Strawberry Pretzel Salad

4.84 from 6 votes

Strawberry pretzel salad is a delicious retro dessert that combines sweet and salty flavors. With its crunchy, buttery pretzel crust, rich cream cheese filling, and a bright strawberry gelatin topping filled with juicy sliced strawberries, it’s a popular retro classic!

Prep Time40

Cook Time10

Cooling and Refrigerator Time4

Total Time4 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 282kcal

Author: Karlynn Johnston

Equipment

9x13 baking pan
spatula
hand mixer

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust

2 cups crushed pretzels measured after crushing
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter melted

Cream Cheese Filling

1 cup granulated sugar
16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed

Strawberry Jello Topping

6 ounces strawberry flavored Jell-O® a family size or two 3 ounce packages
2 cups boiling water
3 cups sliced strawberries frozen or fresh

Instructions

Prepare the Pretzel Crust

Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Get out a 9x13-inch baking pan. and set aside.
Mix the pretzels, granulated sugar, and melted butter in a medium-sized bowl until they are combined thoroughly.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the 9x13-inch baking pan.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until it's lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and cool completely while preparing the next layers.

Prepare the Cheesecake Filling

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Fold in the whipped topping and then spread evenly over the cooled crust.
Make sure that the cream cheese reaches all the edges of the pan and seals it up, or you will have a soggy crust! A barrier is formed with this layer between the crust and the jello.
Cover and refrigerate until set, about 30-40 minutes.

Prepare the Strawbery Jellow Topping

Stir together the jello mix and boiling water in a bowl.
Mix in the frozen strawberry slices and stir until thawed in the jello. This should bring the Jello to room temperature. Pour over the cream cheese layer without disturbing it, cover with plastic wrap and then refrigerate for 2-3 hours. You need this to be firm and set!
Once ready, slice and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Video

Nutrition