This Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie has a salty-sweet pretzel graham cracker crust, a rich and creamy cheesecake filling, and a fresh homemade strawberry topping. It’s an easy, make-ahead dessert that looks impressive and tastes even better.

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Is it a strawberry pie? Is it a cheesecake? The truth is, this Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is probably more of a hybrid between the two, but categorization aside, all we really need to talk about is how delicious it is!

The pie has a beautiful balance of all the different layers, beginning with the sweet and salty crumb crust, the baked cheesecake layer, the juicy and bright strawberry topping and of course, the whipped cream tying it all together. I can almost guarantee, everyone is going to love this pie.

And if you've ever been intimidated to make a cheesecake before (the stress about making sure it doesn't crack, and you don't overwhip it, and all the other possibly fails!)...let this be your stepping stone into cheesecake. This has very similar ingredients but is so much less complicated to make.

So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below details all the information you need to know to make these successfully, concluding with the recipe at the end. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.

Jump to:

Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
The Star Ingredient: Strawberries
Pie Crust Options
How to Make It
Best Tips for Success
Serving / Storing
More Strawberry Recipes
More Fruit Desserts
Full Recipe

Ingredients Needed and Substitutions

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed. The recipe card lists the full recipe with quantities and detailed instructions (located below this article).

ripe strawberries
pretzels + graham crackers (this is for the pie crust, see the section below for swapping them out with another crust)
cream cheese (use the Philadelphia brand if you can)
sour cream
butter
granulated sugar
salt
eggs
vanilla extract + almond extract (the almond is optional, but helps the strawberry flavor pop)
cornstarch
whipped cream (for serving, optional)

The Star Ingredient: Strawberries

It's best to use fresh, in season strawberries for this recipe. I often recommend using frozen fruit in my other recipes, but I think fresh strawberries are the best option for this pie. Since strawberries can vary pretty drastically when it comes to sweetness, I recommend It's tasting your strawberries before starting the recipe. The recipe gives a range of sugar to add. If they are tart, the higher amount of sugar should be used, while if they are sweet, less sugar will suffice.

Pie Crust Options

Crumb crusts are great because they require less work. They’re also an excellent way to add contrasting texture to a pie, especially with a fruity cheesecake filling like this one. While some crumb crusts need to be parbaked, this recipe doesn’t since the crust bakes right along with the cheesecake.

Using graham crackers for the crust felt like an obvious choice with this cheesecake-esque recipe, but I also love the flavor of pretzels with strawberries (see here) so I combined the two and made a pretzel graham crust!

Making a pie crust for a strawberry cream cheese pie.

Step 1: Use a food processor to grind up the pretzels and crackers.

Step 2: Once finely ground, combine with the melted butter and sugar. The mixture should resemble wet sand and easily hold together when squeezed.

Step 3: Transfer the butter crumb mixture to a pie plate. Form the edges of the crust first.

Step 4: Then smooth out the middle into an even layer and compact it down with a measuring cup, or something similar.

Here are some other crumb crust options for that will go well with a strawberry cheesecake pie:

Crust Troubleshooting Tips

It's important to note that different brands of pretzels and graham crackers may require you to adjust the amount of butter or cracker crumbs in your recipe. If your crumb crust mixture turns out too dry, you can add a tablespoon of melted butter to the crumbs until they are evenly moistened. It's best to add the melted butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. If the mixture is too wet and difficult to work with, add more cracker crumbs until it reaches the consistency of wet sand.

How to Make It

This pie comes together in a few simple steps: mix up the crust, bake the creamy filling, top it with fresh strawberries, and let it chill until set. It’s easy to make, totally doable, and so worth the effort. Here is a visual overview (and scroll down to the bottom for the full recipe):

A bowl of cream cheese in an electric mixing bowl.

Step 1: Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

Preparing the filling for the strawberry cream cheese pie.

Step 2: Transfer the filling to the prepared pie crust.

A cheesecake filling for strawberry cream cheese pie.

Step 3: Bake the cheesecake pie, then let it cool while the topping is made.

Step 4: Puree strawberries, combine with the sugar and thickener and heat on the stove.

