Strawberry jello salad with cream cheese and cool whip

Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad is the ultimate combination of sweet and salty. This classic treat is always a crowd pleaser!!

I love layered desserts!! This Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad is my most common go-to, but I also love lemon lasagna, cookie delight, and no bake strawberry shortcake.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a CLASSIC dessert!

Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad is especially popular at summertime potlucks and holiday parties, but quite frankly, I think it sounds great all year round.

It has a salty pretzel crust, yummy cream cheese center, and a fruity Jello layer on top. The layers are impressive to look at, but they taste just as good as they look.

The combination is delicious, and you may wonder how it is a salad, because really it’s a cool treat! This dessert can also be changed up based to your liking. The Jello layer can be changed to your favorite fruity Jello flavor, which is fun

The most common, and most favorite flavor (for our family at least) is strawberry, but however you make it, it’s sure to be a hit!

how to make strawberry pretzel salad

This recipe does require a little bit of planning and time (to allow the jello to set), but let me be the first to tell you that it’s SO worth it.

PRETZEL CRUST. Mix chopped pretzels, ¼ cup sugar and melted butter together. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool.

CREAM LAYER. Beat cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar and milk together with a blender. Fold in Cool Whip and pour/spread the mixture over the crust. Refrigerate until ready to use. (You can substitute the cool whip for homemade whipped cream if you like!)

JELLO LAYER. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and place in a large bowl. Add gelatin mix and stir for 2 minutes until dissolved. Stir in 1 ½ cups cold water. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours or until thickened. Stir fresh strawberries in with your jello and spoon over your cream cheese layer.

REFRIGERATE. Refrigerate for another 3 hours. Keep refrigerated until serving.

recipe Tips

Best Pretzels for Jello Salad: Salted hard pretzels, either sticks or twisted. The Rold Gold brand give a more buttery flavor, but any brand works well. 

Frozen strawberries: You can use frozen strawberries in a pinch. If they are whole: slice them, allow them to thaw, drain the liquid and add to the Jello.  

Pretzel jello Salad Tips:

• Be sure to prepare the Jello according to recipe instructions (not package instructions).
• 2 ½ cups of whole pretzels will make 2 cup crushed pretzels.
• Spread cream mix all the way to the edges. You don’t want to leave any room for the jello portion to seep down and make the pretzels soggy. 
• For a smaller salad: Half the ingredients and make in a 9×9 pan.

Variatons + More

There are so many variations for Jello Pretzel Salad that you can try. Pair up any flavor with its counterpart of fruit:

• cherry Jello with cherries
• raspberry Jello with raspberries
• mix flavors such as lime Jello with strawberries
• change up the crusts flavor as well by adding a few chopped nuts
• Pineapple
• Raspberry
• Orange (might taste like an orange dreamsicle!)

Another thing you can do is add some a spoonful whipped cream to each slice when you serve (or just cover the entire jello layer in whipped cream)! 😉

FAQ

How to make ahead of time?Due to the length of time it needs to set in the fridge it’s best made the day before serving.

How to store? Store covered for about a week in the fridge, however the pretzels might soften over time.

I’m drooling just thinking about this sweet/salty/creamy/fruity dessert!! I’m thinking it might be about time to whip up some Jello Pretzel Salad!

For more fruity desserts, check out:

• Jello Poke Cake
• Lemon Bars
• Strawberries N Cream Bars
• Cherry Dump Cake
• Lemon Cream Pie Bars

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Refrigerate 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings 20 slices

Calories 213 kcal

• ▢ 2 cup pretzels crushed
• ▢ 1/2 cup sugar divided
• ▢ 2/3 cup margarine melted
• ▢ 12 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 2 tbsp milk
• ▢ 1 cup cool whip
• ▢ 2 cups boiling water
• ▢ 6 oz Strawberry JELL-O mix
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups cold water
• ▢ 4 cups strawberries sliced

• Preheat oven to 350.

• Mix chopped pretzels, ¼ cup sugar and butter together. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool.

• Beat cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar and milk together with a blender. Fold in Cool Whip and spread over the crust. Refrigerate until ready to use.

• Place boiling water in a large bowl. Add gelatin mix and stir for 2 minutes until dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours or until thickened.

• Stir strawberries in with your jello and spoon over your cream cheese layer.

• Refrigerate for another 3 hours. Keep refrigerated until serving. ENJOY!

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