How to make strawberry delight, a layered dessert with a pecan crust, no bake cream cheese layer, and fresh strawberries. It's so dreamy and easy to make, and perfect for any occasion, be it a holiday, potluck, or special gathering!
Strawberry season is right around the corner, and I’ve got strawberries on the brain. While I love a good strawberry cream pie, my sweet tooth also loves strawberry delight with its strawberries and cream cheese filling.
Two of my favorite ways to make this dessert are by making a strawberry delight with vanilla pudding or strawberry angel delight. They're both cool, refreshing twists to this great dessert.
The creamy filling requires no bake time, but the crust will, depending what type of crust you decide to make. Personally, I love making strawberry delight dessert with my favorite pie crust with pecans; however, you can make a completely no bake strawberry delight with an easy no bake graham cracker crust, just like the one used in this no bake lemon icebox pie recipe.
Love Dream Whip Desserts and want another flavor? Try blueberry delight or cherry yum yum! And for the fall season, make this pumpkin delight recipe.
Occasions Perfect for This Amazing Dessert
Strawberry delight with pecan crust is the perfect dessert you can make ahead for all sorts of special occasions, including…
- Potlucks. Make it ahead and take it to church potlucks. It'll be the talk of the crowd.
- Holidays. It's especially suited for holidays like Easter and Valentine's Day, even Thanksgiving and Christmas, for those who grow weary of pumpkin and gingerbread.
- Birthdays. Once you make this no bake strawberry dessert, cake may be out of the picture. It's that good.
- Picnics. Oh yes, the summer picnic, or the 4th of July picnic. Talk about a beautiful dessert for the dessert table!
- Family Gatherings. Whip up this amazing dessert for family dinner!
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes:
You'll need a few simple ingredients to make this strawberry delight dessert.
Crust –
- Salted Butter – I recommend using real butter; margarine will change the texture of the finished crust.
- All-Purpose Flour – This is a press-in crust, so it's very easy to make gluten-free by just subbing a good all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Chopped Pecans – You can make the crust without pecans, but the pecans really make this crust what it is. If you just don't like nuts, you can also press crushed pretzels into the pie crust instead of pecans.
You can also just buy a store bought crust and press pecans into it, although this will likely make a smaller pie, so you'll need 2 crusts.
Crust Alternatives for No Bake Strawberry Delight
To make this a completely no bake dessert recipe, you have a few alternative options…
- Graham cracker crust – Use graham crackers, or graham cracker crumbs, to make a no bake crust or graham cracker base. One reader suggested lining a graham cracker crust with sliced bananas. Yum!
- Pecan Sandies crust – Make it like you would a graham cracker crust.
- Vanilla Wafer crust – Use Nilla Wafers to make a very yummy no bake crust.
Strawberry Topping –
- Corn Starch – This acts as a thickening agent for the strawberry topping.
- Water
- Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar.
- Fresh Strawberries – You'll need fresh sliced strawberries, and you'll also need strawberry purée. You can use frozen strawberries. Just be sure to slice them up while frozen; then allow them to thaw and completely drain before using, so they don't add unnecessary moisture to the topping. I do recommend fresh berries, though, if at all possible, for better flavor.
Cream Cheese Filling –
- Cream Cheese – I recommend full fat cream cheese.
- Dream Whip – You can sub Cool Whip and make this a Cool whip strawberry delight dessert.
- Whole Milk – You can sub 2% milk or skim milk, but I highly recommend whole milk for a really creamy texture.
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar – or confectioners' sugar.
How to Make Strawberry Delight
First things first, we'll start with the crust. Then we'll make the topping, so it can cool. Then finally, we'll make the Dream Whip filling.
How to Make the Pecan Crust
I like to make the my favorite nutty pie crust ahead of time, and that way it's ready to go when I need it. And yes, you can freeze it for later.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter and flour, forming a soft dough.
- Stir the chopped pecans into the dough until they’re all mixed in.
