Homemade Strawberry Pie Filling is easy to make using frozen strawberries. This allows you to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer all year round! Frozen berries and a few simple ingredients are all that you need to make this delicious dessert, which can be enjoyed as a simple strawberry pie or as a topping on ice cream and cheesecakes!
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★★★★★
"This recipe is exactly what I had been looking for. Very easy to make. Doesn't use jello. The pie filling set up great. Everyone said it was the best strawberry pie they ever had. Thank you for sharing this recipe!"
-Mary Lou
Note from Erin
I started making this strawberry pie filling when I got tired of waiting for perfect strawberries to show up at the store. I love that with frozen strawberries, the flavor is always bright and the texture is more predictable.
This recipe gives you complete control! Since the filling is cooked on the stovetop, you can see exactly when it thickens and adjust it to the consistency you want, so you'll never have a soupy pie.
Key Ingredients
Strawberries: Whole strawberries release juices more slowly. You can still use them, but I have found that halved or quartered are best for this recipe.
Cornstarch: Make sure to check the expiration date on your cornstarch, as expired cornstarch will not thicken properly. You can also use an equal amount of quick-cooking tapioca instead of cornstarch.
How to Make Strawberry Pie Filling
Step One: Mix Dry Ingredients
- Stir the sugar and cornstarch together. Mixing it well will help prevent the cornstarch from clumping.
Step Two: Cook Filling
- Keep the stove on low heat to create some juices. This helps prevent the strawberries from burning as the temperature increases.
- Once the fruit is soft, increase the temperature and cook the mixture until it is thick and bubbly.
Step Three: Cool
- Once the filling has cooled, you can pour it into a pre-made crust and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- You can also transfer it to jars if you plan to use it as a topping.
When is the Filling Ready to Come Off the Stove
- The filling should coat the back of a spoon instead of running straight off.
- When you drag a spoon through the pan, it should briefly hold the line before slowly settling back together.
- The mixture should look bright red and glossy with slow, thick bubbles.
- The texture should resemble warm pudding or loose jam, not syrup.
Variations
You can follow these same instructions for making a strawberry rhubarb pie. Just replace 2 cups of strawberries with diced rhubarb.
Recipe
Strawberry Pie Filling
Recipe by:Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60 grams) cornstarch
- 6 cups (864 grams) frozen strawberries
- 1 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together.1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup cornstarch
- Add the frozen strawberries, sugar mixture, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries begin to release their juices.6 cups frozen strawberries, 1 teaspoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking for 15–20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the filling is noticeably thick and no longer cloudy. It should coat the back of a spoon and briefly hold a line when stirred.
- Remove from heat and cool for 1 hour. Pour into a fully baked pie shell and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cornstarch thickens with heat, not while cooling. The filling should already be thick before it comes off the stove.
- If the filling tastes starchy, it likely didn't simmer long enough. A few minutes of gentle bubbling removes the raw cornstarch flavor.
- Store the cooled filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition calculations are for the filling only and do not include crust or toppings.
Nutrition
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Paula Bikoski says
Can you put strawberry filling into bowl and let it sit then put in dessert cups
Erin Gierhart says
Sure, that should work fine!
Lisa says
This recipe did not come out filling did nit set very disappointed, do the recipe with the strawberry jello
Erin Gierhart says
Lisa, I’m sorry it didn’t set for you. That’s frustrating when you’re counting on a pie to hold its shape. The filling should firm up once it cools completely, so if you ever try it again I’m happy to help troubleshoot what might have gone wrong. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Mary Lou Michalski says
Every year I make strawberry pie with frozen berries for Thanksgiving. And every year the filling is runny so I have to serve the pie frozen. BUT not this year! This recipe is exactly what I had been looking for. Very easy to make. Doesn’t use jello. The pie filling set up great. Everyone said it was the best strawberry pie they ever had. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Erin Gierhart says
Mary Lou, I’m so glad this brought you the results you’ve been hoping for. It makes me happy to know it was a favorite at your Thanksgiving table! Thank you for sharing this with me.
Katie Mettler says
I don't know what I did wrong, but the tapioca powder did not dissolved, it left little purl like pieces in the filling. I baked it anyway and it tasted good, but i'm wondering if I should have mixed the tapioca with water to make it like a paste before I mix it in with the hot filling?
