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!
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!
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Key Ingredients
- 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.
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!
📖 Recipe
Whipped Strawberry Pie Bars
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.
- Prep Time: 30 min.
- Cook Time: 40 min.
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: dessert
Ingredients
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Process strained strawberries in food processor until smooth. Add juice-gelatin mixture to processed strawberries and mix until evenly combined.
- 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.
- 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
Anonymous says
Loved this recipe!
★★★★★