To me, a slice of strawberry pie is a slice of summer. Every June throughout my high school years, our neighbor would bring us pounds of his incredible, home-grown strawberries. While my mom often experimented with strawberry recipes – from shortcakes to crumbles to jams – this strawberry pie was always a guarantee. Even though the strawberries would arrive halfway through my break from school, a bite of this pie meant that summer had truly, finally arrived.
Jump to RecipeThe pie you see pictured is gluten free! None ingredients for the pie’s filling contain gluten*. While it might look vegetarian or vegan, it does contain gelatin, which…well, is not plant based.
The only portion of this pie that may utilize wheat is the crust. I used gluten-free flour in the pie crust you see pictured, but you are welcome to use whatever flour or crust is easiest for you, as long as it fits your dietary needs. (And honestly, the vast majority of the time, I use a store bought crust for this pie. It makes life a lot simpler, and turns this pie into a no-bake recipe.)
*While strawberry Jell-O is not certified gluten free, the ingredients listed do not contain any gluten. I asked a few friends who have Celiac disease, and all stated they can consume Jell-O products without having any issues. It seems that Kraft does not certify their Jell-O products as gluten free because their suppliers do not always produce their ingredients in certified gluten free facilities. Keep this in mind when making this recipe, and as always, be extra careful when baking for friends with Celiac or any food allergies.
Strawberry pie ingredients
- A pre-baked pie crust. In the images above, I used my favorite gluten-free pie crust recipe. You are welcome to use whatever recipe you want; the pre-made shortbread crusts in the baking aisle of the grocery are our family’s favorite.
- Strawberries – as fresh as you can find! Frozen strawberries aren’t ideal for this pie, as they are not quite as robust, but they will serve if you are desparate for strawberry pie. If using frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw them and drain the extra juice (maybe saving it for a fun beverage later?) before using them in this pie. Otherwise, the extra juice will lead to a soggy-bottomed pie.
- Granulated sugar – for sweetness
- Cornstarch and water – to thicken the pie filling
- Strawberry Jell-O – for the trifecta of strawberry flavor, gelatin thickening, and its classic, sweet flavor. Could you make this pie completely from scratch? Yes. But this is whisk-averse baking, and using Jell-O makes this recipe significantly easier.
How to make a strawberry pie
If you’re making a pie crust from scratch, do that first. Make sure it has cooled (approximately) to room temperature before assembling your pie.
Next, slice your strawberries. One quart of strawberries was not quite enough for my pie; try using 1 1/2 or even 2 quarts, depending on the size of your pie crust.
After your strawberries have been sliced, combine water, sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened and become clear. Remove from heat and stir in strawberry Jell-O.
Fold the sliced strawberries into the gelatin mixture and stir, ensuring all strawberries are completely coated in the mixture. Pour this mixture into your prepared pie crust. (Alternatively, if you want your strawberries to look much neater in your final pie, you can arrange them in your pie crust and pour the gelatin mixture over the berries. Using this method, you do run the risk of the gelatin mixture not coating each of your berries consistently. I don’t have much of an issue when using this method, but it is possible, especially if your berries are cut into larger pieces or are sticking together.)
Once your strawberries and gelatin have become friends in the pie crust, refrigerate your strawberry pie until completely set (at least 2 hours). Once the pie has set, slice into 12 pieces and serve with a big dollop of whipped cream.
I hope you enjoy this classic strawberry pie recipe! Did you make it for any fun friend gatherings? What sort of crust did you use? If you made this recipe at home, feel free to leave a message in the comments below, or tag @WhiskAverseBaking on social media. You can also hit the “Pin It” button if you’d like to save this recipe for later – perhaps for when strawberries are in season again.
Classic Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust baked
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 3 oz package strawberry Jell-O
- 1 1/2 quarts strawberries hulled and cut in half
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened and become clear.
- Remove from heat and stir in strawberry Jell-O.
- Fold in strawberries and stir, ensuring all strawberries are completely coated in the mixture.
- Pour mixture into your prepared pie crust. Refrigerate until completely set (at least 2 hours) before slicing and serving.
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