Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

Jello Salads

Utahn’s love their jello salads. Being born and raised in Utah, I’ve concluded that there are three general types of jello salad.

1- CREAMY: Some of my favorite jello salads are the creamy one-bowl varieties, similar to Ambrosia Salad with slightly less fruit and more fluff. (Aka, fluffy fruit salads.) Most importantly, they use dry gelatin powder (jello) or pudding mix to flavor it all. We especially love raspberry fluff, orange fluff, and strawberry fluff salad.

2- JELLO MOLD: Other jello salads may be molded (think jello shaped with bundt pans). These may or may not include fruit, or might even have veggies or nuts in them. They might also just be in a casserole dish that you scoop from. Our favorite lemon jello salad doesn’t have fruit and is simply jello mix, pudding mix, water, ice, and whipped topping. So smooth and creamy.

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3- LAYERED DESSERT: The last type of jello salad is a layered dessert, like this strawberry pretzel salad. These are the prettiest. Some are all layers of jello, but others like a pretzel salad, give you the most flavors and textures with a crunchy crust, creamy filling, and jiggly fruit-filled jello topping.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I’m sure many of you have seen or tried this Strawberry Pretzel Salad before. This old-fashioned treat is called pretzel “salad,” but really it’s a layered dessert with three distinct layers.

1. Salty-sweet pretzel crust.
2. Fluffy cream cheese filling (aka no-bake cheesecake).
3. Fruity strawberry filled jello.

I love salty-sweet treats and this was a perfect blend of the two! If you eat this within the first or second day of making it, the pretzel crust stays crispy, which I love! I could eat the crust alone, haha, but I am a crust lover. My kids loved the layers and way the strawberry jell-o jiggled.

This strawberry pretzel salad recipe is super easy to make. It just takes time to chill each layer. Let me show you how to make it.

Make the Pretzel Crust

The first layer is the pretzel crust. Made with pretzels, sugar, and butter. It’s just like a graham cracker crust, and holds up the best if baked briefly.

NOTE: Exact measurements and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

• Place the pretzels and sugar in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (some fine crumbs with bits and pieces). Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly coated.
• Empty the moistened crumbs into a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan and press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
• Bake the pretzel crust at 350˚F for 10-12 minutes, until slightly puffy and baked together. Cool completely. (May speed this up by placing crust in the fridge for 30 minutes.)

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

The second layer is a cream cheese filling, aka no-bake cheesecake, made with cream cheese, sugar, and Cool Whip.

ALTERNATIVE: If you are against using frozen whipped topping please make stabilized whipped cream. Regular whipped cream (just heavy cream and sugar) will weep and absorb into the pretzel crust must faster, leaving you with a soggy crust.

• In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, creamy, and the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the Cool Whip and beat together until combined. Place filling in fridge if crust is still cooling.

Partially Assemble the Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Once the bottom two layers are made you can partially assemble the dessert.

• Dollop the cream cheese filling over the crust and spread it evenly, making sure to reach all the edges.
• Top with fresh strawberries that have been sliced thin. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

Make the Strawberry Jello

While the first two layers chill and firm up, make the jello so that it can cool simultaneously.

• Combine strawberry jello powder with 2 cups boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved. Allow jello to cool until lukewarm to the touch. About 30-60 minutes. Stir occasionally so gelatin doesn’t set up. (May add 3-4 ice cubes to help speed up the process.)
• Gently pour lukewarm gelatin over the strawberries. Cover and chill the strawberry pretzel salad for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Serve Pretzel Salad

Cut and serve this pretzel salad as-is, or top it with fresh whipped cream.

To make whipped cream: Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Then dollop or pipe the whipped cream over the top of each piece.

This recipe is best for potlucks and parties, and since it serves 15 people, you’ll need help eating it! Adults and kids love this one. Enjoy!

Tips to Make Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad

• Measure the pretzels before crushing them. Crush until mostly fine crumbs with some bits and pieces. Too many big chunks and it won’t hold together as well. It also might seem like a lot of butter, but it will absorb and bake out.
• Spread the cream cheese layer completely over the pretzel layer, all the way to the edges, to keep the jello from seeping through to the pretzels and making the crust soggy.
• Gently pour room temperature jello over the cream cheese layer to prevent it from cracking.
• Make sure jello is not too hot or it might make the strawberries shrivel.
• If lining the pan with parchment paper, make sure the paper comes up all four sides, or the jello may seep underneath the paper. (You can see this happened to me. Whoops! Learn from my mistake.)

