Strawberry pretzel salad is one of my all time favorite side dishes for a summer BBQ! The sweet and salty combination is the best! Strawberry pretzel salad really isn’t a salad at all though. It’s more of a layered dessert. The recipe itself doesn’t take a ton of ingredients, but there are a few steps so make sure to allow yourself enough time. My mom made this dish a ton growing up so it has been a long time favorite of mine.
What’s in strawberry pretzel salad?
There are three layers:
- Pretzel Crust: crushed pretzels, butter, sugar
- Creamy Filling: cream cheese, sugar, cool whip
- Strawberry Topping: strawberry jello, sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Cups fresh or frozen strawberries (I use frozen…it’s best to thaw/drain the strawberries if using frozen)
- 2 Cups crushed pretzels
- 3/4 cup butter (melted)
- 1 cup sugar
- 8oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 8oz. Cool Whip (defrosted)
- 6oz. Strawberry Jello
- 2 Cups boiling water
How do I make strawberry pretzel salad?
The easiest way to make this strawberry pretzel salad is to make each layer on it’s own. This quick super high budget (haha) video 😉 below gives you a quick overview of the process.
Start with the crust:
Begin by crushing your pretzels into crumbs. Using a rolling pin works best, but in this case I wasn’t at home and we didn’t have one where I was so I improvised and used metal ice cream scooper. I simply placed the pretzels into a ziploc bag and crushed the pretzels. Be sure to spray your baking dish with cooking spray.
Next, mix in the melted butter (3/4 cup) and only 3 Tablespoons of sugar and begin to spread evenly into your 9×13 baking dish. Bake crust at 375 for 10 min and let it cool completely.
Prepare the filling:
Using an electric mixer if you have one, start to mix together the remaining sugar and softened cream cheese. Slowly fold in the Cool Whip to the mix. Continue to mix until it becomes nice and fluffy. Begin to spread the mixture evenly across the pretzel crust in the baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the strawberry topping:
In a large mixing bowl combine the jell-o and boiling water. Allow it to adjust to room temperature. Begin placing your strawberries on top of the filling. Lastly, pour the cooled jell-o mix on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until it firmly sets (best to let it sit overnight).
Ok so I’m going to be honest, mine didn’t turn out the prettiest. I wasn’t at home making mine (I was at the lake) so there were a few distractions haha! But regardless, follow the instructions above and I promise this will be a hit! The sweet + salty is the perfect combination. Enjoy!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 4 C Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
- 2 C Crushed Pretzels
- 3/4 C Butter melted
- 1 C Sugar
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese softened
- 8 oz. Cool Whip defrosted
- 6 oz. Strawberry Jell-O
- 2 C boiling water
Instructions
- Start with the crust:Begin by crushing your pretzels into crumbs. Using a rolling pin works best, but in this case I wasn’t at home and we didn’t have one where I was so I improvised and used metal ice cream scooper. I simply placed the pretzels into a ziploc bag and crushed the pretzels. Be sure to spray your baking dish with cooking spray.Next, mix in the melted butter (3/4 cup) and only 3 Tablespoons of sugar and begin to spread evenly into your 9×13 baking dish. Bake crust at 375 for 10 min and let it cool completely.Prepare the filling:Using an electric mixer if you have one, start to mix together the remaining sugar and softened cream cheese. Slowly fold in the Cool Whip to the mix. Continue to mix until it becomes nice and fluffy. Begin to spread the mixture evenly across the pretzel crust in the baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour.Make the strawberry topping:In a large mixing bowl combine the jell-o and boiling water. Allow it to adjust to room temperature. Begin placing your strawberries on top of the filling. Lastly, pour the cooled jell-o mix on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until it firmly sets (best to let it sit overnight).Ok so I’m going to be honest, mine didn’t turn out the prettiest. I wasn’t at home making mine (I was at the lake) so there were a few distractions haha! But regardless, follow the instructions above and I promise this will be a hit! The sweet + salty is the perfect combination. Enjoy!
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