A chilled graham-cracker crust holds fresh strawberries coated in a lightly tangy, glossy strawberry glaze. Balsamic vinegar deepens the berries’ flavor without turning the pie into a cooked-fruit filling.

Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: About 10 minutes | Chill: 1–2 hours | Total: About 2 hours | Servings: 8 slices | Difficulty: Easy (2 of 5) | Cost: Moderate (3 of 5) | Region: American

Ingredients

• 1 prepared 9-inch graham cracker pie crust, cooled
• 8 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2/3 cup water, plus additional water as needed
• Whipped cream, optional, for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare the graham cracker crust in a 9-inch pie dish and allow it to cool completely. Rinse, drain, and hull the strawberries; halve any unusually large berries.
2. Measure 1 cup of the strawberries into a blender or food processor with the balsamic vinegar and 2/3 cup water. Blend until smooth. Add a little more water if necessary to make 1 1/2 cups strawberry purée.
3. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in the strawberry purée until smooth.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes to fully thicken the glaze, then remove from the heat and let stand for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Spread roughly 1/4 cup of the slightly cooled glaze over the bottom and sides of the cooled pie crust.
6. Arrange half of the remaining whole and halved strawberries in the crust, stem ends down where possible. Spoon half the remaining glaze over the fruit, coating the berries.
7. Add the remaining strawberries and cover with the remaining glaze, working gently so the berries remain in place.
8. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 1–2 hours, until chilled and set. Slice and serve promptly, adding whipped cream if desired.

Cook’s notes

• This fresh-fruit pie is at its best the day it is assembled; berries may release juice as it sits.
• Use a fully cooked or otherwise ready-to-eat graham cracker crust, not raw crust mixture.
• Keep the pie refrigerated at 40°F or below and avoid leaving it out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature exceeds 90°F.
• The original recipe uses water only to bring the purée to 1 1/2 cups; use less additional water if the strawberries are especially juicy.