Fresh Strawberry Pie from Scratch
Posted May 20, 2020, Updated Jul 24, 2021
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Easy, fresh Strawberry Pie from Scratch! This fresh, made-from-scratch strawberry pie recipe is low in sugar so the natural flavor and sweetness of the strawberries really shine! A delicious summer pie to bring to a potluck or BBQ!
Who else is eating their weight in fresh berries right now?! Around here we can’t get enough! It’s typical for our family to polish off a two-pound container of strawberries or blueberries in one sitting! There’s nothing better than sitting outside, eating berries (i.e. nature’s candy), and enjoying the summer breeze!
One of our favorite ways to enjoys strawberries is baked into a pie. This delicious homemade Strawberry Pie is one of our favorites! It’s, hands down, the best strawberry pie recipe you’ll ever try!
It’s made completely from scratch (no pudding mixes here) and is low in sugar, so the natural sweetness and flavor of the strawberries really shine! Serve it with a dollop of our favorite homemade whipped cream or a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and you have summer dessert perfection!
Fresh Strawberry Pie: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always I recommend making the recipe exactly as written, but here are a few potential substituions.
- Strawberries: Ok it might sound silly to say you can substitute the strawberries in this strawberry pie recipe, but you can use any type of berry with amazing results. I recommend using fresh berries, but if you only have frozen on hand make sure to thaw them first. Also, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries.
- All-purpose flour: I have substituted gluten-free all-purpose flour in this recipe with decent results. I still prefer regular flour, but if you cannot eat gluten it is definitely a delicious option.
- Instant Tapioca. Tapioca flour, cornstarch, and all-purpose flour are all acceptable substitutions for instant tapioca.
- Granulated sugar: Any granulated sugar will work here (coconut, raw, turbinado, etc.)! I usually use organic sugar, but feel free to use your favorite variety! I do not bake with sugar substitutes (splenda, stevia, etc.) so I cannot guarantee success if those are used. However if you’d like to experiment please only use sweeteners that are made to be a 1:1 replacement for regular sugar.
- Butter: if you follow a vegan diet or can’t eat dairy you can use a vegan butter substitute like Earth’s Balance!
How to make Strawberry Pie from scratch:
I love making homemade strawberry pie. Not only is the entire process therapeutic (mixing, rolling, shaping, etc.), but the flavor of a freshly made-from-scratch pie just can’t be beat. Let’s walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Fresh Strawberry Pie Filling Recipe
The strawberry pie filling is SO easy to make! Just mix everything together and let it sit while you finish the pie crust.
If you use frozen berries be sure to thaw them (and drain some of the excess water) before proceeding with the recipe.
Make the Pie crust from scratch
When I make pie filled with fresh fruit like this homemade Strawberry Pie (and peach pie, blueberry pie, apple pie, etc.), I always opt for an all-butter pie crust. The rich, slightly sweet, salty, buttery flavor of the crust compliments the fruit so well you won’t be able to resist sneaking a piece (or two) .
Whether you use a food processor or a good-old fashioned pastry cutter, making this all-butter pie crust literally takes 5 minutes! It is super easy and tastes so much better than the store-bought crusts!
I wrote a post and made a video on making the best all butter pie crust! Check it out for all the tips and tricks! Just remember it needs an hour (at least) to chill in the refrigerator before using, so plan accordingly.
Fill the strawberry pie
Once your dough has been chilled and rolled, place the pie crust into a pie dish and fill it with the strawberry pie filling, spreading it evenly throughout the crust.
Shape the crust
Next, you can decide how you want to shape the strawberry pie crust. I like making a lattice crust (watch the video to see how it’s done) because it’s pretty. You can cut the top into pretty shapes, or simply drape a solid pie crust on top and cut slits in the center to vent the steam that is released during baking.
Egg wash
Using an egg wash is optional but recommended if you want a beautiful golden-brown shiny crust.
Protect the outer crust
I love my pie crust shield. I have used it countless times and it does a great job keeping the outside crust from burning before the rest of the pie is done baking. You can also use aluminum foil shaped to fit the outer crust as well.
Bake & Cool
Bake this strawberry pie until the crust is golden-brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove the pie crust shield in the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours so the filling thickens well.
Serve
Serve this fresh strawberry pie room temperature with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
FAQs about strawberry Pie
Yes, I prefer to let them thaw for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, drain some excess water and then use them in this recipe.
There are a few reasons your pie could have wound up runny.
1) It was under-baked. Be sure to bake the pie until the filling is bubbling and thick.
2) It wasn’t fully cooled. The pie thickens as it cools, let it cool completely to room temperature and it shouldn’t be runny.
3) You used frozen strawberries without thawing them and draining off excess water. Don’t skip that step!
Be sure to follow this recipe and use instant tapioca, cornstarch, tapioca flour, or regular flour and mix thoroughly.
Bake it on the lower rack of then oven, then store it in the refrigerator to ensure the crust doesn’t get soggy.
