Strawberry Pretzel Salad
A buttery pretzel crust is topped with a creamy, lightly sweetened cream cheese layer, then finished with a fresh strawberry gelatin topping. It’s the perfect sweet-salty, nostalgic dessert that sets up beautifully in a 9x13 and disappears fas
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 3 Tbsp sugar
Cream Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 8 oz whipped topping like Cool Whip
Strawberry Layer
- 6 oz strawberry gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- 16 oz frozen sliced strawberries slightly thawed
Instructions
Make the crust
- Mix crushed pretzels + sugar + melted butter
- Press firmly into a 9x13 pan
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes
- Cool completely
Make the cream layer
- Beat cream cheese + sugar until smooth
- Fold in whipped topping
- Spread over cooled crust all the way to the edges
- Seal it like you mean it—this keeps the Jello from leaking down
Make the strawberry layer
- Dissolve gelatin in boiling water
- Stir in strawberries
- Let it cool slightly (not hot, not set)
Assemble
- Gently pour strawberry mixture over cream layer
- Refrigerate 4+ hours (overnight is better)
Notes
Slightly thaw strawberries so they don’t shock the gelatin
Let Jello cool to warm—not hot—or it melts your cream layer
Spread cream layer thick at edges = clean layers
Let Jello cool to warm—not hot—or it melts your cream layer
Spread cream layer thick at edges = clean layers