Fresh Strawberry Jello Pie

Refreshing strawberry jello pie is the perfect dessert to serve up in the summer months. It’s light, packed with delicious flavor, and easy to assemble. What better way to celebrate the season than with fresh strawberries!

OVERVIEW

• Skill Level: Beginner
• Components Used: Homemade Pie Crust, Strawberry Jello Filling, Homemade Whipped Cream

Strawberry jello pie combines simple ingredients that can be easily whipped up and enjoyed on a hot summer day. I love to make desserts that really highlight seasonal produce. Fresh, ripe strawberries are the epitome of summer and are the star of this light, refreshing treat.

Components in a Strawberry Jello Pie

This easy recipe only contains a few components for an easy dessert!

• Pie crust: My recipe for a graham cracker crust comes together in minutes and is buttery and crisp. Graham crackers crumbs are simply mixed with a bit of sugar and melted butter and then pressed into a baking dish.
• Fresh strawberries: Strawberries shine in this recipe! Fresh berries give this easy pie mega flavor.
• Strawberry Jello mix: The gelatin in the Jell-O mix sets up the filling and holds the strawberries in place. It provides a delicious wiggly texture that is perfectly sliceable.
• Whipped cream: While technically optional, homemade whipped cream adds a welcome creaminess to this pie. Store-bought Cool Whip works in a pinch.

Strawberry Jello Pie Variations

Triple Berry Jello Pie: Instead of all strawberries, use a combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (and/or blackberries).

Strawberry Jello Pie with Traditional Pie Crust: Instead of a graham cracker crust, swap it for a traditional buttery pie crust. The crust should be fully baked before adding the filling.

How to Make Strawberry Jello Pie

MAKE & BAKE THE PIE CRUST

I highly recommend making a homemade graham cracker crust to make this the best strawberry pie.

Place the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can place them in a zipper bag and use a rolling pin to roll back and forth over the cookies until they are crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl.

Stir in the granulated sugar and the melted butter until all of the crumbs are completely coated with butter.

Firmly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your pie plate. The bottom of a glass or a measuring cup can be helpful to press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it’s smells nutty and golden. Let cool while you make the filling.

Use a store-bought graham cracker crust for a simple shortcut.

Make the Strawberry Pie Filling

Empty the strawberry jello powder into a large bowl and set aside. Combine the granulated sugar, water, and cornstarch in a medium pot. Heat on the stovetop over medium-low heat and gently stir using a whisk. After the sugar has completely melted, increase the heat to medium until the mixture boils. Continue to whisk constantly. Let the mixture continue boiling until it thickens.

Carefully pour the hot mixture over the strawberry gelatin powder and whisk until it is completely dissolved. Set aside and let cool.

Wash and cut the tops off the fresh strawberries. Cut into slices, quarters, or leave whole if they are on the smaller side.

Fill the pie crust

Pile the strawberries into the bottom of the baked crust so they are lined up nicely.

After the gelatin mixture has cooled (it can be room temperature or still warm, but not hot), carefully pour it over the berries. You may not need all of the gelatin mixture. Pour until the liquid reaches close to the top of the side crust but do not go over the sides of the crust (you may not need all of the liquid).

Chill the pie

Place the strawberry pie in the refrigerator to set it completely before slicing (at least 2 hours). Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

FAQ

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?

In my opinion, fresh fruit is best for this recipe especially in the summer months. There is nothing better than a fresh strawberry pie when strawberries are their peak.

However, you can use frozen strawberries if fresh berries aren’t available. Keep them frozen while assembling the pie, they will thaw in the refrigerator while the gelatin is setting up.

How do I prevent a soggy bottom pie?

There are 3 important steps in this recipe that prevent a soggy bottom pie:

• When processing the graham cracker crumbs, make sure they are processed until they are very fine. Coarse crumbs will allow the filling to soak through. It’s also important to press the crumbs very firmly into the pie plate to eliminate the risk of gaps.
• This graham cracker crust must be baked. While normally in custard or fruit pies, the graham cracker crust can remain unbaked. However, we want to set the crust up so that it stays firm and unpenetrable.
• Another way to ensure a crispy crust is to keep the assembled pie in the refrigerator for as long as possible. As long as the pie is cold, the crust will stay crisp.

Make-Ahead Strawberry Pie

Strawberry pie is a great make-ahead dessert.

Refrigerator: Once the gelatin is set, wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving. Any longer than 3 days and the crust will begin to get soggy.

I don’t recommend making whipped cream ahead of time. For best results, wait until you’re ready to serve the pie, then make the whipped cream.

Freezer: Unfortunately, strawberry jello pie doesn’t freeze well. The gelatin texture will start to deteriorate as it thaws.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious strawberry recipes.

• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Strawberry Pretzel Salad (the 1950s classic also called Strawberry Pretzel Delight)
• Classic Strawberry Shortcake