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Fresh Strawberry Pie from Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 cup salted butter chilled, and cut into 1” pieces (or vegan butter substitute like Earth Balance
- ¼ to ½ cup ice water
Strawberry Filling:
- 6 cups fresh strawberries sliced thin or chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup instant tapioca
- 1 TBS lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 TBS cream or milk
- omit for vegan option
Instructions
For the crust:
- Put dry crust ingredients in the pan of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, pulse to combine.
- Add butter and ¼ cup ice cold water and pulse until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water 1 TBS at a time. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
- Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to one day, before using.
- Place ½ of the dough on floured surface and roll into a 12” circle (you may need to let it rest for a few minutes to soften enough to roll it).
- Transfer to glass pie plate and store covered in fridge until ready to use. Repeat with the rest of the dough and form into your desired top shape (lattice, cookie cutter shapes, etc.). Put all of the dough in the refrigerator as you move on to making the filling.
For the strawberry filling:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl mix together sugar, tapioca and salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together strawberries, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the sugar mixture to the strawberries and gently stir to combine.
Putting it together:
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Then place your prepared top crust and on the top of the strawberry filling.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream and lightly brush the entire pie crust with the egg wash.
- Cover your crust with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil (or both).
- Bake on the lower rack in your preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake the pie for an additional 35 – 45 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling and thick. (You may want to place a baking sheet on the rack underneath your pie to catch any juicy strawberry drippings that might escape during baking)!
- Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool for at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature!
Video
Notes
To use frozen strawberries:
Place strawberries in a colander and thaw them for 30-60 minutes at room temperature so the excess water will drain out, then use them in this recipe.Ingredient substitutions
As always I recommend making the recipe exactly as written, but here are a few potential substituions.- Strawberries: You can use any type of berry in this recipe with amazing results. I recommend using fresh berries, but if you only have frozen on hand make sure to thaw them first. Also, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries.
- Instant Tapioca. Tapioca flour, cornstarch, and all-purpose flour are all acceptable substitutions for instant tapioca.
- All-purpose flour: I have substituted gluten-free all-purpose flour in this recipe with decent results.
- Granulated sugar: Really, any granulated sugar will work here (coconut, raw, turbinado, etc.)! I usually use organic sugar, but feel free to use your favorite variety.
- Butter: if you follow a vegan diet or can’t eat dairy you can use a vegan butter substitute like Earth’s Balance!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More delicious recipes
- This blueberry pie is to die for.
- Who doesn’t love peaches? Try this peach pie or our favorite peach cobbler.
- You will love this raspberry peach crisp.
- This is truly the best key lime pie ever, and it’s really easy to make!
- This berry crisp is so healthy you can eat it for breakfast!
- Blueberry Muffins are a classic (or try these paleo blueberry muffins).
- Everyone adores this blueberry baked oatmeal.
- This strawberry sauce and strawberry whipped cream are delicious toppings for many desserts, like this flourless chocolate cake!
- We make this strawberry banana smoothie ALL the time!
- I’m always in the mood for a glass of this healthy strawberry lemonade!
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In the written description you note “no pudding mixes here”.
But then ten pages later the recipe calls for instant tapioca.
Maybe we would not read or forget ??
May still try it.
I love using tapioca in pies (not the same as pudding). However, you can substitute cornstarch or tapioca starch for the instant tapioca if you prefer!
Can this pie be successfully frozen? I am having a dinner party but will be out of town right before so I need to cook ahead.
is that 6 cups of UNcut berries, or 6 cups after u slice them? Huge difference.
After slicing!
Followed the recipe exactly and the flavor was great! Only thing is the bottom crust was still dough-y, even after a full hour in the oven. Any thoughts on why or anything I should do differently? Thanks!
Hey Taylor! Did you bake the pie on the lower half of the oven? You could roll it out thinner next time, if it’s too thick it might take longer to bake.
Made this today ! Super easy to follow, smells amazing. I’ve tried other pie crusts but this one really came together well. Definitely saving haha it’s cooling right now, my girls and I will enjoy a nice slice of strawberry pie and I’m going to top it with a banana whipped cream ! Thank you again !
Thank you so much! Banana whipped cream sounds delish!
If l increase sugar to 3/4 cups, how much instant tapioca a should l use?
I would keep it the same.
I bought all of the ingredients for this recipe but we ended up eating the scrumptious strawberries before I had a chance to make it. I was wondering if I can follow the same recipe but substitute peaches instead of strawberries (or any other berry)? I love that you use tapioca instead of cornstarch. Can’t wait to make it!
Looks delicious. I wonder if this can be use as a filling floor a cinnamon roll?
That sounds delicious!
I had to admit…this is one of the most delicious strawberry recipes i’ve ever tried…The taste and aroma was good and everything went so perfect. Thanks for sharing this
I made this for a family gathering and whew it was delicious! I’m not an expert at pie-making, but this felt pretty easy, and tasted really delicious and summery. I did end up substituting the instant tapioca for tapioca flour (because I have a ton of tapioca flour—sorry sister!). I found it to be plenty thick but the consistency is probably a little better with the instant tapioca. Also, highly recommend using a cookie sheet or something to catch the juices in the oven. Ate it with fresh vanilla ice cream and it was superb. Thanks for the great recipe, Laura!