Salted Strawberry Cheesecake Pretzel Crunch Bars

Ingredients

Pretzel crust

• 1 cup crushed mini pretzels
• 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
• 6 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• Small pinch of salt

Cheesecake center

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipped topping

Strawberry swirl

• 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
• 2 tbsp strawberry preserves
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Chocolate shell

• 1 cup white chocolate melting wafers
• 1 tsp neutral or coconut oil

Crunch finish

• ⅓ cup crushed pretzels
• ⅓ cup crushed freeze-dried strawberries
• ¼ cup crushed vanilla wafers

Step by step

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment. Mix the pretzels, vanilla wafers, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Press firmly into an even crust.
2. Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping.
3. Mix the chopped strawberries, preserves, and lemon juice for the swirl.
4. Spread the cheesecake over the crust. Spoon on the strawberry mixture and gently swirl it through the top.
5. Freeze until firm, 4–6 hours or overnight. Lift out of the pan using the parchment.
6. Melt the white chocolate wafers with the oil in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Spread a thin layer over the frozen cheesecake.
7. Mix the pretzels, freeze-dried strawberries, and vanilla wafers. Scatter over the chocolate before it sets.
8. Cut into 8–10 bars with a warm knife. Let stand a few minutes before serving; keep the remaining bars frozen, well covered. Thaw individual portions in the refrigerator until creamy but still firm; refrigerate thawed bars and use within 3 days.

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