Delicious Strawberry Pretzel Salad: A Family Favorite
A classic layered dessert featuring a salty pretzel crust, a creamy cream cheese filling, and a sweet strawberry Jell-O topping with fresh strawberries.
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish
- saucepan
- mixing bowl
- mallet or rolling pin
Ingredients
- 6 oz strawberry Jell-O mix
- 2 cups boiling water
- 16 oz strawberries (fresh or frozen, hulled and sliced)
- 2 ½ cups salted pretzels (measured before crushing)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar for crust
- ½ cup granulated sugar for cream cheese layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
Instructions
- Whisk Jell-O mix into boiling water until fully dissolved, then cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Crush pretzels and melt butter with 3 tbsp sugar. Stir in pretzel crumbs and press into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes and cool completely.
- Beat softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth. Spread over the cooled pretzel crust and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Distribute sliced strawberries evenly over the cream cheese layer. Pour the cooled Jell-O mixture over the strawberries, ensuring not to overfill. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours until set. Slice into squares and serve cold.
Notes
Cool Whip is recommended over homemade whipped cream for better stability. Variations include substituting fruits or adding other flavorings. Freezing is not recommended as it may affect texture. If the baking dish is not deep enough, reduce the Jell-O mixture to avoid overflowing. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.