summer heat, im already over it. you? although the heat does give me the perfect excuse to break out a whole series of no bake desserts for the blog! so there’s that! before strawberry season ends (so sad), you absolutely HAVE to make this strawberry pretzel cheesecake. no seriously. you need to make this no bake dessert like yesterday. er, today? you get my point- literally as soon as you possibly can!
describe this no bake berry cheesecake in a few words
- creamy
- sweet
- full of fresh strawberry flavor
- salty sweet
- cool
- refreshing
- easy to make (and even easier to eat!)
short + sweet ingredient list
you’ll need a handful of select ingredients to make this no bake strawberry pretzel cheesecake
- lots of fresh strawberries
- maple syrup
- lemon juice
- salt
- pretzels
- maple sugar
- you can also use light brown sugar
- salted butter
- vanilla extract
- white chocolate
- cream cheese
- vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
- heavy whipping cream
from these ingredients you will make the fresh strawberry sauce, the no bake pretzel crust and topping and the no bake strawberry cheesecake filling
the best (no) baking tools
grab these kitchen essentials for the best no bake cheesecake
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
- or hand mixer with beaters
- 9″ springfrom pan
- other options: 9″ cake pan or 9×9 pan for bars
- medium sized skillet
- for making the strawberry sauce
- food processor
- to make the pretzel crust
- or plastic bag and lots of manual crushing
- parchment paper
- to line the pan
- plastic wrap and foil
- to cover the cheesecake while it freezes
how to make a stunning no bake strawberry cheesecake
my top tips for a social media ready freezer dessert
- read through the recipe before starting
- from making the sauce, using room temperature ingredients and freezing the cheesecake, it takes time! make sure you allow enough time for each step
- use correct temperature ingredients
- room temperature cream cheese is still very slightly chilled, but a finger pressed into the center easily makes an impression
- melted butter should be slightly cooled
- heavy cream should be chilled for the best whip
- the strawberry sauce should be cooled to room temperature
- for a smooth filling
- use room temperature cream cheese
- scrape the sides as needed for a uniformly smooth texture
- create a beautiful top
- use a spoon or small offset spatula to swirl the top of the cheesecake before freezing
- freeze uncovered for 2 hours, then cover the cheesecake until about an hour before serving
- add fresh berries and crumble before serving
- plan the serving time accordingly
- this is a frozen dessert, so leave time to thaw
- for the cleanest cut, use a long sharp knife
- run under warm water prior to each cut and wipe after each cut
- store un eaten pieces, individually wrapped in the freezer
can I substitute this for that?
the best substitutes for this strawberry pretzel cheesecake
- fresh strawberries : use frozen berries, raspberries or blackberries
- maple syrup or maple sugar : granulated sugar or light brown sugar
- salted butter : unsalted butter + 1/2 tsp salt
- pretzels : keep this if you can!
- use GF pretzels if needed
- almond flour could also work for a grain free option (use 2 c)
- white chocolate : if you have to leave this out, that’s ok
- powdered sugar : use granulated sugar
- cream cheese : a good replacement is mascarpone cheese
- heavy whipping cream : use a pre whipped cream topping like cool whip
check out these other freezer favorites!
- summer berry icebox cake
- no-churn sugar cookie ice cream
- blackberry tiramisu icebox cake
- no bake margarita pie
- no churn tahini ice cream
strawberry pretzel cheesecake
this strawberry pretzel cheesecake is salty, sweet, creamy and full of fresh strawberry flavor. it's a simple a no bake, freezer cake made from a salty pretzel crust, fresh strawberry sauce and a creamy cheesecake filling. top with fresh berries and leftover crust crumbles for a show stopping dessert!
Equipment
- medium sauce pan
- food processor (or plastic bag)
- 9" (23cm) springform pan
- stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer with beaters
- parchment paper
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
fresh strawberry sauce
- 1 lb strawberries, leaves removed, cubed
- 1/2 c (118ml) maple syrup
- 1 tsp (5ml) lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
no bake pretzel crust and topping
- 2 c finely crushed pretzels (~ 4 c whole pretzels)
- 1/2 c (100g) maple sugar sub with light brown sugar
- 8 tbsp (113g) salted butter, melted sub 1:1 with unsalted butter + 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
no bake cheesecake filling
- 2 oz. (113g) good quality white chocolate, melted
- 24 oz. (675g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla bean paste sub with vanilla extract
- 1 c (125g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 c (177ml) cold heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 -1/2 c (79-118ml) strawberry sauce liquid
- whole strawberry sauce pieces
cheesecake toppings
- 1/2 c reserved crust
- 1 c fresh strawberries, quartered
Instructions
fresh strawberry sauce
- Add the strawberries, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt into a medium skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Once the mixture begins to bubble, lightly mash the berries to encourage them to release their juices. Cook down over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly. Once the mixture has thickened slightly (like a very runny preserve), remove from the heat. Pour the sauce into a heat proof container. Cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Move the sauce to the fridge to cool down until needed in the recipe.
no bake pretzel crust
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9" (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the pretzels in a food processor. Process in pulses until the pretzels resemble grains of sand. Pulse in the maple sugar until well combined with the crushed pretzels.Pour in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Process in pulses until the crust comes together in larger clumps. Pinch a little between your fingers. The mixture should hold together easily.
- Reserve about 1/2 c of the crust mixture to use as a topping (chill in the fridge). Pour the remainder of the pretzel mixture into the lined 9" (23cm) springform pan. Evenly press the crust across the bottom. The crust will naturally go up the sides slightly. There is no need to create a side crust unless you want! Place the pan in the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.
no bake cheesecake filling
- In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in 20-30 second increments until fully melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Strain the cooled strawberry sauce liquid into the cream cheese, reserving the whole pieces to fold in after making the filling. Add vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat on low, increasing to medium speed until well combined and creamy.
- Pour in the melted (cooled) white chocolate and heavy cream. Beat on medium, increasing to high speed until thickened to a medium firm peak (the peak will fold down). The consistency will look like a thicker yogurt.
- Fold in the reserved whole pieces of berries from the strawberry sauce.
- Pour into the chilled pretzel crust. Chill the entire cheesecake in the freezer for 2 hours. After 2 hours, wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap. Chill an additional 4 hours – overnight in the freezer. If freezing longer than 6 hours total, wrap the top with foil.
serving
- About 30-45 minutes before serving, bring the frozen cheesecake to room temperature. Depending on the temperature of the room, this could happen faster, or take a little longer. Right before serving, top the cake with fresh berries and the reserved pretzel crust.
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