No Churn Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream

Shocked it took me this long to come up with this combination. when it comes to sweets Renae and I don’t usually agree on what we like. But with ice cream there is no debate! We both love ice cream. Combining a strawberry pretzel salad with ice cream seemed to be a no brainer.

I’ve been wanting to try the no churn recipe for a long time, but I just wasn’t sure what flavor I wanted to make it. I didn’t think i would love it just plain vanilla. And boy did i make the right choice on the flavor I chose!

NO CHURN STRAWBERRY PRETZEL ICE CREAM
For the pretzel crunch:
- 3 cups of crushed mini pretzel twists
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the strawberry sauce:
- 3 cups sliced strawberries
- ½ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
For the cream cheese ice cream:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Make the Pretzel Crunch
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter until everything is evenly coated.
Spread the mixture into an even layer in an 8x8-inch baking pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, giving it a quick stir halfway through so it bakes evenly.
Let the pretzel mixture cool completely! Once cooled, break it into bite-sized pieces, about ¼ to ½ inch in size. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Make the Strawberry Sauce
Add the sliced strawberries, sugar, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
As the strawberries begin to soften, gently mash them with the back of a spoon or potato masher. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a gentle bubble and thickens slightly, 8-10 minutes. Mine took about 15 minutes to thicken, so don't worry if yours takes a little longer than the recipe suggests. Toward the end of the cooking time, I was stirring almost constantly to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Remove from the heat and let the strawberry sauce cool completely before adding it to the ice cream. I placed mine in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process, which also helped it thicken a little more.
Make the Ice Cream
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until it's completely smooth with no lumps remaining.
Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it reaches a thick, fluffy consistency with soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until everything is smooth and fully combined.
Assemble
Spread a thin layer of the ice cream mixture into the bottom of a freezer-safe container. I used a tall 8x8-inch food storage container with a tight-fitting lid.
Spoon about one-third of the strawberry sauce over the ice cream and lightly swirl it throughout. Sprinkle with plenty of the pretzel crunch—don't be afraid to be generous! This recipe makes plenty of crunch. Continue layering the ice cream, strawberry sauce, and pretzel crunch until everything has been used. Finish with a layer of strawberry sauce and pretzel crunch on top. Press the lid on tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until firm.
I let mine freeze overnight before digging in. Since this is a no-churn ice cream, it freezes a little firmer than traditional ice cream. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping if needed.
Scoop, serve, and enjoy!