Description
This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a nostalgic, sweet-and-salty layered dessert featuring a buttery pretzel crust, a fluffy cream cheese filling, and a vibrant strawberry Jell-O topping with fresh sliced strawberries. It’s perfect for summer parties, potlucks, or anytime you crave a refreshing and crowd-pleasing dessert.
Ingredients
2 cups crushed salted pretzels
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar (for crust)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (for filling)
8 ounces whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
6 ounces strawberry gelatin (Jell-O)
2 cups boiling water
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Crush pretzels into small chunks and mix with melted butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
2. Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
3. In a bowl, beat softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping gently until well combined.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, sealing the edges to prevent leakage.
5. In a large bowl, dissolve strawberry gelatin in 2 cups of boiling water. Let it cool slightly.
6. Stir in the sliced strawberries into the cooled gelatin.
7. Carefully pour the strawberry mixture over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully set.
8. Slice and serve chilled. Enjoy!
Notes
Make sure the crust is completely cool before adding the cream layer to avoid melting.
Always spread the cream layer all the way to the edges of the dish to prevent Jell-O from seeping through.
Let the Jell-O cool slightly before pouring—it should be lukewarm, not hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of dish)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 260mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: strawberry pretzel salad, layered dessert, summer dessert