Erin Gierhart says
Tapioca pearls dissolve when they have enough heat and moisture. You don't need to mix tapioca with water first, but you do want it to cook long enough in the fruit so it can fully hydrate and thicken smoothly. If the mixture seems fully thickened before the tapioca has dissolved, add a little additional water.
Jay says
What if I don’t have lemon juice?
Erin Gierhart says
Hi, Jay! Any citrus, like lime or orange juice will work. If you don't have any of those, use a splash of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
Holly says
I made this pie. I followed the recipe for the filling. Then I put the filling in my home made pie shells and baked until golden. I do not care for the opaque sauce colour the filling is due to the cornstarch. Next time I’m going to try tapioca instead. Taste of the pie is very good. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Erin Gierhart says
Holly, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor! Let me know how you like it with tapioca!
Jenny says
Does the filling thinken more as it cools
Erin Gierhart says
Yes, it should be jelly-like while it is hot, and it will continue to set as it cools.
Pamela M Benson says
My filling was still cloudy. I hope my husband still likes it.
Erin Gierhart says
Thanks for sharing, Pamela. If you want a more clear filling next time, try letting the filling simmer a bit longer and make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved before adding it to the berries. I hope your husband enjoys it!
Carol H. says
Making for the fourth time now! I love a recipe that I can depend on to turn out every time. The recipe is very forgiving, I’m not exact when measuring the berries, still turns out great. I also substituted frozen peaches, was equally as good. I take a couple cups of the berries and microwave them to give some juice to start with.
Erin says
Hi Carol! I love reading that this recipe has worked out so well for you. Thanks for sharing! Your substitution of peaches sounds absolutely delicious!
Shelvey Meyer says
I made this pie with frozen strawberries from last year. Both my husband and I loved it and will make it again. Very easy to make.
Erin says
Hi Shelvey! I so appreciate you taking the time to share, and am thrilled that you and your husband enjoyed the pie!
Susan says
It was good but I could taste the cornstarch.
Lisa says
Unfortunately i could taste the corn starch and threw it away. 😢
Erin says
I'm sorry to hear the pie filling didn't turn out as you'd hoped, Janice. A starchy taste can sometimes mean the cornstarch wasn’t fully cooked. If you decide to try it again, letting the filling bubble gently for a few minutes can help eliminate that flavor. I appreciate your feedback!
mj says
Mine gelled like crazy. I had some enormous frozen strawberries so I ended up mashing them since I think the more liquid helps it to gel? Next time I'm going to use frozen sliced strawberries so I don't have to cook it as long and I can have some texture. I also added the juice from half a lemon instead of a teaspoon, which really helped bring out the tartness too. Pie was delicious!
Erin says
Yes, I agree! Even though it seems counterintuitive, the liquid is a necessary part of the thickening process.
Bobbette says
When stirring together the strawberries, corn starch and sugar mixture it will start out kinda cloudy. I suggest keep stirring. When it turns more red and less cloudy it is ready to thicken up.
Erin says
Great tip!
Lynn Kurtz says
Mine turned out wonderfully! I made it with half sugar and half stevia. I also added a very small amount of tapioca granules near the end to make it a bit thicker. I think that it would have been thick enough without. It made a beautiful red not cloudy filling.
Erin says
Thank you, Lynn! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed it!
Les says
I made this recipe for 4th of July and it never set! Was VERY soupy. I followed the stove top directions very closely!
Erin says
I'm sorry this didn't work out for you. Make sure that your cornstarch is not expired, as expired cornstarch will not thicken properly. If you are using fresh cornstarch and it still seems to be too liquidy then you can mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water, stir it into the filling and continue cooking for several minutes until it thickens.
Kenny says
My filling came out running also 😢
Erin says
Next time you make this, take a look a the FAQ section where I give tips on how to fix runny filling.
Dana says
Could I use this recipe as a substitute for 1 can of store-bought strawberry pie filling? I am making a strawberry trifle with angel food cake. Thank you!
Erin says
Yes, this should work great in place of a can of pie filling!
Irene says
What size pie shell do I need?
Erin Gierhart says
I recommend a 9-inch pie shell.
Kristen says
Can u can it!
Erin says
I don't know why not! But I am not a canning expert, so I recommend you follow an expert's guide for the steps on how to can safely.
Rachel says
Can this pie filling be frozen?
Laura says
I don’t believe cornstarch thickening is stable to freezing so would do more research to avoid a runny mess.