Description
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a delightful layered dessert combining a crunchy salted pretzel crust, a creamy sweetened cream cheese layer, and a fresh strawberry gelatin topping. Perfect for potlucks and gatherings, this treat offers a wonderful balance of salty, sweet, creamy, and tart flavors with an eye-catching presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzel Crust
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups crushed salted pretzels (about 4 cups whole pretzels)
Gelatin 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 in fridge)
Instructions
- Dissolve: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine the strawberry Jell-O powder with 2 cups of boiling water, stirring until fully dissolved. Set this mixture aside to cool to room temperature so it won’t melt the cream cheese layer when poured.
- Crush Pretzels: Place the whole salted pretzels in a sturdy ziplock bag and gently crush them using a rolling pin until you have about 2 cups of crumbs ready for the crust.
- Pretzel Layer: In a medium saucepan, melt 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar until combined, then add the crushed pretzels and mix well to coat. Press this pretzel mixture evenly into the bottom of a 13×9-inch glass casserole dish to form the crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
- Cream Layer: Once the pretzel crust has cooled, use an electric hand mixer to beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and pale. Gently fold in 8 ounces of thawed Cool Whip until fully combined with no visible streaks. Spread this creamy mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, pressing it all the way to the edges to create a tight seal. Refrigerate this layer for 30 minutes to set.
- Jell-O Layer: Hull and slice 1 pound of fresh strawberries. Stir the sliced strawberries into the cooled strawberry Jell-O mixture. Pour this strawberry gelatin mixture evenly over the chilled cream cheese layer. Carefully spread it out to cover the surface evenly. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, or until the gelatin is fully set before serving.
Notes
- This strawberry pretzel salad is the ultimate potluck party dessert, combining crunchy, salty, creamy, sweet, and tart elements beautifully.
- You can prepare this dessert up to 24 hours in advance, making party planning easier.
- Make sure the Jell-O mixture is fully cooled before pouring over the cream cheese layer to avoid melting it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/15th of recipe)
- 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
