This fresh strawberry cream pie is light, fluffy, and so delicious! With a premade pie crust and just five simple ingredients, this easy-to-make no-bake favorite is ready to chill in under 15 minutes.
For best results, chill mixing bowl, whipping cream, and strawberries before starting.
Pie Crust
If you need to bake your piecrust, do that first and allow it to cool completely before making the filling.
Strawberry Puree
Puree enough strawberries in a blender to make 1½ cups. Set aside.
In a small sauce pan, sprinkle 3 teaspoons of gelatin over 5 tablespoons of cold water and let stand for 1 minute.Gently heat over medium-low, whisking until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
Pour gelatin into a batter bowl or mixing bowl with a spout. Add strawberry puree to gelatin and whisk together. Set aside.
Whipped Strawberry Cream Filling
Be sure to start with COLD whipping cream.In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the cold whipping cream on medium until it thickens to the no peaks stage.
Reduce the mixer speed to Low and slowly add ⅓ cup of sugar and the vanilla. You won't add all the sugar yet because strawberries vary wildly in natural sugar content, and each pie will need a little more or less sugar.
Once all the sugar has dissolved in the cream, increase the mixer speed to medium. When the cream begins to make very soft peaks, start pouring the strawberry puree mixture into the cream in a slow stream. Do not pour too fast, or the strawberries may overwhelm the whipping cream.
Once all the strawberries are mixed in, stop the mixer for a moment and taste the strawberry cream. If your strawberries are summer sweet, you may not need anymore sugar. If they are very tart, you may need more. Adjust according to your own tastes.
Once you are satisfied with the level of sweetness, whisk the mixture on medium-high until it barely reaches the firm peaks stage. (Do not overwhip!)HINT: The cream mixture will easily stay on an upturned spoon when it is ready.
Fill & Chill
Fill the prepared pie shell with the strawberry cream mixture.
OPTIONAL: Fill the pie shell about halfway with the filling, and then add a handful of whole strawberries to the pie, and cover them up with the remaining strawberry cream.
Refrigerate the prepared pie for a minimum of 4 hours, until firm. (Overnight is even better.)
Top with additional strawberries and whipped cream as desired. Serve cold.
Notes
Makes one 9½-inch deep dish pie, or two standard 8-inch pies.
Stages of Whipping Cream
✿ No Peaks: The cream thickens, and changes from runny with big bubbles to smoother with small bubbles, and has the look and feel of melting ice cream.✿ Soft Peaks: When the beaters are lifted, the cream will barely its shape, and peaks will fall over immediately.✿ Medium Peaks: When lifted, the cream will form stiff peaks that curl on the end.✿ Firm (or Stiff) Peaks: When lifted, the cream will form stiff peaks that stand straight up and do not curl.✿ Over-Beaten: The cream will become granular in appearance. (Keep beating and you'll have butter.)Nutrition facts include filling only; they do not include values for pie shell.