Description
This classic strawberry pretzel salad is the perfect mix of salty, sweet, and creamy with layers of crunchy pretzels, whipped cream cheese, and fresh strawberry Jell-O.
Ingredients
Strawberry Layer
6 oz strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Pretzel Crust Layer
2 cups crushed salted pretzels (about 4 cups whole pretzels)
12 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Cream Cheese Layer
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed (or whipped cream substitute*)
Instructions
Preheat Oven & Dissolve Jell-O: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine Jell-O and boiling water, stir until fully dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
Make Pretzel Crust: Crush pretzels using a rolling pin. In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in sugar. Add crushed pretzels and stir to coat. Press mixture into a 13×9-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Prepare Cream Layer: Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Fold in Cool Whip until fully combined. Spread evenly over cooled pretzel crust, sealing to the edges to prevent Jell-O leakage. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Strawberry Layer: Stir sliced strawberries into cooled Jell-O. Pour mixture over cream layer. Refrigerate until fully set, 2–4 hours.
Serve: Slice and serve chilled. Optional garnish with extra strawberries or whipped cream.
Notes
Make Ahead: Best made 24 hours ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Storage: Do not freeze. Keeps in fridge up to 3 days.
Cool Whip Substitute: Use 1 cup heavy cream + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar (whipped to stiff peaks). Increase sugar in cream cheese layer to 2/3 cup. Chill cream layer 45 minutes instead of 30. Best served within 24 hours as it softens the crust.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake, Oven-Baked (crust)
- Cuisine: American
