Fresh Strawberry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

If you’ve got sweet, ripe berries, let them shine in this fresh strawberry ricotta tart. Essentially,  a no bake strawberry pie (except for the graham cracker crust) the creamy filling blends cream cheese and ricotta with citrusy orange and a little sugar for a lightly sweet filling that pairs beautifully with the ruby red fruit. This fresh strawberry pie with graham cracker crust tastes, sweet and light with enough strawberry goo, to keep your lips smacking.  Let the pie set up in the refrigerator — like an old fashioned strawberry icebox pie that your grandmother used to make.

This strawberry pie with graham cracker crust has a little back note of citrus throughout. It’s in the crust, the cream cheese ricotta tart filling and even in the strawberry glaze. 

Ingredients For Graham Cracker Crust

• Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Sugar
• Orange Zest
• Melted Butter

To Make The Graham Cracker Crust

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and half of the orange zest (from one orange) in a bowl.
2. Mix until very well combined. (The orange zest is a little wet and may clump, so be sure to stir and blend until it’s evenly distributed).
3. Add the melted butter and stir until every bit of the graham cracker mixture is moistened by the butter.
4. Press the crumbs into a pie plate and use your hands or the flat side of a dry ingredient measuring cup to achieve an even, flat layer on the bottom and sides.
5. The crust is the only thing in this strawberry icebox pie that needs time in the oven and it only takes 8 -10 minutes in a 375° oven to set. Let the crust come to room temperature before filling it.
6. NOTE:  You can also buy a ready made graham cracker crust and skip the baking part in order to make this a true no bake strawberry pie.

 

Filling For Cream Cheese Ricotta Tart

The filling for this tart contains just 4 ingredients:

• Ricotta cheese (I used part skim ricotta)
• Cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
• Fresh Orange Zest
• Sugar

To Make The Cream Cheese Ricotta Filling

1. Because the filling isn’t cooked, you’ll want to pulse the sugar in a food processor to make it extra fine. Pulse several times until you see the sugar start to form clouds of “dust”.
2. Add the other half of the orange zest to the sugar and pulse 8 to 10 more times until the sugar is a nice orange color and the zest has been completely incorporated.
3. To the sugar mixture add the ricotta and cream cheese and pulse until the filling is smooth and creamy.
4. Transfer the cream cheese ricotta filling to the cooled graham cracker crust and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

 

Tips On The Glaze For No Bake Strawberry Pie

• The stewed strawberry glaze needs to be refrigerated, so you’ll want to make it in advance (just after you transfer the pie and filling to the refrigerator)
• The glaze for this pie isn’t a stiff, gravity defying blob. It’s made with fresh strawberries a little sugar, fresh citrus juice, water and cornstarch (to thicken it slightly and give it body).
• When it’s done cooking the stewed berries will still be fairly liquidy, but will thicken a bit more in the refrigerator.
• Even so, it’s meant to be more loose than rigid, coating the berries and dribbling slowly over the filling.  Sounds pretty good, right?
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. I’m a bit lazy and usually go with the overnight method because I’ve done the major preparations the day before and the next day is a quick assembly.

 

Assembling Strawberry Pie With Graham Cracker Crust

• Spread about half of the strawberry glaze over the cream cheese ricotta layer.
• Hull and slice the remaining strawberries. (I sliced them from the top down to create little heart-shaped cross sections for layering).
• Arrange the sliced berries over the strawberry glaze.

 

Arrange The Berries For Strawberry Icebox Pie

1. Start with sliced berries and point the bottom tip toward the center of the pie. Overlap the berries starting at the edge and moving toward the center.
2. Turn the pie 180° and do the same thing, pointing the berries to the center of the pie.
3. Rotate the pie 90° and overlap the berries again until you reach the center.
4. Turn the pie 180° and again, overlap the berries.
5. Fill in each quarter of the  pie with the remaining cut berries — all pointing toward the center.

To finish the pie, lightly brush the strawberries with the remaining glaze, using a pastry brush or just spoon the glaze over the pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

I put a few of the prettiest whole berries on top as a crowning touch to my strawberry icebox pie, but a bit of whipped cream spooned on each slice would be nice, too. 

 

You’ll want to refrigerate the strawberry pie with graham cracker crust for several hours so that the filling sets. It won’t be completely stiff, but rather creamy and slightly soft. 

Best Eaten Within A Few Days

This pie is cool, creamy, fruity and delicious. The orange flavor in the crust, filling and glaze isn’t dominant, but it is noticeable. Because of the fresh berries, this pie is best eaten within two days, but that really shouldn’t be a problem, right? Try this fresh strawberry ricotta tart for Easter or Mother’s Day — or whenever you’re over run with fresh strawberries.

More Strawberry Recipes:

• Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins
• Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
• Lemon Strawberry Crumb Cake

 

 
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