Hello, fellow pie lovers! Today I will be telling you guys how to make the best strawberry pie I have ever had. This recipe is my grandmother’s, and I have loved it ever since I was a kid, so I am happy to share it with you guys too! Below, you can see a picture of how the pie turns out (before adding whipped topping).

For this recipe, you will have to make your own pie crust (you can always buy one from the store, but we all know that the dessert tastes better when it’s all homemade, right? 😉 ). The pie crust I always use is also a recipe I got from my grandmother. To make the crust, you will need 1/2 cup and 6 tablespoons of flour, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of cold water, and a pinch of salt. Add all of these ingredients into one bowl and blend them together until a dough forms. Next, you’ll want to find a large cutting board and cover it with some flour. Set the dough onto the cutting board and roll it out until it is the size you need for the pie tin that you have (I think the average pie tin is 9 inches). Once you’ve got the dough to the size you need, gently transfer it into the pie tin, fluting the edges of the crust (use your fingers to make a wave-like edge all around the crust).

Now comes time to bake our pie crust. One very vital step when baking a pie crust before filling it is poking holes all over the bottom and sides of the crust, usually using a fork. This step is so important because, without the holes for air to escape through during the baking process, air bubbles will form in your crust and will leave less room for your delicious filling! After getting holes poked, you will want to bake the pie crust at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Then let the crust cool so we can fill it.

After the crust is ready, we can start on our pie filling. The first step for the filling is to blend 2 tablespoons of milk, 4 ounces of cream cheese, and 1 cup of powdered sugar together. This mixture gets spread onto the bottom of the pie crust, as our base layer. Next, we want to slice up some strawberries. You can slice these any way you like, just as long as they are flat. You’ll need a total of 1 quart of strawberries for the filling, but for this layer, you will only use part of that quart. Once the strawberries are sliced, lay a layer of them over the cream cheese mixture, until the mixture is covered. Then, toss the whole dish into the fridge to let it set.

While the first two layers are setting, we get started on the third layer of the pie. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. This mixture will act as a thickening agent when we cook the filling. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix 3/4 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cornstarch/water mixture. Add in the rest of your sliced strawberries, and cook the mixture until it is thickened, stirring it constantly. Once the mixture has reached the desired thickness, take it off of the heat and pour it into the pie crust on top of the first two layers. Refrigerate the dish again, until it is completely cooled (this usually takes about 4 or 5 hours in my fridge, but the time may vary for you).

Once your pie is completely cooled, you can add Cool Whip on top. I buy the 8-ounce container and use almost all of it for the pie because I like a very thick layer of Cool Whip, but you can use as much as you like!

While this recipe can be time-consuming, it truly is one of my favorite pies of all time. I hope I have inspired all of you to try this recipe out!