Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake

Our strawberry pretzel cheesecake starts with a classic creamy cheesecake, but instead of a traditional crust, the cheesecake layer sits on a sweet and salty pretzel crust for a little bit of pretzel crunch in every bite. After baking, it gets topped with a fresh strawberry topping. The strawberry layer is made by cooking down fresh strawberries and then folding in even more chopped, fresh strawberries for extra strawberry flavor. The pretzel crust is made from combining crushed pretzels with melted butter and sugar. This strawberry pretzel cheesecake is everything we love about a classic creamy cheesecake, with the addition of fresh strawberries and a sweet and salty pretzel crust.  

Tips for the Best Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake:

• Use room temperature cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature before mixing it with the other filling ingredients. This ensures a smooth and creamy texture without any lumps.
• Be mindful of overmixing: When mixing the filling ingredients, avoid overmixing as it can lead to a fluffy cheesecake. Mix until the ingredients are just evenly combined for a creamier result.
• Allow proper cooling and chilling time: After baking the cheesecake, let it cool in the oven and then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight. This allows the flavors to develop and the cheesecake to set properly.
• Prepare the topping in advance: Make the strawberry topping a few hours before serving to give it time to cool and set. This ensures a perfect consistency and enhances the flavors when added to the chilled cheesecake.
• Slice with a warm knife: For clean and neat slices, dip a sharp knife into hot water and wipe it dry before cutting into the cheesecake. This helps prevent the filling from sticking to the knife.

Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake Components:

Pretzel Crust:

• In a food processor, pulse twists pretzels until they are broken into small pieces.
• Combine the crushed pretzels with melted butter and sugar to form a crust mixture.
• Press the crust mixture into the base of a springform pan and bake until golden and fragrant.

Cheesecake Filling:

• Beat room temperature cream cheese until smooth.
• Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix until just evenly combined.
• Bake the cheesecake in stages, starting at a higher temperature to achieve a golden edge, then reducing the temperature for a longer, gentle bake.

Strawberry Topping:

• Cook together sugar, vanilla bean paste, water, and diced strawberries until thick and bubbly.
• Create a cornstarch slurry by mixing water and cornstarch, then add it to the strawberry mixture to thicken.
• Remove from heat and add sliced strawberries, lemon juice, and zest. Let the topping cool before pouring it over the cooled cheesecake.

Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake Ingredient Notes:

• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor in your cheesecake.
• Pretzels: We use pretzel twists for the crust. We find that pretzels provide the perfect balance of saltiness and crunch.
• Vanilla Bean Paste: Vanilla bean paste adds intense vanilla flavor and specks of real vanilla bean to the strawberry topping. If unavailable, you can substitute with vanilla extract.
• Strawberries: Opt for fresh, ripe strawberries for both the topping and garnish to ensure the best flavor. Adjust the sweetness of the topping by using ripe strawberries and adjusting the amount of sugar to your taste.

FAQs:

Print

Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• ~5 cups twists pretzel 200 g
• 1 stick butter 113 g
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g

Filling:

• 5 packages of 8 oz cream cheese 40 oz total room temperature
• 1/4 cup heavy cream 60 ml
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups sugar 350 g
• 3 tablespoons flour 22 g
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs + 2 egg yolks

Topping:

• 200 grams small diced strawberries ~1 ½ cups
• ⅓ cup sugar 65 g
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• ¼ cup water 60 ml
• ½ cup water 120 ml
• ¼ cup cornstarch 30 g
• Zest 1 lemon
• 200 grams strawberries thinly sliced ~1 ½ cups
• Juice 1 lemon

Instructions

Crust:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
• Add the pretzels to a food processor and pulse until mainly small pieces remain (it should be all small pieces but before the pretzels become a dust. Most pieces should be about ¼-⅛” inch (or about .5 cm)
• Pour the pretzels into a bowl and break apart any remaining large pieces with your hands. Add the butter and sugar to the pretzels and stir to combine
• Press the crust into the base of a 9” springform and bake for ~10 minutes until golden and fragrant
• Remove and let cool while making the filling

Cheesecake:

• Butter the sides of the springform pan
• Beat the room temperature cream cheese for ~30 seconds until smooth. Add in the rest of the filling ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer until just evenly combined ~1 minute. Don’t mix too long as the mixture will get overly fluffy.
• Bake in a 500 degree F oven for 6-8 minutes (until just golden on the edges). Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for 1 hour
• Turn off the oven temperature, open the oven to remove the heat, and prop it open with a wooden spoon. Cool in the oven for 3 hours
• After 3 hours, remove from the oven and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Add the topping at least two hours before serving and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Topping:

• In a small saucepan on medium heat, cook together the sugar, vanilla bean paste, ¼ cup water, and 200 g small diced strawberries. Cook for about 10 minutes until bubbly, thick and strawberries are mostly broken down
• Right before the 10 minutes are up, in a measuring cup, create a cornstarch slurry by mixing together ½ cup of water and ¼ cup of cornstarch. Whisk the water and cornstarch together until no clumps of cornstarch remain. Add in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 2-3 more minutes until slightly thickened and glossy
• Remove from heat and add the strawberries and lemon juice and zest
• Let it cool for about 15 minutes before pouring over the cooled cheesecake. Set in the fridge for 2 hours until set. Slice and serve