There are so many recipes to try when there's an abundance of strawberries. And this pie with a graham cracker crust is one of the best. The combination of blueberries with the strawberries creates a fresh taste.
Both berries are available most of the year in grocery stores, but taste the very best when they're in season. I like to make this pie when the strawberries are in season and sprinkle some store bought blueberries on top for a pretty contrast in sight and flavor. The Strawberry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust is one of our favorites, especially when I pile some blueberries on top.
Prep your baking pan:
Select a 9-9.5” pie baking pan. NO need to butter it or spread shortening in it.
Preheat the oven:
Set the temp for the oven at 375F degrees and make sure it’s hot well before you begin baking the crust.
Gather up your Crust Ingredients:
2 C Graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
1/2 C Sugar
7 T Butter, melted
Gather up your Strawberry Filling Ingredients:
6-7 C Strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
2/3 C Sugar
1 C Water
3 oz Strawberry gelatin (dry)
4 T Cornstarch
Gather your garnish:
Homemade whipped cream (or non-dairy whip)
½ C Blueberries, cleaned and dried
Make and bake the crust:
- I crush the graham crackers in a sealable plastic bag. If you want to purchase the crackers already crushed, go ahead. Usually you can get a better price by purchasing the crackers and crushing them yourself.
- In a medium bowl, mix the crackers and sugar.
- Add the melted butter and stir thoroughly.
- Spread and press the graham cracker mixture in the pie plate. Make sure the mixture is event spread on the bottom and up the sides of the pie. I use a piece of plastic wrap wrapped around my hand to press the crackers.
- Bake the crust at 375F degrees for 7-9 minutes.
- Refrigerate the crust until you have the filling ready.
Prepare the Strawberry Filling:
- Slice the strawberries and set aside.
- I like to whisk the sugar, strawberry gelatin and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan so the cornstarch does not clump up when I add the water.
- Stir in the water so everything dissolves.
- Heat over medium heat, boiling for one minute.
- Remove from the heat.
- I cool the saucepan of filling in a sink of ice water to bring the temperature of the filling down before I add the strawberries.
- Carefully stir in the strawberries so they are all coated with the gelatin.
- Pour into the baked and cooled graham cracker pie crust, mounding the strawberries in the middle.
- Garnish the strawberry pie with homemade whipped cream and blueberries.
Options:
- Include a cup of blueberries to be stirred into the filling with the strawberries.
- Create a mixture of blackberries, strawberries, red raspberries and/or blueberries for to be stirred in with the gelatin mixture. You’ll find all of these berries available at local grocery stores at certain times of the year, even though they normally are not all available at the same time for local picking.
- For a cream cheese flavoring, stir up a mixture of soft cream cheese (8 ounces) and powdered sugar (1 cup) to spread onto the baked and cooled crust before the berry filling is poured into the crust. It gives the pie a delicious cream cheese flavoring without actually baking the entire pie.
There are so many ways to enjoy strawberries with your family and friends. Take time to celebrate the fruits of our spring and summer, and “Bake your own Memories!”
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