Strawberry Icebox Pie

With sweetened cream cheese, jammy strawberries, and whipped cream all layered into a graham cracker crust, this strawberry icebox pie is cool, creamy, and irresistible!

I’ve told you before about my grandmother’s green metal recipe box, which is filled with handwritten and clipped recipes for amazing desserts. I found not one but three recipes for strawberry pie in there recently, yet I have no memory of her making even one. Still, I felt compelled to try a version of my own, so I took some things I liked about each recipe, threw in some of my own ideas, and came up with this amazingly delicious strawberry icebox pie.

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Icebox Pie

• Real strawberries. And real strawberries mean true strawberry flavor, not the cloying artificial version. 
• Layers of texture and flavor. Graham cracker crust is topped with a thin cream cheese layer. It’s sweetened just enough so that the tartness still comes through and perfectly accents the next layer of sweetened strawberries. As if that weren’t enough, a generous helping of sweetened whipped cream tops it off.
• Simple assembly. While there are multiple layers, there’s nothing difficult about making this recipe. You can also put it together over the course of a few days to make it more manageable. 
• Cool and creamy. My favorite formula for a summertime dessert! (If you agree, you’ll love this raspberry lemon icebox pie and dulce de leche icebox pie, too.)

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Crust:

• Graham cracker crumbs – Although it takes a bit more work, I do prefer making my own crumbs from whole graham crackers. You can certainly use store-bought crumbs if you prefer, or even a store-bought crust.
• Unsalted butter – You’ll need to melt the butter, either in a small saucepan or in the microwave.
• Granulated sugar – You may wonder why graham cracker crumbs, which are already sweet, need more sugar. The answer is because the sugar helps bind the crust together.
• Salt

Filling:

• Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.
• Granulated sugar
• Heavy whipping cream 
• Strawberries – Fresh local strawberries are my absolute favorite for this strawberry icebox pie. When fresh berries aren’t an option, thawed frozen berries will do.
• Cornstarch

Whipped Cream:

• Heavy cream – Look for either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
• Confectioners’ sugar – Also known as powdered sugar.
• Vanilla extract – I like to use my homemade vanilla extract.

Can I Substitute Cool-Whip for the Whipped Cream?

You certainly can. While I do love the flavor of homemade whipped cream, Cool-Whip does have a longer storage life in the fridge. After a day, whipped cream will begin to deflate, while Cool-Whip will hold its volume. If you need to make this strawberry icebox pie well in advance or anticipate having leftovers, you may wish to opt for Cool-Whip.

How to Make Strawberry Icebox Pie

• Make the crust. Combine the crust ingredients, then press them into a baking dish. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, then set on a wire rack to cool.
• Make the cream cheese layer. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cream with an electric mixer and spread this into the cooled pie crust. Cover and chill.

• Prep the strawberries. Chop half of the berries into 1/2 inch pieces and place the rest in a saucepan and mash with a fork or potato masher.
• Cook the strawberry layer. Add sugar and cornstarch to the berries. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then stir in the chopped strawberries and cool before spreading over the cream cheese layer. 

• Make the whipped cream. Whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in a chilled mixing bowl until firm peaks form.
• Finish. Spread the whipped cream over the strawberry layer in the pie pan. Serve immediately or chill overnight. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired.

Variations and Topping Ideas

• Try another crust. An Oreo crust would work well with this strawberry icebox pie.
• Add a strawberry crumble. The crumble mixture from my strawberry crunch cake would make a fantastic addition to this pie, too.
• Use raspberries. Swap the strawberries for fresh raspberries for a different spin on this recipe. 
• Top it with chocolate. Chocolate shavings or curls add some decadence to this chilled pie. Dark chocolate or white chocolate would both work.

How to Store

Strawberry icebox pie should be kept in the refrigerator when not being served. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

You can freeze this strawberry icebox pie for up to 2 months. Wrap it well or store it in an airtight container. Thaw it in the refrigerator before serving.

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