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Strawberry Pretzel Salad is an irresistible dessert salad with layers of crushed pretzels, cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberry jello. It’s creamy, sweet, and perfect for potlucks and parties.
For more easy dessert salads, try my Green Jello Salad or Pistachio Salad next.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Creamy and Sweet – With the sweetened pretzel crust, cheesecake filling, and strawberry jello topping, this “salad” is the ultimate strawberry dessert!
- Perfect for Potlucks – This easy dessert salad is simple to make, and it transports well. Everyone loves it, so don’t expect any leftovers.
- Easy To Make – Strawberry Pretzel Salad has only 8 ingredients, and the hardest part about making it is letting it chill in the fridge before you can dig in!
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Ingredients
- The crust – The bottom layer is made with crushed pretzels mixed with melted butter and sugar.
- The middle layer – This layer has softened cream cheese, whipped topping, sugar, and a hint of vanilla for balance. It tastes like a soft and fluffy cheesecake filling.
- The top layer – Finally, this yummy dessert is topped with sliced fresh strawberries and strawberry jello.
How To Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Make the crust. While the oven is preheating, crush the pretzels into small pieces, then mix with melted butter and sugar. Mix until all combined.
- Bake the crust. Arrange the pretzels into a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely before moving on to the next step.
- Mix cheesecake layer. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add the whipped topping and beat until smooth and well combined. Stir in the vanilla.
- Spread out the cheesecake layer. Spread the cream cheese and whipped topping mixture evenly over the pretzel crust. Refrigerate for an hour.
- Prepare the jello and strawberry layer. Pour jello powder into a mixing bowl, whisk in 2 cups of hot water, then 2 cups of cold water. Let cool for an hour.
- Add sliced strawberries. Cover the creamy layer of the dessert with sliced strawberries. Once chilled, pour the cool jello over the strawberries. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or until jello is completely set.
- Chill until ready to serve. Cut the salad into 12-15 bars and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Serving Suggestions
Strawberry Pretzel Salad goes perfectly with all your potluck faves, like Grilled BBQ Burgers, Zesty Italian Pasta Salad, Southern Potato Salad, and Slow Cooker Baked Beans.
For serving in the cooler months, it goes well with Honey Lemon Roast Chicken or Pineapple Glazed Ham, Winter Salad, and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Storage: Strawberry Pretzel Salad can be stored in an airtight container or covered with cling wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead: This layered dessert actually gets better with time! It’s best to make it at least a day in advance or up to 2 days because it needs at least 4-5 hours to set properly.
Recipe Tips
- If your Jello package has different instructions, please follow the instructions in the recipe below.
- Make sure that each layer is fully cooled before adding the next.
- Spread the cheesecake layer edge to edge to protect the crust from the jello.
- The jello should be at room temperature (not too hot), or it will crack the cheesecake layer.
- You can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones. Defrost them and let them drain on some paper towels to reduce the liquid.
- Customize the flavors by adding peaches, raspberries, or mandarin oranges to this salad instead.
More Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
- Southern Blueberry Cobbler
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Sour Cream Salad – A Family Favorite
- Cherry Cheesecake Dip
- Apple Blackberry Crumble
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups mini twist pretzels
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cream Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 cups whipped topping thawed, if frozen
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
Strawberry Layer
- 1 pound fresh strawberries greens removed & sliced
- 2 3-ounce packets strawberry jello mix
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the pretzels in a large ziploc bag and seal the bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the pretzels – not to a fine crumb, you want there to be some bigger pieces too.
- Transfer the pretzels to a mixing bowl. Add sugar and butter. Mix until evenly combined.
- Pour the pretzels into a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Spread into an even layer covering the bottom of the dish.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Cream Layer
- Add the cream cheese and sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat together until combined and fluffy.
- Add the whipped topping and fold into the cream cheese until smooth and evenly combined.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzels and spread into an even layer.
- Refrigerate 1 hour to set.
Strawberry Layer
- While the cream layer sets, place the jello powder into a mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 cups hot water until the gelatin has melted.
- Whisk in 2 cups cold water. Let the jello cool for 1 hour.
- Remove the baking dish from the fridge. Top the cream layer with sliced strawberries, spreading them all over the top.
- Carefully pour the cooled jello over the strawberries.Â
- Transfer the dish back to the fridge and chill until set, 4-5 hours.
- Keep cool until ready to serve. Cut the salad into 12 or 15 bars. If desired, top with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Strawberry pretzel salad! Umm yes please. I hope you shared this at the party today ( you can still share until midnight Sat) hugs!