Mile High Strawberry Pie Dessert
This Mile High Strawbery Pie is a scrumptious retro recipe! Updated from the 70s, this frozen dessert now uses fresh berries and cream.
This Frozen Strawberry Dessert has stood the test of time. With a couple of simple tweaks, it’s even better than the original recipe from the 1970s!
Why You Must Make this Frozen Strawberry Dessert
- This is a delicious, retro recipe that we’d have for Easter (and other holidays) back in the 1970s!
- I’ve updated my mom’s version using fresh instead of frozen strawberries and real whipped cream. So it tastes even better than the original recipe!
- It can be made as bars or piled into a pie tin so it’s really a mile-high pie!
- Since it’s frozen, it can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for entertaining.
When it came to food, my mom pulled out all the stops for the holidays. I fondly remember her Mile High Strawberry Pie Dessert making its debut one Easter. I have a copy of her recipe on an index card in my recipe box.
Though I recall it being made in a 9 x 13-inch pan, the recipe instructions say to pile the strawberry fluff over the nutty crust pressed into a pie plate. Either way, it’s a marvelous frozen treat.
Hers was made with a “box” of berries from the grocer’s freezer, but I’ve substituted fresh, chopped berries and added a touch more sugar. The flavor is even more magnificent, especially if you make it during peak berry season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is This Dessert Called Mile High?
There is an option to make this recipe in a pie pan. When the filling is piled on the smaller crust, it is very tall. Much higher than your usual pie filling!
How do you select the best strawberries for this dessert?
First, you must know when strawberries are in season. Florida strawberries are available around Christmas and California strawberries are best in the spring and summer. Local strawberries are often the tastiest! In Indiana, they’re available starting early in June
Use your senses of smell and taste. Look for fragrant red berries without green or yellowish areas, with a slight sheen to their skins, free of blemishes, and seeds that are not brown and dry.
How Do You Prep Strawberries for Recipes?
Don’t wash until you’re ready to use as the moisture causes them to absorb water which shortens their lifespan. When you’re almost ready to use them, rinse quickly in cool water and let them dry on paper towels.
Remove the stem using a paring knife, a coring tool, or even a metal or plastic straw. You’ll want to remove the white core as well as the leaves. Then you can chop them for the recipe.
Is it safe to eat raw egg whites?
There is some risk you need to be aware of. Pasteurized eggs are recommended, but they’re often difficult to locate. There is a slight chance that raws can be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. If you’re serving this to anyone who is very young, very old, or immune-compromised, it’s best not to serve them any recipe that contains raw eggs.
There are home methods to self pasteurize by keeping your whole eggs at 140° for 3-4 minutes to kill any bacteria. This is done using a water bath and a good thermometer. But it’s hard to know if the egg whites have reached the desired temperature for the needed time.
Simply Recipes has a newer technique in which you mix your egg whites with sugar and heat them over a double boiler, stirring constantly, until they reach 160° since when the eggs are in the shell, you have no way of knowing how warm they get.
Tips for Beating Egg Whites:
- If you’re new to making a meringue or dessert with egg whites, I have a few tips for you. PRO-Tip: Let your egg whites warm to room temperature before beating.
- They will whip much higher and lighter than if they are cold. PRO-Tip: Also, make sure your beaters and mixing bowl are scrupulously clean. Any oil or grease residue will prevent the egg whites from whipping up into a billowy mass. This includes even just a speck of egg yolk.
- I recommend separating your eggs one at a time in two small bowls. Empty the egg white into the mixing bowl before separating another. If any yolk gets into the white, just toss that one or save it for scrambled eggs.
More Recipes Utilizing Summer’s Bounty:
Appetizer
Dill Caprese Bruschetta from Jenni Field’s Pastry Chef Online
Mediterranean Salsa Bruschetta from Foodhunter’s Guide
Middle Eastern Zucchini Tahini Eggplant Dip from Mother Would Know
Main Courses
Bruschetta Pizza from The Redheaded Baker
Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Tomato Tart from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Desserts
Blueberry White Chocolate Tart from Stetted
Mile High Strawberry Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Pretty as a Peach Shortbread (gluten-free) from The Heritage Cook
Beverages
Blueberry Lavender Shrub Syrup from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Lavender Lemonade Martini from Creative Culinary.
More Strawberry Desserts:
If you love this Mile High Strawberry Pie, you’ll also enjoy these other strawberry sweets!
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Lush
- Strawberry Topped Cheesecake
- Strawberry Lemon Tart
- Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Gelee
- American Flag Fruit Tart
- No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Dessert Recipes
Mile High Strawberry Pie Dessert
A fabulous retro frozen berry dessert with a modern twist!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Strawberry Filling:
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature (I recommend pasteurized as they will not be cooked in this dessert)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Fresh strawberries and sweetened whipped cream, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Place flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and melted butter into a bowl and mix well. Pat into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool to room temperature
- Combine egg whites, sugar, berries, and lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for 8-10 minutes till whipped and stiff.
- In another bowl, whip the cream until firm peaks form. Fold into strawberry mixture, then spread over the crust.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours before serving. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.
- Slice into squares and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and berries, if desired.
Notes
Total time does not reflect freezing time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
55 Comments on “Mile High Strawberry Pie Dessert”
Has to be my favorite strawberry dessert! So good!
We LOVED this recipe so much!! And, really appreciate how easy the directions were to follow. Thanks!
My mom used to make something similar and I always loved it! This might be even better!
This dessert is pleasing to the eyes and the stomach! It’s perfect for the summer!
This is one of our favorite summertime dessert. So creamy and light.
I think I need to make this one this weekend it will hit the spot its so hot here !
Sheer perfection Liz, yum! Off to pin…
Is there a step missing in this recipe? This looks really good but I’m wondering if you should be the egg whites first and then fold in the strawberry mixture.
I know it sounds strange, Janice, but this is the way my mom’s recipe reads and the way I make it! It may take 15-20 minutes to beat, but it works. If you’d like to try beating the egg whites first I’m sure it would be fine, but I’d chop your berries well since they won’t have that long time in the mixer to be broken down. Great question as it does seem rather odd, doesn’t it?
Is there a step missing in this recipe? Should you beat the egg whites first and then fold in the strawberry mixture?
I answered this in your other comment. Thanks for stopping by!!!