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Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake

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This Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake has a sugar pretzel crust with a zebra cheesecake pattern of strawberry and vanilla cheesecake. Topped with strawberry whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and strawberry pretzel streusel.

Overhead shot of a slice of Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake with focus on the top of the cheesecake.

My love of strawberry pretzel salad gets transformed into this Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake for an over the top cheesecake sensation.

A sensation?

Why yes, yes it is.

This cheesecake does have quite a few steps.

The crust.

Which is simply crusted pretzel thins with powdered sugar and butter.

The filling which is alternating layers of strawberry and vanilla cheesecake.

Then topped with a strawberry whipped cream.

Covered in a strawberry pretzel streusel that will totally be your new snack.

Side view of the inside of the cut cheesecake exposing the zebra pattern inside.

If you are unfamiliar with the the strawberry pretzel salad it was very big in the late 70’s and 80’s.

It was a layer of sugar pretzel crust.

Then a layer of cream cheese that was like a no bake cheesecake.

And then a layer of strawberry jello with fresh strawberries in it. It was odd.

But oh so tasty.

I fully admit I had planned on adding some fresh strawberries to the top of the cheesecake as well.

However, the day made this all the strawberries at the store looked dreadful.

Plus, once you put fresh fruit on anything you tend to have to eat it the day of.

And while I love cheesecake, I can only eat so much in one day. 🙂

Even I have my limits.

Slice of Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake on a small white plate with remaining cheesecake behind it.

You are going to ask if you can use fresh strawberries instead of freeze dried strawberry powder.

No.

It will make for a very soggy cheesecake.

It will also not have the flavor needed.

Freeze dried fruit has a very concentrated flavor without adding moisture.

That’s why I love it so.

I use it in the filling, the streusel, and the whipped cream.

For the pretzel crust and for the streusel I went with pretzel thins.

Because that is what I had on hand.

You could use pretzel sticks or pretzel twist and be just fine.

Slice of Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake on a small white plate in a pool of strawberry sauce with strawberry sauce dripping down the side of the cheesecake.

You may try and skip the strawberry pretzel streusel but you really need to make it.

So addictive.

The recipe does make more than what I put on the cheesecake.

I used the extra just as a snack and also on top of some ice cream too.

Just salty sweet goodness.

You can make your own strawberry sauce if you would like.

I had some strawberry sundae sauce and just drizzled that on my cake.

It’s a great day to buy my cookbook.

Shot of the full, uncut Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake.

Want More Cheesecake Recipes?

Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Toffee Cheesecake

Cinnamon Roll Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Caramel Corn Cheesecake

Vanilla Chai Latte Cheesecake

Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake

Strawberry Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • For the Pretzel Crust:
  • 1 ¾ cups finely crushed pretzel thin pieces
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 7-8 TBSP unsalted butter
  • For the Filling:
  • 2 1/2 lbs. (5 8 oz packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 TBSP flour
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 TBSP Rodelle Vanilla Extract
  • 1/3 cup freeze dried strawberry powder
  • 1/2 cup strawberry jam
  • For the Strawberry Pretzel Streusel:
  • 3 ¾ cups pretzel thins
  • â…“ cup milk powder
  • 4 TBSP freeze dried strawberry powder
  • 2 TBSP granulated sugar
  • 9 TBSP unsalted butter melted
  • For the Whipped Cream:
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 6 TBSP powdered sugar
  • 4 TBSP freeze dried strawberry powder
  • Store Bought Strawberry Sauce as garnish

Instructions

  1. For the Pretzel Crust:
  2. In a large bowl add pretzel crumbs and powdered sugar.
  3. Add about 7 TBSP melted butter.
  4. Mix until combined.
  5. If it seems like it needs more butter add the remaining TBSP (mine too the full 8 TBSP).
  6. Pour contents into a 9-inch springform pan and press to form a shell. The crust will go very high up the sides…you want this.
  7. Bake crust for 10 minutes at 325F. Set aside.
  8. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil and put it in a large roasting pan.
  9. For the filling:
  10. Cream the cheese on medium speed until very soft and creamy.
  11. With the mixer running, add the sugar.
  12. Beat until well combined.Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
  13. On low speed add the flour.
  14. Then add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer before adding each egg so that shell does not get into the batter.
  15. Scrape down the bowl at least twice while adding the eggs.
  16. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  17. Scrape down the bowl.
  18. Take out 1/2 of the batter and place into a medium sized bowl.
  19. Add the freeze dried strawberry powder and strawberry jam to that bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
  20. Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to pour some of the strawberry batter into the center of the crust.
  21. Use a second 1/2 cup measuring cup to pour the vanilla batter into the middle of the strawberry batter. (The batters will spread and as you add alternating scoops of batter, they will widen forming concentric circles.)
  22. Add a ladle of strawberry batter to the center of the vanila batter.
  23. Repeat with the remaining batters, alternating between the flavors until all the batter is gone.
  24. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  
  25. Bake at 325F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.Let cool to room temperature.
  26. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  27. For the Strawberry Pretzel Streusel:
  28. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  29. In a medium bowl with clean hands crush the pretzel thins until they are dime sized (some will be smaller)
  30. Add the milk powder, freeze dried strawberry powder, and sugar and combine.
  31. Add the butter and stir until the mixture is coated. Small clusters of cornflakes will start to form. 
  32. Spread the cornflake mixture out on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. 
  33. Remove the streusel from the oven and allow to cool completely. 
  34. For the Whipped Cream:
  35. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
  36. Add sugar and freeze dried strawberry powder and beat until stiff peaks form.
  37. Place in a piping bag and pipe onto the cheesecake.
  38. Top the cheesecake with the strawberry pretzel streusel.
  39. Drizzle with strawberry sauce to serve.
© Peabody

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