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This No-Bake Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is the ultimate easy dessert for spring and summer! The classic flavors of a strawberry pretzel salad are transformed into pie! With a salty-sweet pretzel crust, a rich and velvety cheesecake filling, and strawberry topping, this recipe has it all. No oven time – just more time for pie!
This pie has it all: salty pretzels, creamy sweet cheesecake, and yummy strawberries. It’s an twist on a classic cream cheese pie! There are three amazing layers to this pie: pretzel crust, cheesecake with cool whip, and strawberry pie filling. You could also top this with fresh berries!
What sets this strawberry cream cheese pie apart is the incredible contrast between the crunchy pretzel base and the light, whipped filling. Unlike traditional fruit pies that use gelatin or Jell-O, this recipe uses a thick, stabilized cream cheese layer that holds its shape beautifully without any complicated steps. By using a pre-made strawberry pie filling or fresh seasonal berries, you can customize the sweetness to your liking. It is a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing dessert that tastes even better than it looks!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Basics: This easy, no-bake strawberry cream cheese pie yields 10 servings and features three distinct layers: a 3-ingredient pretzel crust, a whipped cheesecake filling, and a strawberry topping. The recipe takes 30 minutes of prep time and requires at least 2 hours of chilling to set properly. It is a gelatin-free alternative to strawberry pretzel salad.
Ingredient Tips
- Pretzel Crust: To ensure your pretzel crust stays together and doesn’t crumble, make sure the pretzels (rods or twists) are finely crushed almost like coarse sand. Finer crumbs allow the melted butter and sugar to bind more effectively, creating a sturdy base that won’t fall apart when you slice the pie.
- Always start with room-temperature cream cheese. If the cheese is too cold, it will not incorporate smoothly with the whipped topping, resulting in a lumpy texture. For the creamiest results, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until completely smooth before folding in your whipped topping.
- Not all canned pie fillings are created equal in color. If you find your strawberry topping looks a bit dull, a professional baker’s trick is to stir in just one or two drops of red food coloring before spreading it over the cheesecake layer. This makes the pie look as vibrant as it tastes.
- You can also swap the pie filling for a pile of fresh, chopped strawberries!
- This pie would also be good with a graham cracker crust, Oreo crust, or shortbread cookie crust. If you’re not going to use the pretzel crust, I suggest graham cracker crust!
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Dorothy’s Expert Pie Tips
- Always start with room temperature cream cheese to aovid lumps in your cream pie.
- To substitute whipped cream in placed of the Cool Whip, beat 1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture (by hand, not with a mixer).
- Chill the pie crust while making the filling to firm it up so the crust doesn’t get soggy.
- It’s totally fine to use a store-bought pie crust for this!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (150g) finely crushed pretzels (about 3 cups pretzel twists)
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted Challenge Butter , melted
For the filling:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (226g) whipped topping
- 1 20 ounce can Strawberry Pie Filling or use fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Make the crust: stir finely crushed pretzels and sugar with melted butter. Press into a 9” pie plate. Chill until ready to fill.
- Make the filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk or fold in whipped topping until no lumps remain. Spread in prepared crust.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- When ready to serve: top with strawberry pie filling or chopped strawberries.
Recipe Notes
- Make sure your pretzels are finely crushed so they stick together – the larger the pieces the harder it is to get them to form a crust and it will be more crumbly.
- Skip the pie filling and top this with fresh berries if you prefer.
- Not all pie fillings are the same color! If you find that your can of strawberry pie filling isn’t as vibrant as you’d like, add a few drops of red food coloring to it before topping the pie.
- To substitute whipped cream in placed of the Cool Whip, beat 1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture (by hand, not with a mixer).
- Always start with room temperature cream cheese to aovid lumps in your cream pie.
Recipe Nutrition
How to make Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Let’s talk about PRETZEL CRUST! I crushed my pretzels in a food processor, but you can also use a rolling pin. The finer they are, the easier the crust sticks together.
- Stir together the crust ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Once the crust is done, we fill the pie! Beat cream cheese with sugar and a teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. I used granulated sugar but you could use powdered sugar if you prefer.
- Fold in the whipped topping until smooth.
- Spread cream cheese mixture in the pie crust.
- Spread your strawberry pie filling on top of your cream cheese layer and chill to set.
FAQs
Store this pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this pie. You can, without the topping, but the crust might get soggy.
I don’t recommend whipped cream cheese. It might not set up correctly. Be sure to use block full fat cream cheese.
Yes! You can top this pie with sliced fresh strawberries. If you want a glaze, you can toss them with a little sugar and a squeeze of lemon before topping.
Absolutely. While the pretzel crust is a signature of this recipe, it also works beautifully with a graham cracker crust, Oreo crust, or a shortbread cookie base.
To use real cream, beat 1.5 cups of cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture by hand. Avoid using a mixer for this step to keep the filling light and airy.
For the best slices, chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. If you make it ahead of time, it can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Favorite No Bake Pies
This post was sponsored by Challenge Butter in 2016. Post has been updated.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is a no bake cheesecake with a pretzel crust – or use graham cracker crust – and a strawberry pie filling on top! The perfect easy pie recipe.
I lost the recipe I use to use so I tried this one. Everything was good except Crust was just ok and doesn’t stay together
Did you make my crust or purchase one?
I made this with a chocolate crust and made it on Thanksgiving and it got ate first yummy 😋
Why can’t I print this recipe??
The print function is working for me. If you head to the recipe card (click jump to recipe at the top) there is a print button. Is that not working for you?
Should the pretzel crust be baked?
This looks amazing!! My Midwestern family always makes the jello salad version, but I’m vegetarian and don’t eat gelatin so I’ve been looking for a way to eliminate the jello. Strawberry pie filling is perfect!
Have you tried using agar agar?
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