In my opinion, fruit topped cream cheese pies are such a refreshing dessert, especially in the summer. The saltiness along with the crunch of the pretzels adds to the texture of the crust, and the overall taste of the finished pie. *The cornstarch helps to firm up the crust and is used to achieve the desired crunchiness.
The crust for this pie is baked and then filled with a no bake cream cheese filling. I like to make this pie the day before it’s going to be served, but it can be made the same day if you make it early. It will need to be refrigerated for at least four hours before serving.
Let’s begin by making the crust
Ingredients for crust:
- 7 large (105 grams) graham crackers
- 3½ ounces (100 grams) pretzels
- 3 tablespoons (24 grams) cornstarch*
- 3 tablespoons (24 grams) brown sugar
- 8 tablespooons (113 grams) butter, melted
Ingredients for cream cheese filling:
- ¾ cup (180 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 16 ounces (453 grams) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (57 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions to make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray pie plate with baking spray and set aside until ready to use.
Place graham crackers and pretzels in a food processor and pulse until you have a fine crumb. This can be achieved by putting them in a large ziploc bag and crushed using a rolling pin (this can help release any pent up frustration too…wink wink).
Add the cornstarch, brown sugar and melted butter to the finely crushed crumbs. Mix until everything is combined.
Press the crumbs on the bottom and up the sides of prepared pie plate. Be sure to make sure the crumbs are firmly packed. I like to use the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup.
Bake the crust in preheated oven (on the middle rack) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you are making the filling.
Instructions for cream cheese filling:
Whip heavy whipping cream in a medium mixing bowl until you have stiff peaks. Don’t over whip or the cream will break or it will be too dry to fold into the cream chease mixture.
Place the softened cream cheese and sugars in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium/high speed until mixture is smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds.
Spoon the filling into the pie crust and spread evenly with a small offset spatula or the back of a large spoon. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Strawberry Topping:
1½ cups (250 grams) strawberries, quartered
Instructions for topping:
Make strawberry sauce and allow it to come to room temperature. Once the sauce has cooled, stir in the quartered stawberries.
Gently spoon the topping over the chilled pie, covering the cream cheese filling. Serve with whipped cream. This is an option, but I highly recommend it.
You can use store bought strawberry pie filling if you don’t want to make your own (I won’t judge😉).
I made homemade topping by beating one cup of heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons (14 grams) of confectioners’ sugar until it’s firm enough to pipe or spoon onto pie. You can also use cool whip or canned whipping cream.
Enjoy!!
I hope you make this yummy confection for your next summer get together. If you do, please tag me on Instagram @goodeatsbymimi. I would love to hear from you and see your pictures.