A pot with cooked strawberry pie filling.

Step 5: Add the sliced strawberries and cook until simmering.

Step 6: Transfer the filling to the pie, and cool at room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator.

Best Tips for Success

The cream cheese filling is a simplified cheesecake that comes together easily with a mixer. Be sure to scrape the bowl to avoid lumps before adding other ingredients, since removing lumps later is more difficult. The ingredients don’t need to be fully at room temperature, but taking them out before starting the crust is helpful.
Bake the cheesecake pie until the filling is just set, but be careful not to overbake it to the point that the entire filling is puffed up. Not overbaking it is key for the perfect texture.
After baking the pie, let it cool for about 15 minutes so that the cream cheese filling can set properly and hold the weight of the strawberry filling. Spoon the filling on gently.
I don't recommend breaking this recipe down and making components ahead of time. For the best texture, add the warm strawberry topping directly to the cheesecake. Letting them set up together creates a more cohesive pie.

Serving / Storing

The components of this pie should all be made and assembled together all in one day, but the assembled pie can be prepared in advance. At a minimum, it should be made at least half a day before it is meant to be served, but best if made a day ahead. It’s best served chilled with a whipped cream garnish.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

More Strawberry Recipes

More Fruit Desserts

I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this Strawberry Cheese Pie recipe, please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, and tag me on Instagram!

Full Recipe

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

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5 from 2 reviews

This Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie, with a salty sweet pretzel graham cracker crust, a creamy rich cheesecake filling and a beautiful homemade strawberry topping, is an amazing and delicious (make-ahead) dessert everyone will love.

Author: Kelli Avila
Prep Time: 00:20
Chilling Time: 04:00
Cook Time: 00:55
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 8-10
Method: Bake

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Pretzel Crust:

6 ounces ground graham cracker crumbs (about 1-½ cups)
2 ounces ground pretzels crumbs (about ½ cup)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (more as needed)
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

For Cream Cheese Filling:

12 ounces (340 grams; 1-½ blocks) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (113 grams) sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

For Strawberry Topping:

16 ounces (1 quart) ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅓ to ½ cup (70 -100 grams) sugar (depends on how sweet the strawberries are)
1 tablespoon (10 grams) cornstarch
Pinch salt

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Instructions

Make the Pie Crust:

In a bowl, mix together the pretzel crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. The mixture should be damp, like wet sand, and will hold together when squeezed. If it is too dry, add more melted butter, a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon more graham cracker crumbs until it’s the correct consistency.
Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate and start pressing them up the sides of the pie plate to form the edges first. Once the edges are formed, work the crumbs down to evenly distribute them into the bottom of the pie plate. Then, pack them down into an even layer using a flat-bottomed cup or measuring cup.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Add in the sour cream, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
Transfer the filling into the prepared crust.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the outer 2-½ inches of the filling is slightly puffed and the filling doesn’t wiggle.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool while preparing the topping, at least 15 minutes.

Make Strawberry Topping and Assemble Pie:

To a blender, add ½ cup (3 ounces) of the sliced strawberries and lemon juice and blend until completely smooth.
In a medium pot, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add in the strawberry puree and stir to combine. Cook over medium low until the filling is bubbling, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in the remaining strawberries and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes back to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Gently transfer the warm topping to the top of the warm pie and smooth over the top.
Let the pie continue to cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to set up for 4 to 6 hours.
Serve chilled with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

Fresh, in-season strawberries work best for this pie. While I often use frozen fruit in other recipes, fresh is the way to go here. Since strawberry sweetness can vary, taste them first and adjust the sugar accordingly using the range provided.

A few other options for pie crusts that work with this pie are a Graham Cracker Crumb Crust, a Vanilla Wafer Crust or even a Biscoff Cookie Crust.

If you don’t have a scale, process the pretzels and graham crackers separately, then measure them. Different brands can affect texture—add melted butter if it’s too dry, or more crumbs if it’s too wet, until it feels like wet sand.

I don’t recommend making the components ahead. For the best texture, add the warm strawberry topping directly to the cheesecake so they set up together into a more cohesive pie. The entire pie can be assembled a day ahead of time.

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