This strawberry cream cheese pretzel dessert is a sweet and salty dream, perfect for the summer. A brown sugar pretzel crust is topped with a rich, creamy strawberry cream cheese filling, whipped cream, and fresh, sliced strawberries.
Sweet and salty desserts are so delicious because of the way their flavors intertwine with one another, activating so many taste buds at one time. I love them, and I routinely serve delicious treats like apple cinnamon pretzel salad during the summer or chocolate chip pecan pretzel cookies for parties.
My newest sweet and salty addition to my rotation is this strawberry cream cheese pretzel dessert. It’s rich, creamy, and salty, with the summertime flavor of strawberries. It’s the perfect warm weather treat for any occasion, and it’s so easy to make!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients like cream cheese, pretzels, and whipped cream that you can find in any grocery store.
- Easy: This is an almost no-bake recipe. You only have to cook the crust. After that, you just mix and chill.
- Complex Flavor: The blend of ingredients creates a sweet and salty flavor with a combination of creamy and crunchy textures.
- The Perfect Summer Treat: This is a great recipe to make during the summer when strawberries are in season.
Ingredients
You’ll find a complete list of the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Cheesecake Version: Omit the strawberry pudding to create this delicious no-bake cheesecake strawberry pretzel dessert.
- Fresh Berries: Top this dish with your favorite fresh berries for even more summery flavor.
- Pretzels: Use crushed graham crackers for a totally sweet variation.
- Whipped Cream: You can use store-bought whipped topping if you prefer.
How to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese Pretzel Dessert
- Step 1: Crush the pretzels in a food processor. Then, combine the crust ingredients and press them into a prepared baking dish.
- Step 2: Bake until golden. Then, remove the dish and let the crust cool.
- Step 3: Beat the evaporated milk and pudding mix. Then, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Step 4: Beat the pink lemonade concentrate into the cream cheese. Then, beat the pudding mix into the cream cheese.
- Step 5: Spread the mixture evenly over the pretzel crust, cover, and chill for at least four hours.
- Step 6: Beat all the whipped cream ingredients in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Step 7: Spread the whipped cream over the dessert when ready to serve.
- Step 8: Top with sliced strawberries, and enjoy!
Tips
- If you’d rather not have to clean your food processor, you can place the pretzels in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- The pretzels should be coarsely crushed, not pulverized.
- Be sure your crust is fully cooled before adding the cream cheese filling.
- Stop beating your whipped cream as soon as stiff peaks form. Overbeating it will deflate it.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pretzel Dessert FAQ
Yes, it is. This dessert is a variation of classic strawberry pretzel salad.
Yes, you can. They can be used to top the dessert or added to the strawberry Jello layer.
If you don’t use enough butter and sugar to bind the crust or you don’t bake sufficiently, it will crumble. In addition, pressing the crust mixture firmly into the dish helps compact it, creating a cohesive crust as it bakes.
More Sweet Fruit Pretzel Dessert Recipes
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Strawberry Cream Cheese Pretzel Dessert
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 2 ½ cups coarsely crushed pretzels
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup butter, melted
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
- 5 oz evaporated milk
- 3.3 oz Sonic Strawberry Shake instant pudding (bought on Amazon)
- (2) 8 ounce cream cheese
- ¾ cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced into thin slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
Pretzel Crust
- Using a food processor or a large baggie, add pretzels and crush into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, add coarsely crushed pretzels, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla. Stir.
- Melt butter and add to the pretzel mixture. Stir to combine.
- Spread the pretzel mixture into the prepared baking dish, and press into an even layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes then remove and let cool completely.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small mixing bowl, combine a 5 oz can of evaporated milk and pudding mix.
- Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually beat in pink lemonade concentrate into the cream cheese.
- Next, gradually beat the pudding mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
- Spoon mixture onto cooled pretzel crust.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Homemade Whipped Cream
- To make the whipped cream, add heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to a medium bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form.
- When ready to serve, spread whipped cream over the filling mixture.
- Place sliced strawberries on top, slice and serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in a covered container or wrapped with plastic wrap.
- If you’d rather not have to clean your food processor, you can place the pretzels in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- The pretzels should be coarsely crushed, not pulverized.
- Be sure your crust is fully cooled before adding the cream cheese filling.
- Stop beating your whipped cream as soon as stiff peaks form. Overbeating it will deflate it.
Nutrition
What are the measurements for the homemade whipped cream? You just give direct not of the ingredients.
Hi Christine,
The measurements for the whipped cream are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Just use the “jump to recipe” button at the top and it will take you to the ingredients and instructions.
I hope you and your family enjoy this dessert. :)