I asked my husband and kids to vote on several desserts that I’ve been making lately – “which one of these should be the July Family Dessert Night recipe?”
This strawberry pie was the unanimous winner.
Everyone in our house LOVES this pie.
It’s basically a bountiful platter of fresh strawberries, cold and juicy and sweet, held together inside a salty-sweet graham cracker pie crust, and dolloped with a cream cheese whipped cream. My mom and my grandma have been making this pie for years, so it’s my turn to get in on it!
I’m one of those people who thinks a homemade graham cracker crust is one of the best tasting things on the whole planet Earth (like, the BEST thing), so that’s what I use for mine! If you find yourself really wanting a regular pie crust – make it exactly the same, using a fully baked pie shell!
A noteworthy thing I love about this pie: it’s the PERFECT hands-on recipe for kids to help with. I set up an assembly line for my girls and put them to work on the berries, and then had them help me whisk and pour in the filling. A+ for kid participation on this one!
Happy summer-ing! Wishing you a really joyful moment of walking this cold, juicy, towering pie out to the table for your people. Best feeling ever!
The easiest homemade strawberry pie with a graham cracker crust and dolloped with a cream cheese whipped cream! Perfect summer dessert!
Ingredients
Units
Crust:
12 full sheets graham crackers, crushed (1 1/2 cups of crumbs)
5 tablespoonssugar
7 tablespoonssalted butter, melted
Filling:
1/2cupsugar(use 3/4 cup if your berries are less sweet)
2 tablespoonscornstarch
1 1/2cupscold water
3ouncesdry strawberry Jell-O powder(half a box, or 5-6 tablespoons)
4–5cupsfresh strawberries
Whipped Cream Cheese:
3/4cupheavy cream
4ouncecream cheese, softened
1/4cupmaple syrup
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix crust ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Prep Strawberries: Wash the strawberries well and blot them dry with a paper towel. Cut off the tops. If they are large, cut them all in half. If they are small, you can leave them as-is or just cut some of them in half.
Make Jell-O: In a small saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and cold water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until it begins to thicken. Once it starts bubbling, cook it for another two minutes. Add Jell-O and stir till dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
Assemble Pie: Arrange half of the berries in your prepared pie crust. Pour some of the cornstarch mixture over the berries and jiggle it around a bit to make sure the mixture goes in and around all the berries. Repeat with the remaining berries on top, and cover with just enough of the cornstarch mixture to coat the berries and hold them in (you’ll have a bit of cornstarch mixture left over). Press the berries in so they are real cozy with each other, and brush the top with the cornstarch mixture to make the top glossy.
Refrigerate Pie: Refrigerate for 4-6 hours. (I refrigerate uncovered until it’s mostly set, then cover with plastic. This is best served within 24 hours, because the strawberries will start to soften and release juices.)
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream: Using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Slowly beat in the maple syrup with the cream cheese until it is loose and creamy. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.
Serve: Serve the pie slices cold, with a dollop of the whipped cream cheese on top!
Prep Time:6 hours
Cook Time:5 minutes
Category:Dessert
Method:No-Bake
Cuisine:American
Keywords: strawberry pie, easy pie recipe, summer pie, summer dessert
Summer just has a way of making healthy eating feel… actually easy? Like, when tomatoes look like that at the farmers market, and corn is practically begging to be thrown on the grill, you really don’t need much convincing to eat well. Fresh produce does most of the heavy lifting and honestly, the meals kind of make themselves.
These recipes are some of my favorites to make in the summer when I want things to feel light and breezy. They’re bright, they’re colorful, they’re the kind of dinners that feel good when you eat them and look beautiful on the dinner table, and not a single one feels like you’re trying to be “healthy.” It’s just good food that happens to be exactly what you’re craving right now. ❤️
Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes
Salmon with Basil Sauce and Tomato Salad
We’re making a summery salmon with a beautiful, big-flavored basil sauce that is so good, you’re going to want to just drink it. Perfectly-spiced, fresh, and a dinner for everyone!
Sheet Pan Meatballs with Tomato Salad and Green Sauce
Juicy little sheet pan meatballs that are salty, zesty, briney, and so so delicious. Pile them on tzatziki, spoon some punchy green sauce over top, and serve with a simple salad and crusty bread.
This Napa Chicken Salad is crunched up to the MAX! Fresh napa cabbage, juicy rotisserie chicken, a super easy homemade sesame dressing, and crunchy handfuls of cashews, fried wonton strips, dried ramen noodles, crispy fried onions, or sesame sticks…the choice is yours!
Three cheers for summertime eating! Smoky black beans sautéed with kale and garlic and spices, tucked into charred corn tortillas, and topped with the best feisty, punchy green sauce – Aji Verde!
Lemongrass Vermicelli Salad – a summer showstopper! A twirl of vermicelli noodles, pan-fried tofu, fresh herbs and veggies, and a lime-and-lemongrass-based sauce that just slips all over the plate.
Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
This juicy salad tastes like summer! With chipotle chicken, sweet corn, avocado, cilantro vinaigrette, bacon crumbles, and fresh strawberries for a pop of sweetness.
Nothing fancy to see here – just a healthy, delicious, vegan burrito bowl combo featuring spicy roasted cauliflower, pico de gallo, creamy refried black beans, rice, corn, avocado, and a good lime drench.
