Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Description
A nostalgic yet modern take on the strawberry pie made with a sweet and salty pretzel crust, cream cheese filling and fresh strawberry pie filling. Each bite is sweet, tangy, salty, and fresh.
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Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 1 ½ pounds strawberries, washed and hulled
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, zested (1 teaspoon)
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cornstarch (7 teaspoons)
Pretzel Crust
- 4 cups (150g) pretzel twists
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, melted
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 8 ounces (226g) block cream cheese (full-fat), at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
Instructions
Strawberry Filling
- Chop enough strawberries to get 1 cup (150–160 grams). Cut remaining strawberries into quarters (3¼ cups or about 450 grams) and set aside.
- Add chopped strawberries, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, lightly mashing with a potato masher, until mixture comes to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Add to strawberry filling and stir to combine, boil 1 minute or until thick and jam-like. Immediately remove from heat and let cool completely.
Pretzel Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC). Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add 4 cups pretzels and ¼ cup sugar to a food processor (or blender) and process until finley ground, about 30 seconds.
- Add 8 tablespoons melted butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand.
- Press mixture into bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate.
- Bake pretzel crust until fragrant and dry to touch, 12–14 minutes (crust won't change color much).
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip 1 cup cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 8 ounces cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides and whisk as needed.
- Add ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon almond extract and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, creamy, and lightly whipped, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
- Gently and slowly fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture in thirds until combined.
- Spread cream cheese filling into slightly warm crust.
- Stir quartered strawberries into cooked and cooled strawberry mixture, then spoon over top of pie, leaving a 1-inch border around edge. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Sally’s Baking Recipes.
Spread the cream cheese filling into a slightly warm crust: this will help the cream cheese layer adhere to the pretzel crust.
Cook the filling until it’s thickened and jammy—but don’t keep cooking it: if you cook the cornstarch too long, it will break down and the mixture will thin out again. The key is to cook the mixture until it’s thick and jammy and then remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
Cool the cooked mixture completely before adding the fresh strawberries: this is key for achieving a pie filling texture and thickness. If you add the fresh berries while the mixture is hot, it will encourage the berries to release moisture and will in turn thin out the filling that you just worked to thicken.
Allow the pie to chill for a few hours before serving: a few hours in the refrigerator allows the pie to settle and meld a bit. This also helps the strawberry layer thicken up a bit. 8–12 hours is ideal.
The first piece is the messiest: this pie can be pretty messy—it’s just the style of pie it is. Like with pancakes, the first slice is never the prettiest. And in this case, it’s also the messiest. Once the first piece is out of the pie pan, it’s much easier to cut the pie into cleaner slices.
Pretzels: shape of pretzel doesn’t matter here since they will get finely ground for the crust. I developed this recipe with regular pretzel twists, if you’re using a different shape, I recommend measuring by weight to ensure you’re using the correct amount.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 4.5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 347mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17g
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