Mom’s Famous Strawberry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

My Mom’s famous Strawberry Pie has been my favorite dessert for decades! The fresh strawberry filling is absolutely to-die-for! Pile it up in a buttery graham cracker crust and you’ve got THE BEST Strawberry Pie ever!

This is the most requested dessert recipe that I make! I’ve served it dozens of times for birthday celebrations, bbq’s and summer dinner parties. And it’s always a hit!

On a warm summer day at my parents house in Oklahoma, you’ll find my Dad whipping up his famous BBQ Baked Beans and Onion Fried Burgers outside on the grill. While my Mom is in the kitchen whipping up her famous fresh strawberry pie.

Growing up, this was a combination of foods that I came to know and love! Now, I get to share these recipes with my friends and neighbors in California. And virtually with all of you!

Whenever I’m hosting a BBQ or birthday party at my house, I always get asked to make my Mom’s Strawberry Pie. It’s become a hit with my friends and I’m so excited for you all to make it at home!

This strawberry pie recipe contains no jello! It’s filled with fresh berries, a dash of cornstarch to thicken the filling, sugar and fresh lemon juice. This creates the perfect pie filling that tastes both perfectly sweet and fresh!

What you’ll need

• Graham Cracker Crumbs – these crumbs are now conveniently sold in a box at most major grocery stores in the baking aisle. If you can’t find the crumbs, simply purchase whole graham crackers and use a food processor to turn them into crumbs.
• Granulated Sugar
• Unsalted Butter
• Fresh Strawberries
• Corn Starch
• Lemon Juice
• Mixing Bowl & Spatula
• 9″ Pie Plate – this is a standard pie plate size. No need to measure your pie plate, unless it’s not a standard size!
• Knife and Cutting Board
• Large Skillet
• Potato Masher – this is the easiest tool to mash the strawberries. Don’t have one? No worries, you can use a muddler or a fork, if that’s all you have!

Step by step instructions

1. Prepare the graham cracker crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until a buttery, crumbly texture forms. Press the crust into the bottom and sides of a pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes. Set aside and cool completely before adding the strawberry filling. (See image 3 above.)
2. Prepare the fresh strawberries. Remove the stems and slice all of the strawberries in half. Set aside about a dozen of the best looking strawberry halves for topping the pie. Add the remaining fresh strawberries to a large skillet, off the stove.
3. Prepare the strawberry filling. Add sugar and cornstarch to the strawberries in the skillet. Use a potato masher (or muddler or fork) to mash the strawberries into a thick, slightly chunky consistency. (See image 1 above.)
4. Cook the strawberry filling. Place the skillet of mashed strawberries on the stove over medium heat. Stir continuously until the strawberry mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat slightly and allow the berries to cook down to a dark, thick consistency. (See image 2 above.) Continue to stir consistently throughout this process, it will take 20-30 minutes. Remove the strawberries from the heat and stir in fresh squeezed lemon juice.
5. Add the strawberry filling to the pie crust. Allow the strawberry mixture to cool, off the stove at room temperature, for at least 30 minutes. Once cooled, transfer the strawberry filling into the prepared graham cracker crust.
6. Finish the pie with fresh strawberries. Add the reserved strawberry halves to the top of the pie. (See image 4 above.) Place the pie in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least one hour before serving.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you make the graham cracker crust ahead of time? Yes, you can make the pie crust up to 3 days in advance. Wrap the crust in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add the strawberry filling.
• Can you use a traditional pie crust? Sure! Check out my Mom’s Cherry Pie recipe for her traditional pie crust recipe. Bake the crust then allow it to cool before adding the strawberry filling. Or you can use a store-bought pie crust for a short cut. I won’t tell my Mom! 😉
• Can you make the strawberry filling ahead of time? Also, yes! The strawberry filling can be made up to 3 days in advance as well. Store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the pie.
• Can you add whipped cream? Ice cream? 100%! I’m so obsessed with this pie that I eat it just as it is. But if you were to throw some old fashioned homemade ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top, I wouldn’t hate that either!
• Can you reduce the sugar in the filling? Yes you can! Shhh don’t tell my Mom, but I’ve made this pie filling with only 1/2 cup sugar, instead of 1 cup and it’s still seriously delicious, just not quite as sweet!
• My pie is runny, what happened? I made this mistake the first time I made my Mom’s strawberry pie recipe. It still tasted delicious, but it was a runny mess! Mom’s advice? Cook the pie filling down until it’s thick and then cook it another 5 minutes, just to make sure! It will take 20-30 minutes to cook the pie filling down to the right consistency on the stove.

How to make mini pies

I’ve made this pie so many times and have found that when I’m taking it to a party, sometimes it’s easier to make mini pies to share! To turn this Strawberry Pie into a dozen mini pies, just follow the simple steps below.

• Prepare the graham cracker crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter to make the graham cracker crust mixture. Press the mixture into the bottom of 12 lined muffin tins. Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Prepare the strawberry filling according to the recipe instructions.
• Assemble the strawberry mini pies. Once the strawberry filling has cooled, add approximately 1/4 cup filling to each of the muffin tins with the graham cracker crusts. Top each mini pie with a reserved half of a strawberry.
• Chill then serve. Place the mini pies in the refrigerator for at least one hour to chill. I recommend serving the mini pies with a plate and fork. They don’t stand up like a muffin or cupcake, so I don’t recommend eating them straight out of the muffin liner.

More delicious strawberry recipes to try

1. Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Bread (you can also make it with gluten!)
2. The BEST Strawberry Daiquiri
3. Strawberry Kiwi Slush
4. Crispy Goat Cheese Avocado & Strawberry Salad
5. Strawberry Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup (O-M-G, best pancakes EVER!)

And if you love this Strawberry Pie recipe, you HAVE TO check out my No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream recipe! It’s made with the same strawberry filling as this pie and people RAVE about it!

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