This Strawberry Cream Pie is one of my all-time favorite summer fruit pies.
Rich vanilla pastry cream and fresh strawberry pie filling are layered inside flaky pastry then baked until the crust is golden and the filling is bursting with strawberry flavor.

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Why This Recipe Works
This strawberry cream pie starts with a thick layer of my favorite pastry cream, so right off the bat, you know it's going to be good.
Besides being silky smooth and incredibly rich and creamy, this pastry cream is simple to make and remarkably stable. It's rich and thick enough to use as a filling for cream pies, layer cakes and layered pastries like the classic Napoleon dessert.
It's also creamy enough to easily pipe into pastries like eclairs and cream puffs.
Thanks to a bit of gelatin, this pastry cream will hold its own at room temperature for hours without breaking down and, even though some of you might be skeptical, it can be baked inside a pie without curdling.
The pastry cream is loaded into a partially baked bottom pie crust and topped with fresh strawberry filling. The flavors in the strawberry filling concentrate while the pie bakes, giving you a creamy pie that's bursting with fresh, strawberry flavor.
Ingredients Needed to Prepare This Recipe
For the pastry cream layer in this strawberry cream pie, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Unflavored gelatin. Gelatin is an unusual ingredient for pastry cream, but just a teaspoon and a half stabilizes the custard and will keep it from curdling while the pie bakes.
- 6 large egg yolks. See the notes in the recipe card for ideas about what to do with the leftover egg whites.
- Cornstarch. This pastry cream recipe relies on cornstarch to create a rich, pudding-like texture that's thick enough to hold its shape when the pie is sliced.
- Whole milk. You can also use 2%, but whole milk helps create an extra rich and smooth texture.
- Granulated sugar. This recipe calls for ½ cup of sugar which is just enough to sweeten the pastry cream without making it cloyingly sweet.
- Salt. Even in sweet pastries, salt is a super important ingredient because it brings out the flavor of all the other ingredients.
- Pure vanilla extract. Do not use imitation vanilla extract which can leave a weird aftertaste in the finished pie.
For the strawberry pie filling, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Fresh strawberries! This strawberry pie is a delicious way to take full advantage of strawberry season.
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Lemon extract or Lemon oil. See the notes section in the recipe card below for information about the difference between lemon oil and lemon extract.
- Pure vanilla extract.
You'll also need a pie crust, of course.
- You'll need two pie crusts to make this strawberry pie - one for the bottom crust and one to decorate the top of your pie.
- My favorite pie crust recipe is aptly named Foolproof Pie Crust. This has been my go-to homemade pie crust recipe for over 25 years. The crust is tender, flaky, and flavorful. And, the dough is so easy to work with that it's earned the name "foolproof".
But, if you have a favorite pie crust recipe, please use that. Or, make it easy on yourself and pick up a couple of prepared pie crusts in your supermarket's freezer section.
How to Make This Strawberry Cream Pie
The pie is simple to make, but does require a bit of planning to allow time for the pastry cream, strawberry pie filling, and the freshly baked pie crust too cool.
The pie can easily be made in one day, but one of the best things about it is that each component - the crust, pastry cream and strawberry pie filling - can be made in advance.
- The pastry cream and strawberry pie filling will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Most pie crust recipes, including my favorite Foolproof pie crust, will keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.
How to Make the Pastry Cream Layer
- Put the gelatin in a small dish with a bit of water, stir it around to soften it, then set it aside.
- Add the egg yolks and cornstarch to another bowl and beat with a wire whisk for a few seconds to combine.
- Set a heat proof measuring cup next to the stovetop, preferably one with a pourable spout.
- Add the milk, sugar, and salt to a 3-quart or larger heavy bottomed saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat just until it barely begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour approximately 1 ½ cups of the hot milk into the measuring cup. Slowly pour the hot milk from the measuring cup into the egg yolks.
- Spoon the pastry cream back into the saucepan and set it over low heat. (You want to continue to heat the eggs slowly so they won’t scramble.) Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick and begins to boil.
- As soon as thickens to the consistency of pudding and barely begins to boil, remove from the heat and whisk for about 20 seconds longer. Then, scrape the pastry cream into a bowl.
- Break the gelatin into small pieces, dropping them onto the hot pastry cream. Let stand for about 20 seconds to let the gelatin to melt, then stir until the gelatin is completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 5 days.
Pro tips:
- Set the bowl with the egg yolks on a kitchen towel. The towel will keep the bowl from sliding around on the counter when you whisk the hot milk in later on.
