This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is always a hit at any get together! A pretzel crust, topped with a sweet cream cheese layer and strawberry topping!
Growing up, my mom had a specific jello recipe for each Holiday. At Christmas, she would make her layered jello, Thanksgiving is her blueberry cream cheese jello, and Easter is her strawberry pretzel salad. The strawberry pretzel salad was always one of my favorites because you get the sweetness from the cream cheese/jello, but also the saltiness from the crushed pretzels.
Now that I am older and have a family of my own, it is fun watching my kids experience their favorites each Holiday! My daughter’s favorite is this jello, whereas my oldest son’s favorite is the Thanksgiving blueberry jello!!
This is one of those dishes that is perfect for BBQ’s, side dishes, parties, or sweet treats! No need to wait for a Holiday to make this! If you like a salty/sweet combo, this is perfect for you!
Enjoy!!
- 6 oz Strawberry Jello
- 2 cups Boiling water
- 2 cups Pretzels, crushed
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 8 oz Whipped Topping, thawed
- 1 lb Strawberries, sliced
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In a medium bowl, combine the jello package and boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved and allow to cool to room temperature.
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add in 1/4 cup sugar. Mix in crushed pretzels.
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Transfer pretzel mixture to a 9 x 13 baking pan and use a fork to press mixture evenly on bottom of pan.
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Place pan in oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
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While pretzel layer is cooling, mix together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar using a hand held mixer until combined.
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Fold in the whipped topping.
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Spread mixture evenly over cooled pretzels making sure to cover entire pan side to side.
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Refrigerate pan for 30 minutes.
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Mix sliced strawberries into room temperature jello mixture.
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Pour jello over cream cheese layer evenly and place in refrigerator for about 2-3 hours, or until set up.
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Serve and enjoy!!
Could you use frozen strawberries thawed
Sure! That would work great!
What is the blueberry jello recipe
Hi! It actually uses black cherry jello, BUT has blueberry pie filling in it, hence why I call it blueberry jello hehe! Here it is, https://thecookinchicks.com/thanksgiving-jello/
Chilling ours now… I added a couple dashes of lemon juice to the cool whipand cream cheese…. Can’t wait to try it!!
Oh yum!! How’d it turn out?? Do you love it?? Hope you do! Its a favorite in my house!!
We have had no luck with fresh strawberries – only the frozen ones, thawed, have worked.
Oh good, glad you found a method that works!!
salted pretzels or unsalted
Joanie, I put my strawberry jellomix in the fridge for a little while to get a set established sothat the mixture was not wet but had aeasy set to it so it could be spooned on the coolwhip cream cheese and sugar mixture and could be spread more easily. Worked great.
Glad you enjoyed this!!
I use salted, but either works great!
I accidentally got a chocolate squirt on the pretzels after I spread them in the pan. It gave me an idea and I continued squirting a chocolate ice cream topping and then put the cream cheese stuff on top and then the Jell-O. It was amazing! I should’ve put a little more chocolate on top of the strawberries for Effect! Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh that’s a great idea!!! I’ll have to try it next time! Glad you enjoyed!
Making this tonight for a work party.. can’t wait to try it!!!
Yea!! How’d it turn out???
can Splenda be used instead of the sugar and would like to try raspberries and sugar free raspberry jello too…husband is diabetic
Absolutely! That works great, just changes the flavor slightly due to Stevia and sugar tasting somewhat different!
Any chance that real whipped cream will work instead of frozen whipped topping? I like to use whole/real ingredients.
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work great! Just whip it until it is firm/stiff and use it then! Enjoy!
What is whipped topping
It is perfect and so yummy. I had to double the cream cheese to get enough and I used piowder sugar.
Cool Whip, whipped cream 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it! Its a favorite in my house!
While it looks good and I’d probably eat it…… this is in no way a salad! I feel you should change the name its extremely misleading. You made a strawberry jello cheesecake, which is cool. But not a salad.
