Bean

Strawberry Cream Pie

by:
June 28, 2021
5
10 Ratings
Strawberry Cream Pie
Photo by Sarah Stone
  • Makes one 9-inch pie
Author Notes

A simple pie where the crust is parbaked, the filling is thick and creamy, and the strawberries are the star. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the crust:
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
  • For the filling:
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 quart strawberries, hulled
  • 2 tablespoons wildflower honey
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.
  2. Make the pie crust: In a large bowl or in a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat. Cut the butter into the flour with your hands, or pulse in the food processor until the butter resembles the size of peas.
  3. Add the water and mix to combine. The dough should come together easily but not be wet or sticky. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it's 1/8-inch thick. Transfer it to a pie plate, and trim the edges so there is only 1/2 inch of overhang all around. Chill the dough inside the pie plate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  5. Fold the excess dough under at the edges, pressing gently to “seal” the dough to the pie plate. Finish the edges as desired. Poke the base of the crust a few times with a fork. If the dough seems warm, chill it again.
  6. Line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights, and bake until the crust is golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is fully baked, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool completely.
  7. To make the finished pie, mix the milk, cream, vanilla bean, and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a medium sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat.
  8. While the milk warms up, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a medium heat-safe bowl.
  9. When the milk comes to a simmer, gradually pour the hot liquid into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine. Return the mixture to the pot and cook until the mixture is thick and comes to the "first boil" (one large bubble rising from the center of the pot, not many small bubbles around the edges).
  10. Whisk in the butter and pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Cover the surface of the pudding directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 3 hours.
  11. To finish the pie, top the pie with the strawberries. Warm the honey over medium heat, and when it’s runny, brush it over the strawberries. Serve the pie chilled.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Clover Bradford Robison
    Clover Bradford Robison
  • Marina D Polak
    Marina D Polak
  • Ashley G
    Ashley G
  • dmgudzi
    dmgudzi
Erin Jeanne McDowell
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

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7 Reviews

dmgudzi
dmgudzi March 18, 2024
Excellent pie - used tips from the notes and coated the bottom with melted chocolate, let cool then filled. And sliced the strawberries and piled them on top - not as pretty, but more strawberries per slice. Easy and delicious. It's a keeper!
 
Karunamarkham
Karunamarkham June 28, 2021
This might be one of my favorite pies yet! It’s very easy to make and perfect for summer. I wasn’t sure if I would be a fan of the honey on the strawberries but I went for it and it was delicious!
 
Stephanie T.
Stephanie T. March 5, 2021
Oh man, this was DELICIOUS. Using good strawberries is key, bc they’re such as essential part of this pie. It’s not a very sweet pie, but I prefer that. Everyone in my home loved it and devoured it. I imagine the custard base would be delicious topped with mangos too.
 
Clover B.
Clover B. June 11, 2020
This was as delicious!!! My family enjoyed it and asked for seconds. It is the perfect desert for hot weather. I cut and sugared the strawberries and added extra to each slice then topped with whipped cream. The custard was easy to make the and pie crust was excellent. I will make this one again.
 
Marina D.
Marina D. May 1, 2020
i made it and love it. Just made it again
 
Barbara
Barbara May 12, 2019
Hi. i am sorry no one put a comment. I will make this this week and put in a comment. It truly does look fabulous.
 
Ashley G.
Ashley G. August 1, 2018
Can't believe no one has commented on this recipe. I've actually been making this for years, and it's fantastic. I use my own pie crust recipe (when you have one that works, why mess with anything else?), but otherwise follow the recipe. It's a great pastry cream, and the strawberries glazed with honey on top are so simple and perfect. I always brush a little melted chocolate over my parbaked pie crust before adding in the pastry cream, and this actually helps keep the crust fairly crispy even on the second day (should you actually have leftovers). Plus, this is one of those pies where you can make the individual parts in advance and assemble when ready to eat. So, basically, great for a dinner party!