Valentine's Day is approaching so I thought I would share with you this very cute strawberry love pie with a graham cracker crust and sweet whipped ricotta. If you are looking for an easy sweet treat to make your loved ones, this is for you. There are only a few ingredients and you don't have to be an expert baker to do this. The best part is you can make a 10-inch or a smaller 6-inch pie. Recipes for both sizes are included below.
Valentine's Day: Share the Day with the People You Love
Welcome to my world of love. I know, I know, Valentine's Day can be a big sappy day with hearts floating everywhere, chocolates, roses and special dinners. This day isn't necessarily all about couples and romance though. I remember one of the best Valentine's Days I ever had was with a close friend and her little boy. We hung cute hearts from the ceiling and he made me a little homemade card that was adorable. We giggled and did silly things and had the BEST time. So whether your plans are with your special honey, a group of friends or your big family: make a pie that has a fun name and share the love. 💕
I think what's great about strawberry love pie is you can make it any size you want really. First, I bought the larger, 10-inch heart pan which can feed 6-8 people with smaller portions. However, it's a lot of pie if you're just two people. So, I purchased the smaller heart pan which is more suitable for 3-4 servings. I ordered mine on Amazon, but here's the thing: heart pans are everywhere around Valentine's Day. Lots of options at Home Goods and TJ Maxx and I'm sure Walmart and Target have stuff too.
Assembling the Pie: Cover the Top or Leave the Crust Exposed? You Can Go Either Way With This
When I tested this recipe, I really liked the way the exposed graham cracker crust looked. It's possible to do this with the larger version. With the smaller pie, it's too small for this method. With the larger pie, it's inevitable some juices leaked over onto the crust so be ready for that. I don't care about stuff like this, but it does alter the presentation. You could also opt to spread out the strawberries right up to the edge, then add the additional strawberries, then the whipped ricotta (like the smaller of the two pies I made in the video). It's up to you!
Don't skip the whipped ricotta on this one. I get that it's a lot easier to spray a bunch of canned whipped cream on top of this pie. And it would probably still taste very good. But the sweet whipped ricotta is what takes this dessert to the next level. It's only three ingredients and a hand mixer. If you don't know how to make whipped ricotta - don't worry. My video shows the steps very clearly. You got this!
Easy Steps to Make Strawberry Love Pie
I hope everyone out there has a great Valentine's Day and that you are lucky enough to spend it with the people you love the most. In case you missed it, I also just posted a delicious Valentine's Dinner for Two with Steak au Poivre and Potatoes au Gratin. And if you absolutely love strawberries, I'm sure you'll love my adaptation of the famous New York Times Plum Torte, but made with - you guessed it - STRAWBERRIES! That is another winning dessert that once I start eating I cannot stop.
Print
Strawberry Love Pie with Sweet Whipped Ricotta
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 portions 1x
Description
It's time for a day of love and if you've got a sweet tooth, you will adore my strawberry love pie with sweet whipped ricotta.
Ingredients
Ingredients for LARGER 10-INCH PIE
For the filling
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, plus 6-8 extra berries for the top (see note#1)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crust
- 14 graham cracker sheets, ground (about 2 cups)
- 1 stick of salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
For the whipped ricotta
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings:
- Candy hearts decoration for the top of the pie, optional
- If no candy hearts, cut more strawberries and add to top
- Red and pink sugar sprinkles
Ingredients for SMALLER 6-INCH PIE
For the filling
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, plus 4 extra for top (see note #1)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crust
- 8 graham cracker sheets, ground
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
For the whipped ricotta
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings:
- Candy hearts decoration for the top of the pie, optional
- If no candy hearts, cut more strawberries and add to top
- Red and pink sugar sprinkles
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
* HEART SHAPED PAN NEEDED OR REGULAR 10-INCH or 6-INCH ROUND PIE PLATES CAN WORK TOO.
* ELECTRIC HAND MIXER
Instructions
- Cut the green leafy part off the top of the strawberries, then cut the strawberries into quarters (4 small pieces each).
- Transfer cut strawberries to a pot and add the sugar and vanilla extract. Stir to coat the strawberries in the sugar. Heat on low-to-medium heat – WITH THE LID ON – for 10-15 minutes stirring a few times in the process. The strawberries will be soft and cooked through with a lot of delicious juices.
- While the strawberries are cooking, cut 6-8 additional strawberries to place on top of the cooked strawberries when we assemble the pie later. These you can just cut in half – not quarters.
- Grind all the graham crackers in a food processor. If you don’t have one, put them in a bag and crush them with a pan or kitchen mallet.
- Add ground up graham crackers to a large bowl and add the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Mix well to combine all ingredients. Use spatula in beginning, then work the mixture with your hands. It should feel a little crumbly in the end – see video.
- Transfer graham cracker mixture to a 10-inch heart shaped pan or regular pie plate and spread out evenly. You can press gently with a measuring cup around the center to flatten. Use your fingers to press a little more around the edges so the crust doesn’t fall apart when you cut it later.
- Bake the crust in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until it’s slightly golden brown.
- Check your cooked strawberries at the 15 minute mark and make sure they are cooked through and tender. Remove from heat and let cool completely – should take about an hour for this.
- When the crust is cooked, set that aside to cool as well.
- Time to make the whipped ricotta. Add ricotta to a large mixing bowl, then add the vanilla and granulated sugar. Mix on medium, then high speed with your hand mixer. Be sure to scrape down the sides a couple of times in the process. In about a minute or two the ricotta will have a light and fluffy consistency. This is what we are looking for.
- The whipped ricotta should be added to the pie right before serving. After you make it, transfer the ricotta to a container and store in the refrigerator.
- Once your strawberries and crust are cooled down, add the cooked strawberries to the top of the pie. Two options here:
- Add the strawberries to the crust while leaving a small border of the crust exposed – that’s what I did because I like that look. However, it is inevitable that strawberry juice will spill over and disturb the presentation. I don’t mind this at all. J Then add your additional uncooked strawberries to the top. Wrap in plastic and put in refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight. This is a chilled dessert. The crust border option isn’t possible with the 6-inch pie size – it’s too small for that.
- Spread the strawberries across the entire pie covering all but a tiny sliver of the crust. Add the additional uncooked strawberries on top of that. Wrap in plastic and put in refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight.
- When you are ready to serve the pie, it’s time to add the whipped ricotta and candy hearts. Spread the whipped ricotta over the top of the strawberries.
- Once the ricotta is spread out you can decorate the top with tiny candy hearts like I did in the video, or red and pink sugar sprinkles or additional chopped strawberries. It’s your choice.
- Use a spoon to scoop out your portions – it’s a bit messy, but delicious!!!
Notes
- For the larger 10-inch pie you will need the full two pounds of strawberries for the topping. In addition to the 2 pounds, you’ll need 6-8 additional strawberries to put on top of the cooked strawberries. I bought two one-pound containers, plus they had smaller containers as well so I bought a smaller container too. For the smaller 6-inch pie, you can pull four strawberries from the one pound container and you’ll have enough for everything.
Leave a Comment