Strawberry Basil Pie Recipe

Almost nothing beats a juicy, homemade pie chock full of fresh berries from their peak season during the spring and summer. While blueberry and cherry pies often get all the attention, what about the sweet, juicy strawberry? Step aside, strawberry shortcake – this year, we're making pie! While some strawberries are grown and harvested year-round, their true season is usually around April to early June, which is the perfect time to bake your first fruit pie of the year. Given that strawberries can be super juicy and sometimes lead to soggy bottoms, we've developed the perfect recipe for strawberry pie filling using fresh berries. To put a little fresh, herbaceous spin on it, we're adding some basil leaves, which pair excellently with sweet strawberries.

Of course, the best pies are made with homemade pie dough. We're gonna guide you through an easy method for creating pie dough by hand that you can rely on for years to come. While it may be intimidating at first, learning to make pie dough from scratch is worth the hassle and will elevate your pies to new heights.

For this summery strawberry basil pie, we're going to use fresh strawberries –  you'll need 2 ½ pounds. You'll also need sugar, fresh basil, cornstarch, and lemon juice for the filling. All-purpose flour, salt, and 10 ounces of cold butter (2 ½ sticks) cut into cubes will go into the pie dough. One of the best parts of pie making is that you really don't need a lot of ingredients, and you can make whatever fruit you use the star of the show. 

If you want to use frozen strawberries instead of fresh, thaw them completely before cooking and keep in mind that they may take a little longer to cook and thicken on the stove.

Add the strawberries, ½ cup sugar, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Set aside to macerate.

Add the flour, salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and cold butter cubes to a mixing bowl.

Pinch the butter cubes to blend them into the dry mixture until all of the butter is pea-sized or smaller.

Gradually stir in the water until a dry, shaggy dough comes together.

Empty the dough onto a work surface. Gently knead together, then cut in half.

Shape each half of dough into a circle. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Add the macerated strawberry mixture, basil, and cornstarch to a medium-sized pot.

Cook for 10–12 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened. Let cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Remove the pie dough from the fridge and roll each piece into a 12-inch circle.

Set one circle of pie dough into a 9-inch pie dish.

Add the strawberry filling.

Place the remaining circle of dough on top and pinch the edges shut. Trim away the excess.

Fold the edges of pie crust in gently (crimp, if desired).

Lightly brush the cream onto the surface of the pie and use a small knife to cut 2 holes for ventilation.

Bake at 375 for 65–70 minutes, until deep golden brown and bubbling.

Let cool for 1 hour before slicing.

When it comes to baking, there are things that do well in glass pans, while other items might better off baked in a metal pan. This is because metal and glass conduct heat differently. Overall, metal is the better bet. Otherwise, we'd probably all be using glass frying pans, too. All kidding aside, fruit pies are going to do best in a metal pan that can heat up quickly and bake the bottom of the pie — no soggy bottom here.

When you're making a pie with a crumb crust or one with a no-bake filling, you can totally use a glass pan. Also, if you only have a glass pie dish, you can use it for this recipe. If you're worried about the bottom being baked fully, bake it on the lower rack of the oven and carefully try to peek underneath. Since it's glass, you can see if the bottom is baked or not. Just be careful if it's hot!

When baking a yummy pie, it's understandable that you might get impatient and want to rush the process. Taking the time to wait on the dough to chill, the crust to fully bake, and then for the pie to cool can add up to several hours, but the timing for each of those components is crucial to providing an excellent outcome. If pie dough is used too soon, it will not become flaky and tender — instead, it will be tough and greasy. If you don't wait for your pie to cool after baking, it will be really hard to get a slice out.

Letting your strawberry basil pie cool for at least 1 hour allows it to set up nicely and makes it easy to slice. If you can make it ahead of time and wait even longer, it will set up more and not ooze as many juices. Try letting your pie cool for 3–4 hours, if you can spare the time. If you'd rather have a more firmly set pie with less sauce and less cooling time, try adding an extra two teaspoons of cornstarch to the filling.