The most delicious strawberry pretzel pie, with a buttery, graham cracker pretzel crust, two pounds of fresh strawberries in the filling and heaps of lightly sweetened whipped cream. I took inspiration for my pie from the classic layered dessert known as strawberry pretzel “salad”. I LOVED that dessert when I was a kid, with its salty sweet flavors, crunchy pretzel crust, and layers of fluffy whipped cream cheese and sweet strawberry jello. My strawberry pretzel pie combines all the salty-sweet-crunchy-creamy goodness of that recipe into a more grown up pie that my husband said was “the BEST strawberry pie I’ve EVER eaten”!
Looking for more strawberry recipes? You’ll love my strawberry orange creamsicles, roasted strawberry ice cream, chewy brown butter strawberry cookies, and strawberry crumb bars.
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Why You’ll Love This Pie
Salty and Sweet. I’m addicted to salty sweet desserts, like my salted chocolate chip cookies, which are just the BEST. I don’t understand people who don’t add salt to their desserts. It rounds out the sweetness, enhances the flavors and just makes them so much better.
Crunchy and Creamy. What could be better than crunchy, salted pretzels and graham crackers with juicy strawberries and clouds of whipped cream?
Easy to Make. The crust comes together quickly and bakes in a few minutes. Then you simply need to fill the crust with fresh strawberries and make a simple gelatin mixture to pour over the berries. It will be set in a few hours and ready to eat for dessert that night.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Crust
- Graham Crackers + Pretzels + Almond Flour. For the base of the crust, I used a blend of crushed graham crackers, pretzels and almond flour for great texture and a combination of sweet, salty nutty flavors.
- Sugar. I used light brown sugar to sweeten the crust, but you can also use white granulated sugar.
- Salt. A little extra coarse Kosher salt balances the sweetness and brings out more flavor in the crust.
- Butter. Unsalted melted butter brings the crust together and adds buttery flavor.
Strawberry Filling
- Strawberries. Be sure to choose the freshest, prettiest strawberries you can, as their flavor is the star of your pie.
- Sugar. Sweetens the filling.
- Strawberry Jam. A little jam in the filling adds a bit more sweetness and more concentrated strawberry flavor.
- Lemon Juice. Adds tartness and enhances the flavor of the strawberries.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Butter. A dab of butter adds richness and flavor.
- Gelatin. I use unflavored powdered gelatin to set the filling and hold all the berries together.
Whipped Cream
- Heavy Whipping Cream. Be sure to use heavy whipping cream, not table cream or light cream.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and stabilizes the whipped cream.
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and lightly grease a deep-dish pie pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, pretzels, almond flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened.
- Dump the crumbs into the pie pan, and firmly press them against the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
Strawberry Filling
- Wash and hull the strawberries, then dry them on a paper towel.
- Cut 1 1/2 pounds of the strawberries in half (or quarters, if they’re big), and arrange them in the baked crust.
- Take the remaining 1/2 pound strawberries and blend them into a liquid in either a blender or a food processor.
- In a saucepan, combine the pureed strawberries with the sugar, jam, lemon juice, vanilla and butter. Bring to a boil and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered gelatin until smooth.
- Pour the mixture back into the blender (or use an immersion blender), to blend for a few seconds until smooth, and there are no chunks of fruit, jam, or lumps of undissolved gelatin.
- Immediately pour the hot liquid over the fresh strawberries in the pie pan, letting it glaze over all the berries and settle down into all the gaps.
- Refrigerate the pie for 3-4 hours until chilled and set.
Whipped Cream
- To make the whipped cream, use an electric mixer (or a whisk, if you’re strong), and whip the cold heavy whipping cream and vanilla until thick. Add the powdered sugar and whip until soft peaks form that hold their shape.
- Serve slices of the pie with the whipped cream.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of pretzels should I use?
Any kind of hard pretzels, such as sticks or twists.
Can I leave out the almond flour?
The almond flour adds a nutty depth of flavor that works really well in this strawberry pretzel pie recipe, but you can leave it out if you like.
Will frozen strawberries work in this recipe?
No, they won’t. Frozen strawberries become soft and mushy when they thaw out. You need the best, freshest, prettiest strawberries for this pie.
How long does this pie stay fresh?
This is one of those pies that’s best made and eaten in the same day. You can cover the leftover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days, but as it sits, the juices in the berries break down the filling and soak into the crust, and it doesn’t look as pretty and appealing, although it still tastes great.
Can I use gelatin sheets instead of powdered gelatin?
I have no experience with gelatin sheets, so I can’t advise on how to use those. Powdered, unflavored gelatin is readily available in the US.
Can I use corn starch instead of gelatin?
I wouldn’t advise it. Corn starch will give the filling a cloudy, murky appearance, while the gelatin mixture glazes over the berries and gives them the most beautiful, crystal clear shine, like red jewels.
Does this pie taste like strawberry jello?
No, it really doesn’t. To set the pie, I boil pureed strawberries and sugar, then add unflavored powdered gelatin. This mixture, poured over the berries, sets the pie, holds it all together and helps maintain the strawberries’ bright red color. The fresh flavor of the berries is dominant, and is nothing like boxed strawberry jello.
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Strawberry Pretzel Pie
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Blender
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers
- ½ cup finely crushed pretzels
- ¼ cup almond flour, optional
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Strawberry Filling
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup good-quality strawberry jam or preserves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and lightly grease a deep-dish pie pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, pretzels, almond flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened.
- Dump the crumbs into the pie pan, and firmly press them against the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
Strawberry Filling
- Wash and hull the strawberries, then dry them on a paper towel.
- Cut 1 1/2 pounds of the strawberries in half (or quarters, if they're big), and arrange them in the baked crust.
- Take the remaining 1/2 pound strawberries and blend them into a liquid in either a blender or a food processor.
- In a saucepan, combine the pureed strawberries with the sugar, jam, lemon juice, vanilla and butter. Bring to a boil and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered gelatin until smooth.Pour the mixture back into the blender (or use an immersion blender), to blend for a few seconds until smooth, and there are no chunks of fruit or jam, or lumps of undissolved gelatin.
- Immediately pour the hot liquid over the fresh strawberries in the pie pan, letting it glaze over all the berries and settle down into all the gaps.
- Refrigerate the pie for 3-4 hours until chilled and set.
Whipped Cream
- To make the whipped cream, use an electric mixer (or a whisk, if you're strong), and whip the cold heavy whipping cream and vanilla until thick. Add the powdered sugar and whip until soft peaks form that hold their shape.
- Serve slices of the pie with the whipped cream.
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