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–+ servings
Slice of strawberry pretzel salad garnished with whipped cream, strawberries, and a pretzel.
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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry pretzel salad is a vintage classic. This jello salad features a buttery pretzel crust, tangy cream cheese filling, and a sweet strawberry topping. 
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

For the Crust

For the Filling

For the Topping

  • 1 package strawberry flavored jell-o 6 ounces
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 16 ounces frozen sliced strawberries
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place the pretzels into a gallon size zip-top bag and crush the pretzels into coarse crumbs using a rolling pin. You can also pulse the pretzels in a food processor, just be careful not over-process them as you want there to be varying textures. 
  • Place the pretzels into a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar and melted butter. Transfer the pretzel mixture into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish and gently press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish to form an even crust layer. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the frozen whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly over the cooled crust, taking care to spread the filling from edge to edge of the pan so the topping doesn’t seep into the crust layer. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
  • After the cream cheese layer has been refrigerated for one hour, whisk together the jell-o and boiling water for 2 minutes or until the jell-o has fully dissolved. Stir in the sliced frozen strawberries and allow the mixture to rest for 2 minutes. Spoon the jell-o mixture directly onto the cream cheese filling layer and spread to form an even layer. 
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Notes

  • When whisking the jell-o with the boiling water, the top will get frothy/bubbly. If you want a super smooth finish on your strawberry topping, simply use a spoon to remove some of the froth (though it won’t affect the taste!).
  • Let the frozen strawberries rest on the counter while you prepare your jell-o mixture, and break up any clumps of berries before adding them to the jell-o – it will be difficult to break them apart after they’ve been added to the jell-o.
  • I prefer to use frozen strawberries in this recipe; the frozen strawberries help the jello to cool quickly before pouring it over the cream cheese layer. If you want to use fresh strawberries, let the jello cool to room temperature before adding the sliced berries and pouring over the cream cheese filling.
  • I have not tried this recipe using whipped cream instead of whipped topping, so I cannot attest to the outcome.