The perfect Fourth of July dessert
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of pretzels (crushed)
- 1/2 cup of melted butter (1 stick)
- 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 8 oz. of softened cream cheese
- 4 oz. of frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 8 oz. of sliced fresh strawberries
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out cream cheese from fridge to soften.
- Crush pretzels in food processor or by hand in a Ziplock bag. (Think similarly to making homemade graham cracker crust). Crush until it is mostly pretzel powder with some tiny pretzel bits inside.
- In a bowl, combine crushed pretzels with melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and press into a greased 9×9 in. baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
- While the crust cools, take your softened cream cheese, cool whip, vanilla, and sugar and mix until smooth. Wait until the pretzel crust is completely cool and spread cheesecake type filling over pretzel crust.
- Chill for at least 1 hour. About 30 minutes before serving, slice strawberries and create a design on top. Enjoy!
*I actually typically make the vegan version of this recipe–swap out for vegan cream cheese, So Delicious Cocowhip found here, and vegan butter.
*I was inspired for this recipe by Strawberry Pretzel salad, Southern staple, and combined it with the idea for a chilled pie, similar to a Key Lime Pie. A big thanks to my friend Jamie for introducing me to strawberries and pretzels for the ultimate sweet and salty combo!
*For best results, chilling overnight works best. However, it will be hard to resist the siren song of that pretzel crust. Make sure to chill for at least an hour for best results.
Bunny Bites 