A bright, zippy, unexpectedly delicious couscous salad that’s packed with sweet potatoes, black beans, spinach, feta, and more – all tossed with a life-changing lime basil vinaigrette!
This Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad features red peppers, cabbage, chicken, soba noodles, and a quick homemade spicy peanut sauce. Salads don’t get much yummier than this.
Rainbow Chicken Salad with Almond Honey Mustard Dressing
Tender chicken, plump grapes and berries, crisp lettuce, tangy feta cheese, crunchy almonds, and the real star – almond honey mustard dressing! Eat the rainbow and be glad, friends!
A super fresh, super summery Lemon Herb Pasta Salad! Packed with tangy marinated chickpeas, chewy pasta, lots of herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, and a handful of parmesan to top it off.
One of my family’s favorite easy dinners that works SO well for meal prep! Sweet potatoes and ground beef get dolloped with a creamy high protein street corn style dip that is bonkers delicious.
This Cashew Crunch Salad is loaded up with crunchy veg, chow mein noodles, edamame, and roasted cashews and it’ll make you ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT A SALAD. And the sesame dressing – OMG!
This Shrimp and Avocado Salad is topped with spicy shrimp, crisp cucumbers, spinach, creamy avocado, and a generous drizzle of miso dressing. The happiest green salad ever!
We’re bringing you the most beautiful salad inspired by the restaurant Oliver’s in Minnesota. Tender salmon, savory peppers and garlic confit, buttery chunks of avocado, fire-roasted corn, bacon bits, and a river of homemade smoky ranch dressing.
This One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Kale is a straight-up DREAM! Rustic farro cozied up to cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, and kale. So good and so wholesome!
This Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini is OMG-level good! Tender chicken thighs, sautéed and then simmered in a creamy coconut and lemongrass sauce, sits next to a steamy pile of jasmine rice, fresh herbs, and your choice of veg.
Paper-thin veggies, a shower of herbs, a pile of fried crispy red curry rice, and a limey garlicky vinaigrette all over top. This crispy rice salad is all I want to eat right now!
A block of tofu, nicely browned in teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of sticky rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, and a handful of crushed-up crunchy onions, buried under a thick drizzle of extra teriyaki and spicy mayo.
Elote Quinoa Salad made with velvety peppers confit, juicy sweet corn, homemade dressing, cotija cheese, lime, and spices. Perfect for summer and so, so good!
These chicken skewers are a family favorite! Very easy, deliciously smoky, nice and sweet, with a good amount of spice and bite. Air fryer, grill, and oven-friendly!
This is such a fun one! Grilled marinated chicken, a quick tomato cucumber salad, tangy bits of feta, and a zippy pepperoncini garlic butter sauce poured over the whole thing.
I love a shortcut dinner hack! These bowls feature caramelized peanut chicken, a tangle of vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs and cucumber salad, and peanut sauce all over top.
This simple chopped Thai chicken salad has BIG flavors – peanut, lime, soy, chili, cilantro. Topped with a homemade peanut dressing! Healthy and fresh.
Hellllooo quick summer lunch! These chicken wraps have me hooked. Shredded chicken, crispy cheddar cheese, fresh veg like tomato, corn, and lettuce, some pickled red onion, and not one, but TWO sauces.
BBQ Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa! An easy and impressive dinner with yummy smoky-sweet flavor and a zip of zesty homemade salsa to take it over the top. The BEST weeknight dinner.
This bowl has it all! The crunch of the tomato cucumber salad, the thin slips of bitey red onion, the golden crisped air fryer chicken cut into tender little strips, a big pile of perfectly chewy Banza, and a dollop of tangy calabrian chile sauce on top.
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! A mix of quinoa, cucumbers or kale or spinach, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini!
Green Goddess Quinoa Summer Salad – simple, healthy, and extremely adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand! my family LOVES this recipe. vegetarian and can be made vegan.
Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Korean BBQ-Inspired Sauce
Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Korean BBQ-Inspired Sauce! Roasted cauliflower tossed in a sweet and sticky sauce, all topped with chives, peanuts, and spicy mayo.
OOOH BABY, this salad is so good! Crunchy kale and cabbage, fresh herbs and fresno peppers, chopped peanuts, and a perfect roasted peanut vinaigrette that tucks into all the salad nooks and crannies.
The yummiest Baked Shrimp with Feta and Grilled Sourdough! Bubble up some feta, garlic, shrimp, and tomato sauce in a pan, grill some buttery crispy bread, and dunk that right on in. The simplest fancy-ish dinner!
These Harissa Meatballs with Whipped Feta are perfect for an easy SOS dinner! Store-bought meatballs, bell peppers, zucchini, harissa, and whipped feta all in one bowl. YUMMY!
I think my favorite part of summer might be all the snacking that presents itself – play date snacks, running-out-the-door snacks, car ride snacks, and just normal out-back-on-the-deck snacks. These are a few of my favorite healthy snacks for summer!
Feel-Good Zucchini Muffins: We make these constantly all summer long. Perfect for stocking up the fridge and freezer!
Cookie Dough Energy Bites: My kids absolutely LOVE THESE (and I do, too!). Perfect antidote to busy days.
Pickled Strawberries: Fancy-but-easy summer snack that I love to serve on some toasts when we have company over.
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes 
Yield: 8 large slices 1x 
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Bake
Cuisine: American
