Description
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a delightful layered dessert featuring a crunchy, salty pretzel crust, a creamy sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip filling, topped with a fresh strawberry and gelatin layer. This easy-to-make no-bake dessert is perfect for parties, potlucks, or any occasion requiring a crowd-pleasing treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 8 ounces pretzels (227 grams, crushed)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (170 grams, melted, about 1½ sticks)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (38 grams)
Filling
- 2 cups Cool Whip (120 grams, thawed)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (227 grams, softened, 1 brick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
Topping
- 6 ounces Strawberry Jell-O mix (170 grams, 1 large package)
- 1 cup boiling water (227 grams)
- 1 cup cold water (227 grams)
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries (454 grams, hulled and quartered)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the pretzel crust.
- Make the Crust: In a large bowl, combine crushed pretzels, melted unsalted butter, and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Mix well until all pretzels are coated. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan to form an even crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool completely.
- Prepare the Filling: While the crust cools, in a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the softened cream cheese, 2 cups thawed Cool Whip, and 1 cup granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Spread this cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust.
- Make the Strawberry Jello Topping: In another large bowl, dissolve the 6 ounces Strawberry Jell-O mix in 1 cup boiling water. Stir thoroughly until completely dissolved, which may take several minutes. Add 1 cup cold water and the hulled, quartered fresh strawberries to the gelatin mixture. Chill this mixture in the refrigerator until it’s partially set and no longer warm, about 30 minutes.
- Assemble and Chill: Once the gelatin mixture has partially set, carefully spread it over the cream cheese filling layer. Cover the entire dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the top layer is fully set.
- Serve: After chilling, slice the strawberry pretzel salad into 12 servings and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure the pretzel crust is completely cooled before adding the cream cheese filling to prevent melting.
- You can substitute fresh strawberries with frozen if fresh are unavailable, just thaw them well beforehand.
- For a firmer gelatin layer, allow the strawberry Jell-O mixture to chill longer before spreading.
- Use full-fat cream cheese for best texture and flavor.
- This dessert is best served chilled and is not suitable for freezing.
