This fancy Berry Cream Cheese Pie is the hybrid of a traditional cheesecake and a berry pie, but you don’t have to bake it. It’s so incredibly easy to make using Graham Crackers for the crust, cream cheese and sour cream for the filling and mixed berries for the colorful berry topping.
In my opinion berry cream cheese pies don’t get enough appreciation around the holidays and even during the berry picking season. Just think about it – everyone is busy making apple or pumpkin pies, while berries take an undeserved back seat. So if you want to switch things up, or in a mood for a berry pie since the strawberry picking season is around the corner – bookmark this pie recipe.
Why you’ll love this Berry Cream Cheese Pie
My extra fancy berry topping is out of this world due to the right proportions of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, and the cooking method used to break down the berries first into a compote, and then turn them into a delicious thick berry glaze. Berry lovers – unite!
Because I added sour cream and whipping cream to the cream cheese filling along with a bit of sugar — the filling is EXTRA creamy and EXTRA smooth, allowing the berry texture and tartness to really come through.
I also have to mention that the crust is amazing – it’s super soft, crumbly and tender, but also firm enough to hold the filling. love the combination of berries and buttery crust so much that I keep making berry desserts.
I used the stove top to cook the berries, but the pie itself doesn’t need to be baked in the oven.
Berry Cream Cheese Pie
Equipment
- 9.5 inch pie dish
Ingredients
Berry Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries, divided
- 6 ounces fresh blackberries, divided
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries, diced and divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crust
- 12 graham crackers
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Berry Topping
- Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir 3 ounces of raspberries, 3 ounces of blackberries, and 4 ounces of diced strawberries, and pour the lemon juice over the berries.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally while the berries start to release their juice and break apart. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook the berries for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep them from scorching on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Once the compote is thick and the raspberries and blackberries have broken down, remove from the heat, and use an immersion blender (or carefully pour the compote into a blender) to smooth out the compote.This step is optional, but it works best if you want a smoother compote.
- Pour the compote into a heat-proof bowl and let it rest at room temperature until cool.
Crust
- Grease a 9 ½ inch baking dish with shortening or butter. Set aside.
- Crush the graham crackers in a food processor, then pour in the melted butter while the processor is at low speed until the crumbs start to clump together.
- Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the greased pie dish. Place the crust in the freezer for 15-20 minutes or until it has hardened.
Cream Cheese Filling
- While the crust is in the freezer, pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium bowl and use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla, and use the electric mixer to mix until the cream cheese is smooth.
- Add the whipped cream, and mix at low speed until everything is combined and the mixture is fluffy and smooth.
Assembly
- Fold in the remaining 3 ounces of raspberries, blackberries, and 4 ounces of diced strawberries into the cooled compote from the first step and place it to the side.
- Spoon the cream cheese filling into the crust, and spread it out evenly. Then spoon the berry compote on top of the pie, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Serve chilled.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
And what do you think about this deep colored fruity and tart berry topping? Doesn’t it perfectly compliment a perfectly white cream cheese filling layer?
Equipment you will need
- Medium (2 quarts at least) saucepan
- Immersion blender or blender— Optional, if you want a smoother compote.
- 9.5-inch pie dish
- Food processor
- Medium and Large mixing bowls
- Electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Offset spatula — Optional, but it will help even out the pie filling.
How to make the beautiful berry glaze
The first step is to whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir 3 ounces of raspberries, 3 ounces of blackberries, and 4 ounces of diced strawberries, and pour the lemon juice over the berries.
Next, simply cook the berries for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep them from scorching on the bottom of the saucepan.
Once the compote is thick and the raspberries and blackberries have broken down, remove from the heat, and use an immersion blender to mix them into a smooth texture.
Substitutions
- You can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter for the pie crust.
- Plain yogurt can be used instead of sour cream for the cream cheese filling.
- Cool Whip can be used instead of homemade whipped cream, but the cream cheese filling will be much sweeter.
- You can save time by using a premade graham cracker crust at the store. The crust may be slightly smaller, so you may have a taller pie.
Serving Temperature
Chill the pie for 4 hours to make sure it’s firm enough to serve.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: The pie should be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crust will start to get soggy after that.
Freezer: This pie can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Cover it tightly with both plastic wrap and foil when you freeze it. Thaw it out overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
I recommend freezing it before adding the compote on top. You can refrigerate the compote in an airtight jar or container for up to 1 week.
Tips
- The berry compote should be cooled to room temperature before adding the remaining berries. You can place the compote in an ice water bath to help it cool quicker, or after half an hour, place it in the fridge. You don’t want to place it in the fridge while it’s too hot or that will lower the temperature of the refrigerator.
- A smooth compote is not necessary for this recipe, so you may skip the immersion blender step for a chunkier compote.
- The cream cheese/sugar mixture should be completely smooth and free of lumps before adding the whipped cream.
- The graham cracker crumbs should be firmly pressed into the pie dish, ideally with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup to ensure that the crust remains intact when the pie is sliced.
The layer of a cheesecake came out smooth and white and nicely separated from the berries.