- Pour the hot milk into the yolks very slowly, whisking constantly as you do. If you add it too fast, the yolks will scramble.
How to Make the Strawberry Pie Filling
This strawberry pie filling is a super simple 2-step process:
- Hull and quarter the strawberries and put them into a medium size heavy bottom saucepan. Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the strawberries release some of their juice, the sugar melts, and the resulting syrup is thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon extract and vanilla extract. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
How to Assemble and Bake Strawberry Cream Pie
1. Roll out and press a pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Follow these instructions to partially pre-bake the crust.
Let the partially baked crust cool for at least 10 minutes before filling.
2. Spoon the pastry cream into the partially baked bottom crust and smooth into an even layer then spoon the strawberry pie filling over the pastry cream.
3. Remove the remaining pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to ¼-inch thickness. Use any shaped cookie cutter to cut pieces from the dough and place on the top of the pie.
Sprinkle the top of the pie with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
4. Bake for an hour and 10 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown and the strawberry pie filling is bubbling.
Pro tip! Set the pie on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil (to catch any drips) and place in the oven.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving, at least 3 hours.
This strawberry cream pie is delicious served chilled or at room temperature. Store any uneaten pie in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
📖 Recipe
Strawberries and Cream Pie
This Strawberry Cream Pie is one of my all-time favorite summer fruit pies.
Rich vanilla pastry cream and fresh strawberry pie filling are layered inside flaky pastry and baked until the crust is golden and the filling is silky smooth and bursting with strawberry flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts, well chilled (My favorite pie crust recipe is this Fool Proof Pie Crust
For the Pastry Cream Layer:
- 1 ½ teaspoons (4.6g) unflavored gelatin
- 3 teaspoon (15ml) cold water
- 6 large egg yolks (*See note below for ideas about what to do with the egg whites.)
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
- 2 cups (474ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- 2 teaspoons (9g) pure vanilla extract
For the Strawberry Filling:
- 6 heaping cups of fresh strawberries, stems removed and cut into quarters (about 2 ½ pounds after the stems have been removed)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract or ¼ teaspoon lemon oil (*See note below for the difference between lemon extract and lemon oil.)
- 1 teaspoon (4.6g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (13g) granulated sugar (for sprinkling over the top of the pie)
Instructions
Make the Pastry Cream Layer:
- In a small dish, stir the gelatin and water together to combine. There should be just enough water to moisten the gelatin, creating a rubbery paste. Set aside.
- Add the egg yolks and cornstarch to a medium size bowl and beat with a wire whisk to combine. Set the bowl on a kitchen towel somewhere close to the stovetop. (This will keep the bowl from sliding around on the counter when you whisk in the hot milk.)
- Set a heat proof measuring cup next to the stovetop, preferably one with a pourable spout.
- Add the milk, sugar, and salt to a 3-quart or larger heavy bottomed saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until it barely begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour approximately 1 ½ cups (360ml) of the hot milk into the measuring cup. Slowly pour the hot milk from the measuring cup into the egg yolks, pouring slowly, and whisking constantly.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and set it over low heat. (You want to continue to heat the eggs slowly so they won’t scramble.) Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick and begins to boil.
- As soon as thickens to the consistency of pudding and barely begins to boil, remove from the heat and whisk for about 20 seconds longer. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl.
- Break the gelatin into small pieces, dropping them onto the hot pastry cream. Let stand for about 20 seconds to let the gelatin to melt, then stir until the gelatin is completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap over the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours.
Make the strawberry pie filling:
- Hull and quarter the strawberries and put them into a medium size heavy bottom saucepan. Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the strawberries release some of their juice, the sugar melts, and the resulting syrup is thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon extract or lemon oil and vanilla extract. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Assemble and bake the pie:
- Using a 9-inch pie plate, partially pre-bake a bottom pie crust according to these instructions. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before filling.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Spread the pastry cream into the partially baked bottom crust and smooth into an even layer. Spoon the strawberry pie filling over the pastry cream.
- Remove the remaining pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to ¼-inch thickness. Use any shaped cookie cutter to cut pieces from the dough and place on the top of the pie.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil (to catch any drips) and place in the oven. Sprinkle the top of the pie with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Bake for 70 - 90 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown and the strawberry pie filling is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving, at least 3 hours. The pie can be served chilled or at room temperature. Store any uneaten pie in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
Use the leftover egg whites to make:
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Angel Food Cake
Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
What's the difference between Lemon Extract and Lemon Oil?