Strawberry Pretzel Salad with Frozen Strawberries

Fresh strawberries make this dessert the prettiest, but it only keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Using frozen strawberries actually helps it last longer, up to 5-7 days in the fridge. Note: The crust will soften the longer it is stored.

To use Frozen Strawberries in Syrup: Simply add 1 (23oz) container frozen strawberries in sugar/syrup (thawed) to the jello mixture. (The cold strawberries and syrup actually helps the jello cool faster.) Spoon the strawberries onto the cream cheese layer, and then gently pour the jello liquid over the strawberries. Follow directions for chilling and serving. Note: This will give you an extra thick layer of jello on top.

To use Frozen Strawberries: If you can’t find strawberries in syrup, or want to cut back on the sugar and just use plain frozen strawberries, go ahead and add 16oz of frozen strawberries to the jello.

• For whole frozen strawberries: Mash the berries with a potato masher as they start to thaw and soften inside the jello. Once the strawberries have thawed and the jello mixture is lukewarm, spoon the mashed berries over the cream cheese layer, then gently pour the jello over the berries. Chill and serve as directed.
• For sliced frozen strawberries: Simply add them to the jello mixture until thawed and mixture is lukewarm. Spoon the berries over the cream cheese layer, then gently pour the jello over the berries. Chill and serve as directed.

4.72 from 7 ratings

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Created by Amber Brady

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Inactive Time 3 hours hrs

Total: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

A sweet and salty layered dessert with a pretzel crust, cream cheese filling, and strawberry filled jello on top.

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YieldsYields15 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• ▢ 2½ cups (126 g) mini pretzels, or pretzel sticks
• ▢ ⅓ cup (68 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, (12 Tbsp) melted

Cream Layer:

• ▢ 8 oz (226 g) block-style cream cheese
• ▢ ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 8 oz (226 g) Cool Whip, thawed, or stabilized whipped cream

Strawberry Layer:

• ▢ 1 lb (454 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
• ▢ 6 oz (170 g) strawberry flavored gelatin, 1 large box Jell-O brand
• ▢ 2 cups (473 ml) boiling water

Whipped Cream (optional, for topping):

• ▢ 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
• ▢ ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar

Equipment

• Food Processor
• 13×9-inch pan
• Electric Hand Mixer
• 6-Quart Steel Mixing Bowl
• Silicone Spatula Set
• Glass Measuring Cup Set

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350℉.
• CRUST: Place the pretzels and sugar in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (some fine crumbs with bits and pieces). Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly coated. Empty the moistened crumbs into a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan and press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
• Bake the pretzel crust at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes, until slightly puffy and baked together. Cool completely. (May speed this up by placing crust in the fridge for 30 minutes or more.)
• CREAM LAYER: In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, creamy, and the sugar has dissolved. About 2-3 minutes. Add the Cool Whip and beat together until combined. Place filling in fridge if crust is still cooling.
• Once crust has cooled, dollop the cream cheese filling over the crust and spread it evenly, making sure to reach all the edges. Top with fresh strawberries that have been sliced thin. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
• STRAWBERRY JELLO: Combine the strawberry gelatin powder with 2 cups boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved. Allow Jello to cool until lukewarm to the touch, about 30-60 minutes. Stir occasionally so gelatin doesn’t set up. (May add 3-4 ice cubes to help speed up the process.)
• Gently pour lukewarm gelatin over the strawberries. Cover and chill the strawberry pretzel salad for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• OPTIONAL WHIPPED CREAM: Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Then dollop or pipe the whipped cream over the top of each piece when serving.

Notes

• Cool Whip Alternative: You may make stabilized whipped cream in place of Cool Whip. It's important to stabilize it, so that it doesn't weep and make the crust soggy.
• For frozen strawberries: Add 1 pound frozen strawberries to jello mixture after stirring the boiling water and jello powder together. Crush whole strawberries with a potato masher as they begin to thaw, or leave sliced frozen strawberries as-is. May alternately use 23-oz thawed frozen strawberries in sugar/syrup. To layer: Spoon berries onto the cream cheese layer and then gently pour the jello on top. NOTE: Using frozen berries will chill the jello faster than by using fresh strawberries.
• Storage: Strawberry Pretzel Salad with fresh strawberries will last 2-3 days covered in the fridge or up to 5-7 days covered in the fridge if using frozen strawberries. Note: The crust will soften the longer it is stored.

Nutrition Info.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 190mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g

Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.

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*Originally published 8/17/2014. Post updated May 2023.