This Frozen Strawberry Pie recipe has a fluffy strawberry cream cheese filling made with homemade strawberry syrup, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and zest, and whipped cream. The filling is poured into a pre-baked graham cracker crust, and popped in the freezer to set. Serve slightly frozen for a refreshing dessert that will cool you down on a warm spring or summer day.
The Perfect Spring Dessert for Any Occasion
Frozen Strawberry Pie is the perfect dessert for those warmer days when you’re craving something light, refreshing, and indulgent without being overly heavy. It’s packed with fresh strawberry flavor with a hint of zingyness from the lemon zest and juice.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Dessert
- Fresh/frozen: Since you are cooking down the strawberries, you can use fresh or frozen.
- No-bake: The only thing that needs to be baked is the graham cracker crust so it sets nicely before adding the filling.
- Make-ahead: Since this is a frozen pie, you can prep the entire thing ahead of time and keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it.
- Refreshing: While this isn’t necessarily light in calories, it is a light and refreshing dessert that compliments heavier meals.
The pie starts with a homemade graham cracker crust that’s pre-baked, so it sets before adding the filling. The filling is super easy to whip up and is made with homemade strawberry syrup, whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice, and zest.
The filling is poured into the crust and then popped into the freezer to set. It’s so creamy, but still feels light. It will last in the freezer for a couple of months, so it’s a great dessert to make ahead for spring and summer parties and potlucks.
This pie is perfect for Spring holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day when fresh strawberries are just starting to show up in the South. The natural sweetness of the Spring berries really shine in this easy frozen dessert and you can make it look fancy in a tart pan or in a regular 9-inch pie pan.
The only down side to this pie si taht you can’t serve it outdoors, it will become very soft. If you need a strawberry pie to serve at a picnic or cook out, try this strawberry cheesecake pie that will hold it’s shape.
The Perfect Ingredients for a Creamy Frozen Dessert
Make sure you have these key ingredients to make Frozen Strawberry Pie. The full list is in the recipe card below.
- Graham cracker crumbs: The base of the crust that adds a sweet, buttery flavor.
- Sweetened condensed milk: The key to a creamy texture and provides sweetness.
- Lemon zest and juice: Adds a bright citrusy note to balance the sweetness. Make sure to use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are best here, but frozen work too. Just thaw them and drain the liquid before using.
Your Go-To Recipe for Homemade Frozen Strawberry Pie
Step One: Make the Crust
Step Two: Prepare the Strawberry Syrup
Step Three: Make the Filling
Tip: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to avoid lumps. If you’re in a hurry, you can soften cream cheese quickly.
Step Four: Freeze and Top
Change Up the Ingredients
- Crust: You can swap the crust for a pecan pie crust for a slightly nutty flavor.
- Berries: Swap the strawberries for other types of berries, like blackberries or blueberries , for a different flavor.
Keeping Strawberry Pie Fresh in the Freezer
This easy summer dessert can be kept in the freezer for a couple of months if stored properly. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil to keep it fresh. When ready to serve, let it sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature to soften slightly before slicing.
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Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs 12 graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon butter
Filling:
- 11/2 cup chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temp
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice 2-3 lemons
- 1 cup heavy cream
Optional topping:
- 1 cup strawberries quartered
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Add graham crackers, sugar and salt to a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Add 6 tablespoons of melted butter and process to combine. Place in the bottom and up the sides of a tart pan with a removable bottom, tapping down with the bottom of a flat cup. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350º for 8 minutes. Let cool before filling.
Filling:
- Add 1 ½ cups chopped strawberries, sugar and water to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the fruit is soft and it starts to thicken. A wooden spoon will sizzle when it is dragged through it. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing all of the liquid out. Let the syrup cool, throw out the solids.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese on medium-high until smooth and creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Add the strawberry syrup, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream until medium peaks form. Gently fold into the strawberry mixture until no streaks are present. Spoon into the cooled crust and even the top with an offset spatula or knife. Freeze for at least 4 hours until firm.
Topping:
- Warm the jam in the microwave until runny, then stir into the quartered strawberries. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the freezer and remove the tart pan. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Top with strawberries.
Notes
- This is meant to be served slightly frozen and not at room temperature. It won’t melt at room temperature but it will get soft.
- You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If using frozen, let them drain first.
- You can make this in a pie pan instead of a tart pan.
