Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

Life is too short to not enjoy dessert! We’ve combined the elements of one of our favorite childhood desserts with our grown-up values to create a dessert that’s equally fitting for an everyday weeknight treat or a special occasion. We think you’ll love the salty-sweet-creamy combination in this Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie. 

 This post was created in collaboration with Alden’s Organic

Growing up in the upper midwest it was almost a guarantee that someone would bring some variation of a dessert commonly referred to as the “Strawberry Pretzel Dessert”. Sometimes it was made with strawberry gelatin and sometimes it was made with an overly sweet homemade strawberry jam – but it always included pretzels and a creamy filling like sweetened cream cheese. While probably not the most nutrient-dense option on the potluck table, that sweet-creamy-salty-crunchy combination sure was delicious!

 Today, we’re sharing a frozen dessert that’s a nod to that childhood favorite. We’re really excited about it because we’ve teamed up with Alden’s Organic to use their Vanilla Bean ice cream and just a few other simple ingredients to make a fun dessert that can be enjoyed year-round and for any occasion. 

September is National Organic Month and what better way to celebrate than with a slice of this Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie? Made with just a handful of organic ingredients, it’s a sweet way to indulge in dessert while supporting organic agriculture and family farms.

3 Reasons to Make This Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

1. It’s delicious
2. It’s easy
3. It’s perfect for any occasion (including National Organic Month!)

And did we mention that it’s also made with organic ingredients? Now that we’re all grown up, we put more thought into what goes into the recipes we create and using organic ingredients whenever possible is one of our own personal values. And that’s why we choose Alden’s Organic ice cream, novelties, and dairy-free frozen desserts for our own families. 

Alden’s Organic is America’s best-selling organic ice cream. Alden’s started making ice cream in 2004 in Eugene, Oregon where they still make every batch using milk from small, family-owned organic farms. 

All of their products are non-GMO and certified organic and are available at over 10,000 natural, specialty, and traditional stores across the U.S. 

Why Choose Organic?

Choosing foods with the USDA organic symbol on their package means you’re supporting organic producers who use natural processes and materials in their farming systems. By doing so, they contribute positively to the soil, crop and livestock nutrition, pest and weed management, attainment of production goals, and conservation of biological diversity while simultaneously creating a healthier working environment for those putting food on your table. 

A recent study found that organic is the cleanest and safest milk sold on supermarket shelves. By choosing ice cream made with organic milk, you can feel good knowing you are looking out for your health. You can read more about this study here at https://www2.organic-center.org/

Alden’s has been making it’s ice cream with organic ingredients and has been an industry leader since 2004 so it’s a brand we feel good about buying for our own families to enjoy. 

Ingredients for Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

• Pretzels – Twists or sticks will work. Use gluten-free pretzels, if needed. 
• Butter 
• Alden’s Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – Made with fresh organic cream and real vanilla beans, this ice cream is speckled goodness in every bite.
• Strawberry jam – You can use a store-bought organic jam or make your own at home with fresh or frozen strawberries and honey. 
• Dark chocolate – Chop or grate your favorite chocolate bar for a fun twist on the original dessert (which, oddly, didn’t include chocolate!). After all, chocolate and strawberries and vanilla ice cream are meant to be together.
• Whipped cream – An optional but highly recommended topping! Look for organic whipped topping in a can or buy organic heavy whipping cream and make your own.

How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

For more detailed instructions, see the recipe card below, but this will give you a good idea of how to make this strawberry pretzel ice cream pie. 

Step 1: Make the crust by pulsing the pretzels in a food processor or blender until mostly fine with a few textured pieces left. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse again to combine. Then pour the crust mixture into the pie plate or 9-inch Springform pan.  Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate.

Step 2: Scoop half of the softened ice cream onto the crust and gently press it down with the back of a large spoon or spatula, disrupting the crust as little as possible. Spread some of the strawberry jam over the softened ice cream. Sprinkle with a little chopped chocolate.

Step 3: Top the jam layer with more softened ice cream, again spreading it to the edges of the pie plate with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Dot the remaining jam onto the top of the pie and, using a knife, gently swirl the jam into the ice cream by dragging the tip of the knife through the top 1-inch of ice cream in a swirling pattern. 