- Press the dough into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Bake at 350° F for about 20 minutes, or until the edges of the crust begin to turn a nice golden brown (baking times can vary). Then let the crust cool before adding any filling.
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Topping
The strawberry topping, or strawberry pie filling (cuz that's really what it is), is probably my favorite part of this dessert, besides the cream cheese. It’s quick and easy to make too.
- First make strawberry purée by adding 1-2 cups fresh strawberries to a blender and blend into a liquid purée; you'll need 1 cup strawberry purée. Set the rest of the sliced strawberries aside for now.
- Whisk together the corn starch and water in a small glass measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the corn starch mixture, strawberry purée, and sugar to a medium sauce pan and whisk 'til combined.
- Bring the strawberry mixture to a boil over low to medium heat, and boil for a good 3 to 5 minutes, or until it really thickens up and becomes a deep red color. Then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
Make the Dream Whip Cream Cheese Filling
Now some people do make this no bake strawberry dessert recipe with cream cheese and Cool Whip, but I’ve carried on my mom’s tradition of a creamy Dream Whip filling. I like to call it angel fluff.
When you mix Dream Whip with cream cheese, it becomes this amazing dreamy filling with all that cream cheese goodness. It makes an excellent strawberry no bake dessert.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese separately first thing. This will help it soften up more, and it will blend in better with the Dream Whip, once you’re ready for that step.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the Dream Whip envelopes with the milk and vanilla, according to package directions. Whisk it until it begins to form soft peaks, about 4 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and powdered sugar to the Dream Whip mixture, and whisk for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until the cream cheese mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Spread the Dream Whip cream cheese filling onto the prepared pie crust. You can save back just a little bit of whipped cream for a whipped topping on the final dessert if you want.
Layer the Strawberry Topping
- Once the strawberry sauce has cooled, mix it together with the rest of the sliced strawberries you set aside earlier.
- Then spread the strawberry layer on top of the Dream Whip filling.
- Cover the assembled dessert with plastic wrap, and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible, before serving.
When it’s ready to serve, you can top off strawberry yum-yum with a dollop of whipped cream or serve it as is. It’s so delicious! It’s strawberries and cream at its best, a most refreshing dessert!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can freeze it. In fact, you can freeze it either before or after you add the berry topping. Just be sure it’s in a airtight container or covered really well so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It should last up to 6 months in the freezer.
You should keep it covered in the refrigerator, and it'll keep for about 3-4 days.
Yes, you can, though fresh berries give better flavor. Just be sure to slice the berries up while still frozen; then allow them to thaw and completely drain before using, so they don't add unnecessary moisture to the topping.
Recipe Variations
There are a few ways you can tweak this recipe to make it a little bit different…
- Use more berries than just strawberries. Add blueberries or blackberries, for instance.
- Drizzle chocolate on top of the final dessert.
- Serve it with a garnish, like fresh mint leaves or a dollop of extra whipped cream.
More Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
- Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
- Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
- Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
- Gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp
Find my original recipe for this strawberry dessert over at Adventures of Mel!
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. And subscribe to my email list too!
Strawberry Delight
Ingredients
Pecan Crust:
- 12 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Strawberry Topping:
- 8 cups strawberries sliced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
Dream Whip Filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 envelopes Dream Whip
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Pecan Crust:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter and flour, forming a soft dough.
- Stir the chopped pecans into the dough until they’re all mixed in.
- Press the dough into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Bake at 350° F for about 20 minutes, or until the edges of the crust begin to turn a nice golden brown (baking times can vary). Then let the crust cool before adding any filling.
Strawberry Topping:
- First make strawberry purée by adding 1-2 cups of the fresh strawberries to a blender and blend into a liquid purée; you'll need 1 cup strawberry purée. Set aside the rest of the sliced strawberries.
- Whisk together the corn starch and water in a small glass measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the corn starch mixture, strawberry purée, and sugar to a large sauce pan and whisk 'til combined.
