I remember eating strawberry pretzel dessert growing up and well into my adulthood. For some reason it has been quite a few years since I have had it. So I knew it was something I wanted to make. It really was one of favorite summer recipes to eat. So I got to work to update this recipe and make it a little less sweet.

So guess what I don’t put Jello in mine!! Say What!?!? I know a lot of people frown upon jello or maybe it’s just me. Instead I make a thickener for the strawberries instead. I cook some of the strawberries to make the sauce. After I make the thickner and it to the strawberries, I add even more strawberries to it.

Let’s talk about this creamy filling. I make a lighter filling, using  low fat cream cheese and lite Cool Whip with a little bit of sugar. This filling is to die for. It is so yummy. I cream the cream cheese for a few minutes to make it more creamy. I add in the sugar and vanilla. Once that is creamy, I add in the Cool Whip and it makes it so light and fluffy.

The pretzel crust is amazing. I browned the butter to add more flavor to the crust. I even add some honey, but you can switch the honey out for brown sugar. Something about strawberries and pretzels go so well together. Maybe it is the little bit of salt with the sweetness of the pie. This dessert is always a huge hit at parties and cookouts.

Happy Summer Baking ????????

Billie-Jo

Ingredients

• 4 cups of strawberries divided (2 cups diced and 2 cups sliced)
• ¼-⅓ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Juice from 1 lemon about 2 tbsp
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 cups of pretzels
• ½ unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 8oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 8oz container of Cool Whip

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add the diced strawberries, sugar and vanilla, cook low medium heat for about 4 minutes, smash the strawberries a little bit more.
2. Whisk together the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl, add this mixture to the strawberries cooking to thicken the strawberries. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the sliced strawberries to the strawberry mixture and cook for an additional minute. Allow the strawberry mixture to cool completely, place in fridge to cool completely.
4. While the strawberry mixture is cooling make the pretzel crust. Preheat the oven to 350. 
5. Pulse the pretzels until they are crumbles, set aside. 
6. Brown the butter, once butter is brown, Remove the pan from the stove and whisk the honey into the brown butter. Add the pretzels to the butter mixture. 
7. Add pretzel mixture to a pie pan and press down.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, let cool.
9. In a large mixing bowl mix  the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until mixture is smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Fold in the whip cream. 
10. Place cream cheese mixture on the pretzel crust, smooth top. Add strawberry mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
11. Pie will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 5 days covered well.

Tips & Recommendations

Use fresh strawberries. I like Snyders pretzels so that is what I use.

Hey there!!

I’m Billie, a recipe creator, food photographer, a girl that just loves to be in the kitchen and a travel lover.

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