks great! Don’t know about the chop suey though 🙂
Me too Des! The pie is fantastic, but you’re right…not sure about the chop suey! haha!
Cynthia – so fun your mom and Sophie baked this gorgeous pie. My passion is totally baking. (So let’s open a little cafe. You do savory, I’ll do sweet.) Ok, loving this pretty strawberry pie!
Perfect! I like that idea Allie!
My Mom made this pie (or one very close to it), too. It was a favorite of my uncle’s, her older brother. She made it once or twice on his birthday. They died only within 7 months of each other. I valiantly tried to find her recipe to make for him after she left us, but couldn’t find it. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so impressed by this recipe – can’t wait to give it a go, especially that pie crust!
Thanks Linda! Let me know how you like it!
This is a great pie! Love that it is made from no prepackaged ingredients and all from scratch! The family devoured it!
Thank you Julie! So glad your family enjoyed it!
Strawberry is such an amazing seasonal fruit. Your Pie looks amazing. Love the Glaze too. Cant wait to try one soon.
Thank you Veena! It’s a keeper!
I can’t wait until it’s summer here so I can make this with our local strawberries! This looks amazing and love the vibrant color!
Yummy! My daughter is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try! Looks so yummy and very delicious!
This strawberry pie is fantastic! We’ll be making this again.
this is very timely because husband just came home from the grocery with strawberries. now i know where to use those strawberries.
OMG! this looks like an amazing easy recipe. I am receiving strawberries with my shopping order today, it is probable the sign to make this pie. Thank you for sharing.
A real taste of summer. We all love this strawberry pie!
The pie is the best fruit cake that exists and with strawberries, yum speaks of spring!
Girl you had me at strawberry! I absolutely love strawberries and this pie looks amazing. I am definitley making this one so thank you for sharing! Heading to pin this one now 🙂
thank you!
This sounds so good. I’ve not made one of these in years. I need to try your version it looks great.
Ooh, now you have me wanting to go to the store and grab some strawberries! This pie looks SO delicious, and it would make the perfect summer treat!
The pie looks amazing. I am definitely going to try out this recipe!
What a beautiful and easy dessert for the warmer weather. I love strawberry tarts and I’m so happy they are in season again.
We’re growing strawberries this year. It’s definitely close to berry season!
Definitely book marking your post as it won’t be long before strawberries are in season here and I would love to give that pie a go. Looks absolutely delicious!
Let me know how you like it!
Honestly speaking, I don’t like strawberries at all! But your strawberry pie is looking so yummy & pretty, I feel like I am gonna love this for sure Thanks for sharing this beautiful vintage recipe from 50’s ❤️
The strawberry piece looks absolutely perfect, I can not wait to recreate it this summer. I do love easy recipes like these.
Thank you Anosa!
There’s a reason recipes like this have withstood the rest of time! It’s a classic because it’s so delicious. I can’t wait to try your strawberry pie.
Exactly! Timeless!