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Strawberry Pie Dessert

Name: Strawberry Pie Dessert
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1/3 cups sugar; 1 cup cold butter; 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 cup sugar; 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 cups whipping cream; 24 whole, fresh strawberries; Small jar of red currant jelly, 10 oz

posted by Liz Berg on April 28, 2019 (updated 7/18/21)

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I was first served this exquisite Strawberry Pie Dessert decades ago at my bridal shower, and I’ve made it numerous times since that first taste! Glazed strawberries and a light whipped cream and cream cheese filling top a buttery shortbread crust for an unforgettable Strawberry Dessert.

This Easy Strawberry Dessert tastes like you spent half a day making it, but it’s quite simple! A crust is topped with the creamy filling, then you can garnish it with sweet, tasty fresh berries. A simple glaze of jelly makes it restaurant-worthy!

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make this Strawberry Pie Recipe

2 Frequently Asked Questions

3 When Is Strawberry Season in the US?

4 How Do You Select Fresh Strawberries

5 When Should You Wash Strawberries?

6 Tips for Making This Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert

7 More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love

8 Strawberry Pie Dessert

Why You Must Make this Strawberry Pie Recipe

It’s the perfect way to showcase beautiful summer strawberries!
I’ve been making this for over 30 years! This recipe is a keeper.
The creamy cheesecake filling and shortbread crust complement the sweet berries perfectly!

When I spot gorgeous, ripe strawberries in the market, I yearn for a slice of this dessert. First served at that bridal shower a zillion years ago, this Strawberry Pie Dessert is now a family favorite.

A layered dessert, the process starts with a buttery shortbread crust. Next, it’s topped with a combination of softened cream cheese, whipped cream, fresh lemon juice, and sugar, quite like a no-bake cheesecake filling. So if you’re a fan of cheesecake, you’ll adore this strawberry dessert.

The star of the show, luscious fresh berries, are lined up whole, halved or sliced, then glazed with some melted currant jelly. Add as many strawberries as you like!

Frequently Asked Questions

When Is Strawberry Season in the US?

The peak season for California and Michigan strawberries is June, though they grow all year long in coastal California. When local strawberries across the states are ready to harvest will vary. Florida strawberry season is from December through March.

How Do You Select Fresh Strawberries

Use your senses. Fresh strawberries should have a sweet aroma. Flavorless berries will have little to no fragrance. Look at the color of the berries. They should be a vibrant red with green leaves. If the tops are brown or shriveled, that’s a bad sign.

Also, check out all the tiny seeds across the surface. They should not look dehydrated and brown. The flesh of the strawberry should also have a sheen when perfectly ripe.

When Should You Wash Strawberries?

Berries, like all produce, should be washed before eating. But strawberries are quite fragile and will last longer if washed just before using.

Place them in a colander and run cool water over them for 20 seconds or so. Then place them on paper towels to dry.

Strawberry Pie Dessert in a white ceramic 9 x 13 dish

Tips for Making This Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert

This is one dessert that’s hard to mess up unless you burn the crust! But you won’t! It’s simple mixing, baking, and layering. And each time you recreate it (I’m sure you’ll love it enough to create an encore version), the process will become even easier. Just wait until you can find aromatic, unblemished strawberries, so the berries really shine with every bite.

I’ve decorated the top of this strawberry dessert with blueberries and strawberries for the Fourth of July, making stripes out of the red strawberries and a corner of blueberries lined up to resemble stars on the American flag.
And as you can see from the above and below photos, sometimes I stand the berries upright, and other times, I slice them in half and line them up in rows cut side down.
PRO-Tip: You can easily cut this recipe in half if you don’t want all that creamy temptation in your refrigerator. Divide all the ingredients in half and proceed with the recipe in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan instead of a 9 x 13. You may need to reduce the baking time for the crust.
FYI: Half of 1/3 cup of sugar is 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons.
I use my fingers to pat down the bottom crust, then use the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth and level the surface.
An offset spatula is my tool of choice for spreading and smoothing out the light cheesecake filling.
Currant jelly is perfect for glazing. It’s not overly sweet like some jellies. I gently heat in a saucepan to melt the jelly, then let it cool a bit so the strawberries don’t “cook” from an overly hot glaze.
PRO-Tip: Use room temperature cream cheese so it blends smoothly into the sugar and whipped cream. Set it out on the counter an hour or two before you start mixing.
Chill your bowl before whipping the cream to stabilize the finished product. Have your heavy cream well chilled before whipping.

Image circa 2010; Post and images updated in 2019.

More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love

This strawberry cheesecake dessert is perfect for all your spring and summer entertaining, or any time you see fresh, ripe, and aromatic strawberries in the market. It’s perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, bridal showers, baby showers, pitch-in meals, and more!

Some of my family’s favorite strawberry desserts include Dorie Greenspan’s Strawberry Shortcake Franco-American Style, Simple Strawberry Pie, and Fresh Strawberry Tartlets.

I remember this Strawberry Pretzel Salad, which is more a dessert than a salad, from decades ago; and it’s on my must-make list! Plus these Strawberry Lemon Blondies are calling my name, too!

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