Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Pretzel Crust
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Sweet, buttery, salty, and oh-so creamy, this Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Pretzel Crust is the easiest and most delicious tart to enjoy during these hot summer days. Imagine a salty, crunchy, but still sweet pretzel crust, filled with the easiest four ingredient mascarpone whipped cream, and finished with freshly sliced strawberries decorating the top. Each and every bite is the perfect combination of flavors and textures! Bonus? This tart only needs about 10 minutes of baking, require no real effort to assemble. and tastes SO. GOOD.
About The Recipe
I honestly don’t think my mom and I have ever had so much trouble getting such a simple recipe to turn out as we did with this tart!
The filling was absolute no problem. It was the crust that kept giving us trouble!
My mom and I had the idea to make a pretzel crust as to use-up some leftover pretzels we had from making a snack mix.
Originally, this recipe was supposed to be a no-bake tart. Since it’s summer, turning on the oven just seems like a little too much. So, we attempted three different times to get this tart to come out without baking.
We tried more butter, less butter, tighter packs, looser packs, lined pan, no lined pan…no matter what we did, we could not get the crust to come out of the pan whole!
So, we ditched the no-bake idea and preheated our oven. We made our crust with a touch extra butter, baked it for 10 minutes, and…voilà! She came out perfectly.
So, we filled this crust with the simplest mascarpone whipped cream filling, topped it with fresh strawberries, as well as a little bit of strawberry jam. All together, it creates a dessert that is not only delicious, but bursting with flavor!
It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures. The crust is crunchy and salty, with the filling being light, sweet, and oh-so creamy, and a delicious pop of flavor from the strawberries.
It’s the perfect summertime treat!
Reasons You Will Love This Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Pretzel Crust
- Super simple to make!
- Requires minimal ingredients.
- A real crowd-pleaser.
- Uses fresh in-season strawberries for the best flavor!
Equipment Needed
- 9 Inch Tart Pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Tart Tamper
- Stand Mixer
- Offset Spatula
Ingredients
Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For The Crust:
- Crushed Pretzels – Essential for this crust! This not only adds flavor to the tart, but a delicious crunchy texture.
- Granulated Sugar – Adds just a little bit of sweetness.
- Melted Butter – This is what binds the crust together.
For The Filling:
- Heavy Cream – Make sure the cream is cold, as it will whip better!
- Mascarpone Cheese – This adds an extra creamy richness to the whipped cream.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds flavor.
- Powdered Sugar – Lightly sweetens, while also bringing forward the vanilla flavor.
For The Topping:
- Sliced Strawberries – It’s best to use fresh strawberries for the best texture and flavor.
- Strawberry Jam – Not only does this add flavor and shine to the tart, but it also keeps the strawberries from drying out!
How To Make This Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Pretzel Crust
Step 1: Prepare crust
Combine pretzels and sugar in a small bowl.
Add butter and mix well.
Press in bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Make filling
With an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks, about 1-2 minutes.
Add mascarpone. Beat to medium stiff peaks.
Step 3: Fill tart
Spoon into cooled crust. Level with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Step 4: Decorate
Arrange strawberry slices on top of tart. Brush strawberry slices with jam.
FAQ’S and Troubleshooting
Why is my crust dry/not staying together?
If your crust seems too dry and it’s not packing properly into the pan, this could be a few different things! Either the mixture dried out before you started packing it into the pan or too much pretzel was added. Either way, you can add ½ – 1 Tablespoon of melted butter or water and it should come together!
Why is my crust greasy/soggy?
If the crust is greasy or soggy, that means that too much butter was added to the mixture. You can add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of pretzel crumbs to absorb any excess grease.
Why is my filling grainy/split?
This means the cream was over-whipped. It’s always best to start over once it becomes grainy.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
No. This recipe needs to be made with fresh strawberries to provide the best flavor and texture.
How To Store
Once this pie is made, you can keep it covered in the fridge for about 2-4 days. You could also freeze it for up to 1 month!
Substitutions
- You can use a store-bought crust, if desired.
- This recipe can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pretzels!
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Expert Tips
- It’s best to use a food processor to crush the pretzels!
- Once the crust is mixed up, make sure you go on and press it into the tart pan! If you wait, the pretzel crumbs may dry out.
- For this recipe, it’s best to use a tart pan with a removable bottom!
- Be careful to not over-whip the cream.
- You can lay the sliced strawberries in any pattern or design you desire.
- Don’t skip brushing the tart with jam!
When you make this Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Pretzel Crust, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Strawberry Mascarpone Tart With Pretzel Crust
Ingredients
Crust
- 1⅛ cups crushed pretzels
- 1⅔ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 8¼ Tablespoons salted butter, melted
Filling
- 1½ cups heavy cream, cold
- 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup mascarpone, chilled
Topping
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon strawberry jam
Instructions
Crust
- Heat oven to 350 °F.
- Line bottom of 9 inch tart pan with parchment paper.
- Spray tart pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine pretzels and sugar in a small bowl.
- Add butter.
- Mix well.
- Press in bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
Filling
- With an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add mascarpone.
- Beat to medium stiff peaks.
- Spoon into cooled crust.
- Level with an offset spatula.
- Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Topping
- Arrange strawberry slices on top of tart.
- Brush strawberry slices with jam.
Notes + Tips!
- You can use a store-bought crust, if desired.
- This recipe can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pretzels!
- It’s best to use a food processor to crush the pretzels!
- Once the crust is mixed up, make sure you go on and press it into the tart pan! If you wait, the pretzel crumbs may dry out.
- For this recipe, it’s best to use a tart pan with a removable bottom!
- Be careful to not over-whip the cream.
- You can lay the sliced strawberries in any pattern or design you desire.
- Don’t skip brushing the tart with jam!
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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