Step 4: Sprinkle the top of the pie with chopped chocolate and place it in the freezer until frozen solid (about 4 hours).

Step 5: Prior to serving, garnish with whipped cream, pretzel twists, and/or additional chopped or shaved chocolate, if desired. 

How to Store Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

Assuming you have any leftovers or maybe you want to prep your ice cream pie ahead of time to serve for an upcoming event, this is what we recommend:

• Freeze whole: Once the pie is frozen solid, wrap the entire pie (in the dish) tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to 1 month. 
• Freeze individual slices: Once the pie is frozen solid, slice into 10-12 slices and wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store wrapped slices in a zip-top plastic bag or other freezer-safe containers with a lid in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

Can I make this dairy-free?

You absolutely can! You can simply swap the vanilla bean ice cream with Alden’s Organic Dairy Free Vanilla Bean

All of Alden’s Organic Dairy Free products are certified vegan. They do, however, contain oat flour which is not certified gluten-free.  

Where to Find Alden’s Organic Ice Cream and Dairy-Free Frozen Desserts

Alden’s Organic products can be purchased online on the Store Locator page, and at major retailers across the country including Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Kroger stores, and more.

Let’s Make Some Ice Cream Pie!

To sweeten the deal, grab your coupon for $1 off any Alden’s Organic product here then head to the kitchen and make this Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie – you won’t regret it. 

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Let's Get Cookin'

Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

Life is too short to not enjoy dessert! We’ve combined the elements of one of our favorite childhood desserts with our grown-up values to create a dessert that’s equally fitting for an everyday weeknight treat or a special occasion. We think you’ll love the salty-sweet-creamy combination in this Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Pie.

• Author: Jessica Beacom
• Prep Time: 45 mins.
• Total Time: 45 mins.
• Yield: Serves 10-12 1x
• Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pretzel twists, crushed (plus a few more for topping; use gluten-free, if needed)
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ quarts Alden’s Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, softened
• 1 cup strawberry jam**
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• For topping: Whipped cream, extra pretzel twists, chopped or shaved chocolate

Instructions

1. To make the crust, place pretzels in a food processor and process until mostly fine with a few textured pieces left. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse again to combine. 
2. Pour the crust mixture into a 9-inch glass pie plate or 9-inch Springform pan.  Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate (don’t worry if the crust doesn’t go all the way to the top edge of the pie plate). Place the pie plate in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to help the crust firm up a bit. 
3. Scoop half of the softened ice cream onto the crust into 5-6 mounds and gently press it down with the back of a large spoon or spatula, disrupting the crust as little as possible. 
4. Spread ¾ of the strawberry jam over the softened ice cream. Sprinkle with ½ of the chopped chocolate.
5. Top the jam layer with the remaining softened ice cream, again spreading it to the edges of the pie plate or pan with the back of a spoon or a spatula. 
6. Dot the remaining ¼ cup of jam onto the top of the pie and, using a knife, gently swirl the jam into the ice cream by dragging the tip of the knife through the top 1-inch of ice cream in a swirling pattern. 
7. Sprinkle the top of the pie with chopped chocolate and place it in the freezer until frozen solid (about 4 hours).
8. Prior to serving, garnish with whipped cream, pretzel twists, and additional chopped or shaved chocolate, if desired.

Notes

**For a Homemade Strawberry Jam option: 

1 pound (16 ounces) fresh or frozen strawberries + 2 Tbsp. honey

• If using fresh strawberries, add 2 Tbsp. water along with the honey. 

Place strawberries and honey (and water, if using) into a small saucepan with a lid over medium heat. When the strawberries start to simmer, reduce the heat slightly and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally until the strawberries are completely thawed. Use a fork or potato masher to crush the strawberries and continue cooking, covered, and stirring occasionally until reduced to about half. Pour jam into a shallow heat-proof bowl to cool completely (you can speed this up by placing it in the fridge or freezer for 10-30 minutes and stirring occasionally).

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 360
• Sugar: 26g
• Sodium: 60mg
• Fat: 19g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 4g

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This post was made possible by our friends at Alden’s Organic. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.