Pure lemon extract is a lemon-flavored liquid made by soaking lemon peels in alcohol. The alcohol absorbs the essential oils of the peels, resulting in a potent lemon flavor. Lemon oil is a very strong essence of lemon made by cold pressing lemon rinds.
For the most part I prefer the flavor of lemon oil, but either one works well to brighten the strawberry flavor in the filling for this pie. The brand I like is Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil, which uses 225 lemons in every 3.4 ounce bottle.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ⅛th of the pieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 467Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 349mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 4gSugar: 49gProtein: 6g
Valerie Lytle says
Help! I can’t find what temp you bake this pie at - I might just be missing it, does the recipe say. I see bake for 70 - 90 min, but at what temp?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Valerie! This comment probably isn’t reaching you in time, but you bake the pie at 350 degrees. I updated the recipe to make that instruction much more clear - so sorry about the confusion! How did your pie come out?
Mary says
Hi, Just read your recipe. I was wondering if you can use frozen strawberries? Looks delicious.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Mary! Yes - you can use frozen strawberries in this recipe, but you'll probably need to cook the strawberry filling longer. Using frozen berries usually results in more water in the mixture - this is not a problem as long as you allow enough time for the extra water to evaporate. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear what you think of this pie after you make it! xo
Delainey F says
hi! how do you suggest i adjust baking instructions to make little pie pockets, using the same recipe?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Delainey! Great question - and wonderful idea! I'd suggesting using this recipe for Apple Butter and Pastry Cream Hand Pies, substituting the strawberry filling for the apple butter. The apple hand pies include a dollop of pastry cream, and some apple butter, which is the same concept as this pie. But, the pastry used for the hand pies works better in little pies than the pastry used for a whole pie. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way, and I'd love to hear how this comes out for you! xo
Amanda Muzaurieta says
This looks amazing! Can I use peaches instead of strawberries?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Amanda! I've never tried it myself, but I see no reason why peaches wouldn't work in this recipe. Good summer peaches can be super juicy, so you might have to cook the filling longer than you would have to if using strawberries. Just keep it simmering on low until enough of the water has evaporated to allow the filling to thicken. This really is one of my all-time favorite pies. I'm super anxious to hear how it is with peaches. Will you let me know? xo
Ellen says
Looks delicious! You bake the pastry cream? I've never seen that.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Ellen! Yep. Bake the pastry cream. The flavors from the strawberries infiltrate the cream a bit while it bakes and baking doesn't change the consistency of the cream at all. It's truly one of my favorite pies! Will you let me know if you make it and what you think? xo
Meg Hunt says
This recipe is a keeper. My 91-year old mother who loves custard especially loved this pie.
I used all the pastry cream/custard and all the strawberry filling. The 9 inch pie pan was very full, but it all fit
. Just barely.
Thank you for sharing this terrific recipe.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Woo-hoo! So glad you and your mother liked this pie! And happy all the filling fit in your pie plate. Whew! 🙂
Meg Hunt says
Pie is in the oven even as I write this. The recipe did not specify pie pan size so I used a standard 9 inch. Wished I used a deep dish. Or maybe one of the newer 9 1/2 inch pie pans. Thoughts?
Also I did not see in the directions for the strawberry filling when to add the vanilla mentioned in the ingredients. Wanted to confirm the vanilla is supposed to be in the filling?
Also, made your white bread recipe last week. Very easy and exceedingly delicious. Meg
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Meg! First of all, I am so glad that the bread came out well. I make that recipe 2 or 3 times a month because it is so great to have around - especially with a couple of teenagers in the house!
I can't wait to hear how you like this strawberry pie. You were right to use a standard 9 inch pan. Thank you so much for mentioning it; it's a detail I didn't even think to add in. I imagine that a deep dish or 9 1/2 inch pan would work well too. Just curious - did you have filling left over? And thank you for noticing that I didn't mention when to add the vanilla (or the strawberry emulsion) in the recipe instructions. As many times as I read through a recipe, I still miss things and am forever grateful when a reader takes the time to let me know.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I so love hearing from readers. xoxo
Robbie Green says
Hi! Can I use Raspberry Emulsion in this recipe lol... I mean, would it still give a great flavor and taste? I love to be different in cooking/baking sometimes, ;stretching my limits. Let me know K?...???? Thanks!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Robbie! I'm sure raspberry emulsion will be delicious! Go for it. It might even be better! Let me know how it turns out. xo