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Old Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Classic strawberry pretzel salad is a favorite holiday and potluck layered dessert. A salty and buttery pretzel and pecan crust topped with a sweet whipped cream cheese layer and then strawberry jello filled with strawberries and pineapple.

Sliced square of pretzel salad on plate with fork.

This old fashioned recipe is actually a layered dessert that for some reason is called a salad. I don't know why, but a lot of jello desserts go by salad. It's popular for the holiday table as a side or dessert and always welcome at potlucks or when you are tasked with something to bring for a crowd.

Slice of strawberry pretzel salad with whipped cream on top.

It's almost no-bake if not for the bottom crispy pretzel crust that takes just minutes in the oven. Otherwise it's a matter of cooling and layering the dessert and then refrigerating overnight.

Why this recipe works

  1. The crispy crust is made with crushed pretzels and some chopped pecans, the perfect salty and buttery base for the creamy filling and gelatin layers to come. The perfect flavor combination of salty, sweet, creamy and crunchy in each bite!
  2. The sweetened cream cheese layer is made with real whipped cream. Most versions of this jello dessert use frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip) which you can definitely use but real whipped cream tastes so much better and is a cinch to make.
  3. The strawberry gelatin topping is filled with frozen strawberries and pineapple, easy and simple ingredients to find year round. 
  4. It's an ideal and delicious make ahead portable dessert for potlucks and gatherings. It's always a hit!

Ingredients

Ingredients photo, labeled on white board.

Here's what you'll need for this easy pretzel salad/dessert:

  • Crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, sugar and melted butter  for the crust layer which gets baked.
  • Heavy cream, sugar and vanilla  for the real whipped cream.
  • Cream cheese and sugar  for the creamy layer that is mixed with the whipped cream and goes on top of the pretzel crust.
  • Strawberry gelatin mix, frozen strawberries and canned crushed pineapple  for the top strawberry jello layer.

How to make strawberry pretzel salad

Three photo process collage, baked crust in glass dish and preparing cream cheese mixture.Step 1: Combine the crushed pretzels, pecans, melted butter and sugar and press evenly into bottom of baking dish and bake for about 8  minutes, cool. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream.

Step 2: Beat together the cream cheese and sugar.

Step 3: Fold in the whipped cream until well combined and smooth.

Three photo process collage, layering creamy filling and strawberry gelatin topping.

Step 4: Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the crust and chill.

Step 5: Dissolve the gelatin in boing water, cool slightly, add strawberries and pineapple.

Step 6: Carefully pour jello mixture over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate several hours or overnight until set.

Glass baking dish of strawberry pretzel salad with section cut out showing the layers.

Recipe notes and tips

  • This recipe uses one (16-ounce) container of frozen sliced strawberries. A lot of recipes call for 2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen strawberries. That size is not easily found these days, at least where I live. Two cups works perfectly in this recipe, plus we are adding crushed pineapple.
  • I've not made this with fresh strawberries, but if in season, using 16 ounces of hulled and sliced fresh strawberries should work as well. Be sure gelatin mixture is cool before adding fresh strawberries.
  • You'll need 1½ cups of heavy cream to yield 3 cups of real whipped cream. The cream cheese and sugar mixture will stabilize the whipped cream, no worries.
  • If folding in the whipped cream is a little challenging, use your hand mixer on low to combine the mixture until smooth.
  • You can substitute the real whipped cream with an 8-ounce container of thawed frozen whipped topping, like Cool Whip, if desired.
  • Be sure to spread the cream cheese mixture evenly and seal all edges and corners to make a barrier so the gelatin mixture can't seep through and make the crust soggy.
  • I think this is best chilled overnight. Cut into squares to serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Strawberry pretzel salad is a favorite retro layered jello dessert for good reason. It's the perfect combination of salty and sweet in every bite, and that crunchy pretzel and pecan crust is the best! It's such a great dish for the holidays, potlucks and a refreshing, cool and creamy almost no-bake dessert for the summer months, too. xxo- Kelly🍴🐦

Piece of strawberry pretzel salad with forkful resting on white plate.

Speaking of old-fashioned retro jello salads, this orange sherbet jello is a throwback to mom’s orange sherbet jello salad side for the holidays, orange gelatin with orange sherbet and mandarin oranges.

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Piece of strawberry pretzel salad cut in a square on serving plate.

Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad

Classic strawberry pretzel salad, a layered jello dessert with salty, sweet and creamy flavor in every bite! Perfect for holidays/potlucks.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 444kcal

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 2 cups crushed pretzels
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • ¾ cup butter, melted 1½ sticks or 12 tablespoons
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

For the whipped cream

  • cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling/topping

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temp
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin mix or 1 (6-ounce) box strawberry Jello mix
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 (16-ounce) container frozen sliced strawberries, thawed or 2 (10-ounce) packages
  • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400º
    Mix together the crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, melted butter and the 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press mixture evenly into bottom of 9" by 13" baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool on rack.

Make the whipped cream.

  • In large bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat with hand held mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Make cream cheese filling.

  • In another mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and ¾ cup sugar until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream with a spatula or wooden spoon until mixed well and smooth. (Alternately, you can use your mixer on low speed.)
  • Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the cooled crust. Be sure to spread to all sides and corners to seal completely. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
  • In medium bowl, dissolve gelatin thoroughly in boiling water. Allow to cool slightly and then stir in the thawed strawberries and can of crushed pineapple.
  • Carefully pour strawberry mixture over chilled cream cheese mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until set, preferably overnight.
  • To serve, cut into squares or slices and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

  • I used small pretzel twists and crushed them in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin.
  • Be sure to spread the cream cheese mixture evenly all over the baked crust, sides and corners, every nook and cranny. This prevents the gelatin from seeping down into the crust and possibly making it soggy. You want that crisp salty crust!
  • Do not drain the frozen strawberries or crushed pineapple.
  • You can use one container of frozen whipped topping instead of the homemade real whipped cream. (I think that's an 8-ounce container of Cool Whip.)
  • Chill time varies but I find overnight is best for the dessert to set properly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar Calories: 444kcal Carbohydrates: 37g Protein: 4g Fat: 33g Saturated Fat: 18g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 83mg Sodium: 327mg Potassium: 187mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 24g Vitamin A: 1062IU Vitamin C: 25mg Calcium: 59mg Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Please comment, rate it and share! And mention me on Instagram @thehungrybluebird or tag #thehungrybluebird so I can see!

 

Recipe Rating




Sally

Wednesday 6th of March 2024

I just realized I’ve missed this dessert. Just found your site. So happy you have this recipe! LOVE IT!

Meathead

Monday 6th of December 2021

This classic dessert delivers a sweet, salty, and creamy flavor in every bite! I shared a few plates with the neighbors and got rave reviews!