Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This Strawberry Pretzel Salad features salty-sweet crust, fluffy cheesecake layer, and fresh strawberries and jello top. Festive, delicious and easy to make, this dessert is perfect for get-togethers, cookouts and celebrations!

If you like no-bake desserts with layers, you may also like my Cherry Delight or the Pumpkin Lush Dessert. Perfect for parties and cookouts!

No-Bake Strawberry Dessert

Of course, technically, this is not a salad. Not even close. It's a dessert! A retro dessert, similar to Cherry Delight, Ambrosia Salad, and any desserts that include fruit, whipped topping, and a layer of crunch.

It's also a fun and festive treat to make for Spring, Summer, or any time of the year, really. This Strawberry Pretzel Salad has three layers, each made with 3 ingredients. All of them are typical of retro desserts: cool whip, cream cheese, jello, pretzels.

If you are hosting or attending a get-together, this is a perfect dessert to make. It's simple and can be made ahead of time. Besides, it's fun to eat it too!

Ingredients:

• pretzels
• granulated sugar
• butter
• whipped topping
• cream cheese
• fresh strawberries
• strawberry jello
• water

How to make Strawberry Pretzel Salad?

• Crush pretzels and mix with butter and sugar.
• Press onto the bottom of your baking dish. Bake, then cool completely.

• Mix cream cheese and sugar. Fold in whipped topping.
• Spread creamy mixture over crust. Chill 30 minutes.

• Mix jello with boiling water. Layer strawberries over cream cheese mixture.
• Pour cooled jello mixture over strawberry slices.
• Chill for 4 to 6 hours.

Best tips for making Strawberry Pretzel Salad:

• time: keep in mind that each layer needs time to set; the estimates total prep time is about 6 hours; it's best to make this dessert one day ahead
• ingredients: use fresh strawberries for the best texture and presentation
• prep: make sure to thaw out the whipped topping and soften cream cheese; if not, they will not mix properly

Variations:

• use any berries you like and match with jello flavors
• use graham crackers or nuts if pretzels are not your jam
• use serving bowls to make individual servings
• no-bake: instead of baking the crust, chill it for at least 30 minutes

Storing leftovers:

I recommend storing any leftovers in the fridge since this dessert is made with dairy.

More dessert recipes:

• Strawberry Crumble
• Bread Pudding
• Grilled Pineapple
• Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp
• Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
• Air Fryer Peaches

For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our dessert category.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Author: Anna

This Strawberry Pretzel Salad features salty-sweet crust, fluffy cheesecake layer and fresh strawberries and jello top. Festive, delicious and easy to make, this dessert is perfect for get-togethers, cookouts and celebrations!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 minutes mins

chilling 4 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 412 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

for the crust:

• ▢ 2 cups crushed pretzels
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar

for the filling:

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 8 oz whipped topping such as Cool Whip, thawed

for the topping:

• ▢ 6 oz strawberry jello I used two 3oz packages
• ▢ 2 cups boiling water
• ▢ 4 cups sliced strawberries fresh

Instructions

 

to make the crust:

• In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, sugar and melted butter.
  2 cups crushed pretzels, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool completely before adding filling.

to make the filling:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
  8 oz cream cheese
• Add sugar and whip until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  ½ cup granulated sugar
• Add ⅓ of whipped topping and fold in gently with a spatula. Repeat until all whipped topping is folded in.
  8 oz whipped topping
• Spread the filling over cooled crust. Place pan in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

to make the topping:

• Add jello to boiling water. Stir until it dissolves. Cool to room temperature.
  6 oz strawberry jello, 2 cups boiling water
• Arrange strawberry slices over filling. Slowly pour cooled jello over slices.
  4 cups sliced strawberries
• Place the dessert in the fridge to set, for at least 4 hours.

Notes

• To crush pretzels: place pretzels in a food processor and pulse until crushed into small pieces, but not ground OR place in Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
• Keep in mind that each layer needs time to set; the estimated total prep time is about 6 hours; it’s best to make this dessert one day ahead.
• Don't want to bake the crust? Chill it for at least 30 minutes!
• Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
• The total time is an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 612IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg

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