Is this strawberry cheesecake? Is this strawberry pie? It’s neither, but it’s both. You’re looking at a no-bake strawberry cheesecake filling that tastes like strawberry mousse. It sits in a salty and sweet pretzel graham cracker crust and is prepped in a pie dish, not a springform pan (though that works too!). Baking the crust is key to its structure, so this isn’t completely no bake. Whatever you call it, this dessert recipe is 100% pure strawberry goodness and perfect for summertime.
Video Tutorial
Strawberry Cheesecake Pie Details
Flavor: Have you had plain no bake cheesecake before? It’s wonderfully tangy without an overpowering cream cheese flavor. In this strawberry cheesecake pie recipe, we’re flavoring the filling with strawberry. (And I have a no bake pumpkin cheesecake too!) The strawberry flavor is light because we aren’t using the crutch of artificial flavoring. Some strawberry pie recipes call for strawberry flavored gelatin powder, but we’re skipping it here. My #1 piece of advice is to only make this strawberry cheesecake pie when you have super sweet strawberries. You’ll find the flavor lacking if your strawberries aren’t in their prime. So, save this for the warmer months when strawberries are in their peak season. (I tested this recipe in May with the reddest strawberries I could find and the flavor was excellent.) Texture: By closely following this recipe, you’ll be rewarded with a slice of ultra smooth and creamy pie that’s reminiscent of mousse. It’s much lighter than a classic cheesecake or cheesecake pie. The filling’s light texture contrasts beautifully with the crisp crunch of the pretzel graham cracker crust and juicy sugared strawberries on top. The best bites are those with extra crust AND sliced strawberries! Ease: No bake cheesecake is A LOT easier than traditional baked cheesecake. Without eggs and baking, there’s really no room for huge error. For example, you can’t over-bake the filling and you don’t have to mess with a cheesecake water bath either. We’re essentially cutting every single complicated step and I know that’s music to your ears when it comes to from-scratch desserts!
Pretzel/Graham Cracker Crust Hybrid
Before jumping into the step photos and printable recipe, I want to explain the pretzel graham cracker crust. For the crust, you’ll use 1/2 cup of crushed pretzel crumbs and 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs. Stir these together with melted butter and some sugar.
Problem Using Only Pretzels: The crust does not set up properly using only pretzel crumbs. It was so sandy and crumbly that we couldn’t even cut slices. (And that’s after baking the crust to help it set, too.) Maybe using more melted butter would help, but that would require additional testing. Instead, using a blend of graham cracker and pretzel crumbs gives us that salty sweet flavor and it still maintains its structure. Can I Skip Baking the Crust? I don’t recommend it. Since we’re using pretzels and serving this out of a pie dish, the entire dessert benefits from baking the crust.
SAVE TIME: Bake and cool the crust as you prepare and cool the reduced strawberry puree.
Reduced Strawberry Puree Adds The Flavor
This recipe is similar to strawberry cream cheese pie, but today we are flavoring the filling with strawberries instead of just adding them on top. After or during the crust’s bake and cool time, start preparing the strawberry flavor. We’re following the same exact process that we use for strawberry cake, only starting with a little extra strawberries. Since we’re not baking this dessert, I recommend straining the puree to rid the seeds. Puree the strawberries, strain the puree, then reduce the puree on the stove. If some seeds slip through, don’t worry about—you can’t detect a few here and there. Depending on the pan and stove heat, reducing the strawberry puree down can take anywhere from 25-35 minutes. The 1/2 cup of reduced puree usually has the consistency of applesauce. Let it cool completely before using in the filling.
Step By Step Photos For Filling
The strawberry cheesecake pie’s filling is made in 2 bowls. In the 1st bowl, beat heavy cream into stiff peaks. The air whipped into the cream gives the entire cheesecake its structure and stability. Use the 2nd bowl for the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cooled reduced puree, and vanilla extract. 1st & 2nd bowl: Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then spread into the baked and cooled crust. I like using a large or small offset spatula, which makes it easier and keeps the pie (and slices) looking neat. Instead of the oven, the filling sets in the refrigerator. For a sturdy no-bake cheesecake with beautifully neat slices, refrigerate for at least 8-12 hours. This makes for a great make-ahead dessert! *Do not freeze the cheesecake to set it because the filling won’t slice and you’ll lose the creamy velvet texture. Whipped cream and sugared strawberries make a simple dessert look elevated! Both toppings are pretty convenient because you use the same ingredients in the filling.