This is a recipe passed down in my family, name included, therefore, I didn’t want to change the name. Yes, you’re right, its not a “salad”, but to give it a 1 star review because of the name is a bit extreme. I hope you’ll decide to try this in the future and if you like it, perhaps give it a rating based on taste and not name. Thanks!
@Jena. Your one-star rating for something you didn’t even try is unfair and I almost led me to decide not to try this recipe based on your review of its “name.” Thankfully, I decided to read your comment and reversed my decision since your rating is based on nonsense. If I could, I would delete your rating and comment.
I too have this recipe from long ago. I used to work at Keystone Pretzel Bakery in Lancaster, PA. This was a favorite recipe from their book. Salads come in all forms. If you haven’t tried it, don’t rate it! Everyone knows that.
A favorite in my family!!
How do you get the pretzel layer to come out neatly? Mine seems to stick to the pan!
Do you think this could be made a day a head, then frozen ? I want to take it to a luncheon with friends 2 hours from my home.
I just use a spatula to flat/press it down evenly!
Sure! Or you could put this in a cooler with ice packs around it as well?? Enjoy!!
I have made this twice and getting ready to make it again tomorrow. My pastor told me I could make this for his family any time I wanted! It is delicious. How do you think it would be with crushed pecans instead of pretzels (I love pecans).
June
Yea! So glad to hear its a hit with you all! As for using pecans, I bet that’s a great idea! Another variation I have tried is using half pretzels, half pecans. It is great as well! Enjoy!
I haven’t made this dessert in years, But it is a favorite of everyone. I have to make it for a meeting on Thursday and can’t wait to eat it again.
Its definitely a favorite in my family too! Enjoy!!
Since cool whip has coconut oil in it which I’m allergic to, could dream whip be used instead?
Absolutely! No problem doing that at all!
Kristen, thank you for sharing your family recipes. Did you use a 9×13 pan? It appears smaller in the photo.
My pleasure!
Yes, I always make this in a 9×13. The pan is smaller because I made (2) 8×8’s instead that day!
If I make this today, Friday will it hold up well until Sunday? Just trying to get things made ahead?
Absolutely! I plan on making it myself today for Easter brunch! Enjoy!
I accidentally put a half cup sugar in the pretzel mixture will it still work
No problem at all, it will just be a little more sweet than usual, but no worries! Enjoy!
I’m making it today for an Easter gathering tomorrow, I am contemplating the chocolate idea, yes or no?
Also, so don’t follow the directions on the box of jello? Two cups water instead of four?
You could definitely do that! A slight drizzle on top?? Adds a nice touch! Enjoy and happy Easter!
Correct, 2 cups boiling water! Enjoy!
Made this for a work get together today.. everyone absolutely LOVED it!! (It was the only dessert that had no leftovers!!)
Yea! So glad you all enjoyed it! Its a favorite anytime I bring it places!!
The recipe I usually use calls for 2 cups of whipped topping (16oz) 8 oz doesn’t seem like enough to cover the whole dish. Is it a typo?
Nope, not a typo. I use 8oz in mine, but if you wanted to increase, you could! Its combined into the cream cheese, so when combined with the other ingredients, its plenty to cover the dish!
I made this dessert the other day and while cooking overnight? The cream cheese mixture settled into the strawberry jello and looked splotchy! I let the Jello to too. Temp cool before pouring so not sure why this happened. Does anyone have any suggestions ?? Thanks
^^^^ Cooling overnight*** sorry auto correct!
Hmmm, I’ve never had that happen! The only thing I can think of is that the layers weren’t fully set/chilled? The jello must not have been fully set? So weird! I’m sorry that happened! Hopefully it was still good!
Thought someone else would ask this question, but I don’t see it. Do you measure the pretzels after crushing or before?
Thanks.
After crushing, measure the pretzels!! Hope you enjoy!