- Bring the strawberry mixture to a boil over low to medium heat, and boil for a good 3 to 5 minutes, or until it really thickens up and becomes a deep red color. Then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely.*
Dream Whip Filling:
- Beat the cream cheese separately first thing. This will help it soften up more, and it will blend in better with the Dream Whip, once you’re ready for that step.
- In a separate mixer bowl, whisk together the contents of the Dream Whip envelopes with the milk and vanilla. Whisk it until it begins to form soft peaks, about 4 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and powdered sugar to the Dream Whip mixture, and whisk for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until the cream cheese mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Spread the Dream Whip cream cheese filling onto the prepared and cooled pie crust. You can save back just a little bit of whipped cream for a whipped topping on the final dessert if you want.
Layer the Strawberry Topping:
- Once the strawberry sauce has cooled, mix it together with the rest of the sliced strawberries you set aside earlier.
- Then spread the strawberry sauce mixture on top of the Dream Whip filling.
- Cover the assembled dessert and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.
- When it’s ready to serve, you can top it off with a dollop of whipped cream or serve it as is. It’s so delicious!
Notes
- Graham cracker crust
- Pecan Sandies crust – Make it like you would a graham cracker crust.
- Vanilla Wafer crust
Why call it no bake when you have to bake the crust?
Ginger, the no bake is assuming that you have made the crust ahead of time. I often make these crusts ahead of time and put them back in the freezer. It works well so that I can just pull them, throw everything together and into the refrigerator for consumption at a later time.
Could I use a jello pudding instead of the cool whip? I thought of Bannana cream pudding with strawberries on the top.
Although I have not tried it myself, I’d bet that would turn out very good. I don’t see a problem with it! Let me know how it turns out if you do so.
Why are there no instructions for the strawberry puree?????? This is incomplete.
Replying to your comment because i just got done making this. she did have it in her instructions! you have to go to walmart and buy the strawberry purée. then you mix the corn starch and water and put it in the saucepan with the strawberry purée and sugar and bring to a boil and that’s all!
I really wanted to try this but would it have killed her to have included a recipe for pureed strawberries? or let us know we needed to get them and where? this really ruined me wanting to make this…call me a baby but she could edit it and it would be so much better…strawberry puree isn’t that hard to make is it? she went to the trouble of telling people how to make a pecan crust. tsk tsk …
That was an unkind thing to say to someone who just shared her recipe with all of us. 🙁 A little kindness goes a long way. 🙂
You can use a box of strawberry Jello instead of the puree. I have always use dry jello! You can also use any kind of berries that you want to use as long as you can get that flavor jello. Blackberry is delicious! Hope this helps.
Wow
You can make your own strawberry purée . Put about 6 large strawberries into a blender and purée the berries, should make about 1 cup of purée. This is what I did and this recipe was great!
I to was unable to find instructions for the purée so I winged it. I used just over a cup of strawberries and added some water and puréed it in my food processor. So hopefully that works, also using a cool whip cream cheese filling that I use for other desserts. Thanks for the dessert idea for Father’s Day!
That sounds delicious, Denise. Thanks for the feedback!
I’m sorry but I just don’t see the instructions for the strawberry puree. I have looked where you said it would be and it is just not there. I ran off the recipe card & I still don’t see it.
Okay, so I went back to the recipe, there are no instructions on this thread on how to make the puree. I did, However, look around at other recipes of yours on a different site (not on this one) & I did, FINALLY, find out how to make the puree. This has been an hour long process to get the information. When so many comments where made about not seeing it , perhaps you should have logged on to it and see what we see.
I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, Fran. I will look into this. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Mel,
I’m excited to try this yummy-sounding recipe! Would you please edit the instructions to include how to make the strawberry purée you said to use a cup of? I would sincerely appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing! 😋
Thanks for the suggestion, Debbie! I may do this.
What a bunch of complainers. Use your common sense. It’s not hard to purée something. Use a blender. That’s what I did with no problem. Turned out perfect.