Description
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a delightful layered dessert that combines a crunchy, salty pretzel crust with a creamy and sweet cream cheese layer topped with fresh strawberries set in sweet strawberry Jell-O. Perfect for potlucks and parties, this dessert balances salty, creamy, tart, and sweet flavors with a beautiful presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzel Crust
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups crushed salted pretzels (about 4 cups whole pretzels)
Strawberry Jell-O Layer
- 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
Instructions
- Dissolve Jell-O: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the strawberry Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water and stir until fully dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
- Crush Pretzels: Place salted pretzels into a sturdy Ziploc bag and crush them using a rolling pin until finely crushed.
- Prepare Pretzel Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar until combined. Add the crushed pretzels and mix thoroughly. Transfer the pretzel mixture to a 13×9-inch glass casserole dish, pressing it evenly across the bottom. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Make Cream Cheese Layer: When the pretzel crust is cool, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and white. Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip until no streaks remain. Spread this cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, spreading all the way to the edges to form a tight seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Prepare Strawberry Jell-O Layer: Hull and slice the fresh strawberries and stir them into the room-temperature dissolved Jell-O mixture. Pour and evenly spread this mixture over the chilled cream cheese layer. Return the dish to the refrigerator and chill until the Jell-O is fully set, approximately 2 to 4 hours.
Notes
- This strawberry pretzel salad is the ultimate potluck party dessert!
- It’s crunchy, salty, creamy, sweet, tart, and visually appealing.
- Make it up to 24 hours ahead for easy party planning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximate)
- Calories: 288 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 247 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 42 mg
