This Strawberry Pretzel Salad instantly takes me back to summers at my grandma’s house. It always showed up at family gatherings, and I knew exactly what it meant: dessert was about to outshine dinner. The salty pretzel crust, the sweet cream cheese layer, and the glossy strawberry Jello packed with fresh berries? Still one of my favorite combos. It’s simple, easy on the budget, and SO dang delicious. If you’re headed to a potluck, BBQ, or holiday dinner, this strawberry pretzel salad is always a safe (and very popular!) bet.
This isn’t your average “salad”…it’s a layered dessert that starts with a salty-sweet pretzel crust, which I bake until golden and crisp. Then, I spread on a fluffy cream cheese and whipped cream layer (similar to what you’d find in a no-bake cheesecake), then pour over strawberry Jello mixed with fresh berries. It chills until set and slices up into the prettiest, most refreshing treat. This homemade strawberry pretzel salad is the easiest dessert for anyone to make, and you don’t need any fancy skills or ingredients to pull it off.
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Gather all of your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the pretzel base: Add 2 cups (110g) small salted pretzels and ¼ cup brown sugar to a food processor. Pulse until combined, but still quite chunky. There should still be some visible chunks of pretzel throughout the mixture.
Pour ½ cup melted salted butter into the food processor and pulse a few more times until combined. The mixture should look evenly moistened with visible pieces of pretzel throughout.
Bake the base: Pour the pretzel mixture into a parchment-lined 8×8 baking dish. Use your hands to press the crust mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the dish. It should be an even thickness all the way across. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until golden brown.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the crust cool completely while you move on to the next steps.
Make the whipped cream cheese: Meanwhile, use a hand mixer to beat 8 oz room-temperature cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
Now, pour 1 ½ cups heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth and combined.
Spread the whipped cream cheese layer onto the cooled pretzel crust and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the Jello: Add 6 oz strawberry-flavored gelatin to a medium-sized mixing bowl and add 2 cups boiling water. Mix until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of raw egg whites. Keep a close eye on your Jello, as once it looks like raw egg whites, it’s time to mix in the fresh strawberries.
Gently fold in 1 lb sliced fresh strawberries once the Jello resembles raw egg whites.
Assemble the pretzel salad: Pour the strawberry Jello mixture over the chilled cream cheese layer. Place the dish into the fridge and chill for about 2-4 hours or until the Jello is fully set.
Serve: Once the Jello is set, slice your strawberry pretzel salad into 9 slices and serve chilled! Enjoy.
If I want to make this ahead for a party or event, I’ll prep it up to 24 hours in advance and keep it chilled in the fridge until it’s time to serve. Just be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap so the top doesn’t dry out.
For storing leftovers, I’d keep the dish covered or transfer slices to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The pretzel crust is crunchiest during the first couple of days, but even if it softens a bit after that, it still tastes great. I don’t recommend freezing this pretzel salad as the cream and Jello layers don’t usually hold up well after thawing.
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