• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Butter & Thyme logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • Collaborate
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Collaborate
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Desserts

    February 15, 2022

    Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    strawberry bars with graham cracker crust with text - Recipe Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars www.butterandthyme.com

    This recipe for Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars is one of my absolute favorite summertime desserts. Aside from being delicious, they're are almost too pretty to eat! 

    Square cut strawberry dessert bars on a sheet tray seen from overhead with scattered graham cracker crumbs around. Each square is topped with a strawberry slice.

    They're sure to impress at your next gathering-- perfect for outdoor barbecues, bridal showers, or just a casual Saturday. And there's fruit in it so it's kind of healthy-- right?!

    This recipe starts with a simple graham cracker crust and is topped with a smooth, creamy whipped mousse filling that is bursting with strawberry flavor. You can use fresh strawberries when they're in season, but I tested this recipe using frozen berries so that you can have that taste of summer all year round!

    The pretty pink color makes them perfect for Valentine's Day or Galentine's Day! Try making these cranberry white chocolate shortbread cookies too, another gorgeous red and pink dessert!

    Jump to:
    • Key Ingredients
    • Variations on Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars
    • Key Equipment
    • How to Store Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars
    • Top Tips
    • 📖 Recipe

    Key Ingredients

    One strawberry dessert bar in focus, others blurry in background. View of texture of the creamy filling on top of graham cracker crust.
    • Strawberries - you can use fresh or frozen. I usually use frozen unless strawberries are in peak season, and use fresh strawberry slices as an optional garnish
    • Graham crackers - I use Honey Maid original
    • Gelatin - this is what firms up the filling so you're able to neatly slice the bars
    • Heavy cream - or heavy whipping cream. This is essential to get that light and airy whipped cream texture.

    Variations on Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars

    You can try this recipe with all kinds of frozen berries:

    • Blueberries
    • Blackberries
    • Raspberries
    • Mixed berries

    If you do try this recipe with another type of berry or fruit, please leave a comment, I'd love to hear how it turns out!

    Key Equipment

    Here's the equipment you'll need to make these whipped strawberry pie bars:

    • 13 x 9 baking pan - glass, ceramic, or metal all work. I usually use glass to see the pretty layers from the outside!
    • Food processor - this is used twice - once for the graham cracker crust and again for the whipped strawberry filling. I use my Cuisinart food processor all the time, I love it!
    • Stand mixer with whisk attachment (optional) - if you don't have a stand mixer to whip the heavy cream, you can get store-bought whipped cream instead of heavy cream to use in the filling.

    How to Store Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars

    These strawberry bars are best chilled, so store them in the fridge. They will keep for 2-3 days. If making them ahead of time, wait to garnish the bars with the fresh strawberry slices until just before serving. They can get soggy and sad-looking if they sit too long.

    Unfortunately, these bars don't hold up very well in the freezer.

    Square cut strawberry dessert bars on a sheet tray with scattered graham cracker crumbs. Front row of bars in focus, others blurry in background.
    Cut strawberry dessert bars on a sheet tray. Each square is topped with a strawberry slice.

    Top Tips

    • Make sure the cream cheese is completely softened prior to baking so that you don't end up with chunks. If you still have trouble getting the mixture completely smooth, try using an immersion blender. Or if you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer to a regular blender and blend until smooth.
    • To get bars with clean slices, use a sharp slicing knife and wipe it off with a slightly damp towel in between each cut. This will make all the difference in presentation!
    Print

    📖 Recipe

    Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars

    square cut strawberry dessert bars on a sheet pan, each slice topped with a strawberry slice, scattered crumbs around
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    These Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars are one of my all time favorite summertime desserts! Smooth, creamy, whipped strawberry filling sits on top of a crunchy salty-sweet graham cracker crust. They're a beautiful bright pink color and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. 

    • Author: Kelly @ Butter and Thyme
    • Prep Time: 30 min.
    • Cook Time: 40 min.
    • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    • Yield: 12 bars 1x
    • Category: dessert

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

    • 1 sleeve (9) graham crackers
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

    STRAWBERRY MOUSSE FILLING

    • 1.5 lb frozen strawberries, thawed
    • 1 envelope (2 teaspoons) gelatin
    • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
    • ¾ cup heavy cream
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • pinch salt
    • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
    • fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepared a 13 x 9 baking pan by lining with aluminum foil, allowing sides to overhang, then spray with non-stick cooking spray.
    2. Process cracker pieces in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Slowly add melted butter and pulse until evenly distributed.
    3. Firmly press crumb mixture in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to brown. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let crust cool completely.
    4. Strain strawberries over a bowl, reserving juices. In a small shallow bowl, mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 2 tablespoon reserved strawberry juice and sprinkle gelatin over juices-- let sit for about 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, heat remaining strawberry juice and cook until it reduces to 3 tbsp, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin has dissolved. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
    5. Process strained strawberries in food processor until smooth. Add juice-gelatin mixture to processed strawberries and mix until evenly combined.
    6. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream on medium-low speed for about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Gradually add sugar and salt and whip until stiff peaks form. Whisk whipped cream into strawberry mixture until just combined. Pour mousse evenly over prepared crust and chill for 4-6 hours.
    7. Slice into bars and serve! Garnish each bar with a fresh strawberry slice (optional). 

    Keywords: strawberry bars, strawberry dessert bars, strawberry dessert, whipped strawberry pie bars

    Did you make this recipe?

    We'd love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a rating and review in the comment box below.

    Nutella Brownies »

    About Kelly @ Butter and Thyme

    Kelly is the food photographer and recipe developer behind Butter & Thyme. She uses her culinary expertise to develop and share elevated nostalgic comfort food recipes for the inspired home cook.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      March 31, 2022 at 11:18 am

      Loved this recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Kelly! I’m a full-time recipe developer and food photographer currently living in northeast Ohio.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • ramekin with coffee creme brulee broken into to show creamy inside and shards of caramelized sugar on the spoon
      Creamy Coffee Creme Brûlée
    • copycat thin mints on a white platter, one with a bite out to show crisp interior
      Copycat Thin Mints (Girl Scout Cookies)
    • close up of top of an alcoholic shamrock shake in a glass with whipped cream, green sprinkles, and a cherry on top
      Boozy Shamrock Shakes
    • shallow bowl of homemade beefaroni on a blue placement on a red checkered tablecloth
      One-Pot Homemade Beefaroni

    Follow Me

    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • Facebook

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Kelly Ryan | Butter & Thyme