Go Back

Flag Strawberry Pretzel Pie

This Flag Strawberry Pretzel Pie is a festive summer dessert featuring a buttery pretzel crust, a light and creamy vanilla cream cheese filling, a glossy strawberry gelatin layer, and fresh berries arranged into a patriotic American flag.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

The Pretzel Crust
  • 1.5 cups pretzels crushed (measured after crushing)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
The Cream Cheese Layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 oz cool whip thawed
Toppings
  • 1 package (3 oz) Strawberry Jello
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • ½ cup cold water
  • ¼ cup fresh blueberries
  • ¼ cup fresh blackberries
  • ⅓ cup fresh strawberries sliced lengthwise
  • ⅓ cup raspberries
  • ⅓ cup cherries

Equipment

  • 10-inch deep dish pie plate
  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Whisk
  • food processor or ziplock and rolling pin for crushing pretzels
  • Piping bag
  • offset spatula or spoon

Method
 

Bake the Crust
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Mix the crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 2 tbsp sugar in a bowl until it looks like wet sand.
  3. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of your pie dish.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let it cool completely.
Make the Cream Cheese Layer
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla together until completely light and fluffy.
  2. Fold in the thawed Cool Whip until smooth.
  3. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture in a piping bag (fitted with a star tip) or a Ziploc bag in the fridge, we will use this for the white flag accents later.
  4. Spread the remaining cream cheese filling over the cooled pretzel crust, smoothing the top and sealing it tightly against the edges of the dish. Chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
The Red Jello Layer
  1. Whisk the strawberry Jello powder into 1 cup of boiling water until completely dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup of cold water.
  2. Let the liquid cool on the counter until it is room temperature (if it's hot, it will melt your cream cheese layer).
  3. Gently pour the cooled Jello over the back of a spoon onto the cream cheese layer.
  4. Chill in the fridge for 1.5 to 2 hours until the Jello is mostly set but slightly tacky to the touch.
Create the Flag Design
  1. The Blueberry Corner: In the top-left quadrant of the round pie, gently press rows of fresh blueberries and blackberries right into the Jello to form a block.
  2. The Stripes: Arrange rows of halved strawberries, raspberries and cherries to create colorful red stripes.
  3. The White Frosting Stripes: Snip the corner of your reserved cream cheese piping bag. Pipe beautiful white stars or a solid textured ribbon right into the open gaps between the fruit rows.