Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

Strawberries are the perfect fruit for the spring and summertime. This juicy, delicious, and tart fruit is a staple in so many recipes. Whether it’s a strawberry rhubarb pie, chocolate-covered strawberries, or even a strawberry tart — there are so many different ways to utilize this extraordinary fruit. With all of the different opinions and variations on how to cook strawberries, this means you can be as creative as you would like to be with your next strawberry recipe. In case you aren’t in the most creative mood, how about trying this recipe in the meantime.

This strawberry pretzel salad is one amazing and refreshing find! It is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and just the right amount of tartness. This is also a convenient dish to bring to any large party or get-together as it is not too time-consuming to make. Starting with the perfect salty pretzel base, to the creamy whipped middle, and topped off with the balanced jello to strawberry ratio. At first look, this dessert shouldn’t work but somehow it is the perfect combination of ingredients that will have people wanting seconds

The strawberry pretzel salad originated in the 1960s when potlucks were the most exciting thing anyone could do. The ingredients were simple and you were able to make it the night before a party, so this quickly became a favorite for many people create. For this recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients, most of which you may already have on hand. All you need is strawberry Jell-O, pretzels, sugar, butter, cream cheese, cool whip, and of course fresh strawberries.

Ok, so maybe it isn’t actually a “salad” in the traditional sense of having lettuce and dressing but this was the original name given to this dish and it has stuck since the 1960s, so somehow it works. Whether you decide to call it a salad or a dessert is up to you but you won’t be able to deny how ridiculously delicious this concoction is.

Tips Before You Begin:

• Make your jello according to this recipe. Don’t follow the package instructions since they are meant for different things.
• To make handling easier, allow your cream cheese to soften and thaw your cool whip in the fridge so it’s easier to mix together. (Give yourself at least three hours for your cream cheese to thaw.)
• Measure your pretzels when they are whole, not crushed, or your ratio could be off.
• Make sure that all your ingredients are spread equally and evenly throughout the pan that way every bite is perfect.
• Your cream center will work best with a thawed tub of cool whip. The reason for using cool whip instead of whipped cream is because cool whip won’t leave you with soggy pretzels when it has cooled down. If you are completely against it cool whip, then you can use whipped cream instead; just know that there is no guarantee you will have a crispy crust. (If you have your heart set on whipped cream all you have to do is beat one cup of heavy cream until it is nice and fluffy. Super easy and delicious.)
• The best way to thaw cool whip is to keep it in the fridge overnight.
• Strawberries will always taste better fresh, but if you are in a pinch for time and aren’t able to slice and dice, then frozen is a good option. The trick with frozen strawberries is thawing them out before adding them to your recipe that way you aren’t biting into a frozen strawberry cube.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Resting Time: 2 hours
• Servings: 8-10 pieces

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces (170g) strawberry Jell-O ( or 20g strawberry gelatin powder )
• 2 cups (472ml) boiling water
• 2 cups (400g) salted pretzels, crushed
• 1/4 cup (56g) granulated sugar
• 8 tbsp (113g) unsalted butter
• 1 8oz (227g) package of softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (232g) cool whip, thawed in the fridge
• 2lb (900g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

How to Prepare:

1. Start with making the jello. Bring two cups (500ml) of water to a boil and stir in your strawberry jello packet until it is fully dissolved. Once that is fully mixed, set it to the side to cool down to room temperature.

• 2. For your base layer, you will need crushed pretzels. The type of pretzel that you use isn’t super important since we are about to crush them up but the one qualification needed is that they are salted pretzels! (If you do unsalted it will change the flavor of your dessert and it will feel like it’s missing an element.) Once you have chosen what kind of pretzel, crush up two cups worth into tiny chunks. Be aware not to crush them up to small as you don’t want them to turn into powder.

• 3. Place eight tablespoons (113g) of butter into a saucepan and stir until melted. Once melted, add in ¼ cup (50g) of granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Add your two cups of crushed pretzels to your butter and sugar mixture and stir until the pretzels are evenly coated.

• 4. Spoon out your pretzel base into an oven-safe glass casserole dish and press down so the mixture lies flat and evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Bake for ten minutes at 350ºF (170ºC) then allow it to cool down to room temperature.

• 5. With an electric hand mixer, beat together one 8oz package of softened cream cheese, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and one cup of thawed cool whip. Mix at a medium to high speed until everything is mixed together and you can no longer see any streaks of cream cheese.

• 6. Fold your cream mixture over the cooled pretzel base and spread evenly to each corner to ensure a tight seal. Place your dish in the refrigerator and cool for thirty minutes.

• 7. While your base is cooling, hull and slice 2 lbs (900grams) of strawberries into quarters. Carefully place the sliced strawberries in your room temperature jello mixture.

• 8. Slowly pour over your chilled cream and pretzel base and spread from corner to corner.

• 9. Cover your glass dish with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

This easy and fun to make recipe is sure to be a hit at your next summer get-together that it might just become your signature dish.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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Yield: 8 - 10 servings

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a refreshing summer treat that’s perfect for picnics or parties. It’s also great as an appetizer or dessert.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ounces (170g) strawberry Jell-O ( or 20g strawberry gelatin powder )
• 2 cups (472ml) boiling water
• 2 cups (400g) salted pretzels, crushed
• 1/4 cup (56g) granulated sugar
• 8 tbsp (113g) unsalted butter
• 1 8oz (227g) package of softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (232g) cool whip, thawed in the fridge
• 2lb (900g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Instructions

1. Bring two cups (500ml) of water to a boil and stir in your strawberry jello packet until it is fully dissolved.
2. Crush up two cups of pretzels into tiny chunks.
3. Place eight tablespoons (113g) of butter into a saucepan and stir until melted. Once melted, add in ¼ cup (50g) of granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Add your two cups of crushed pretzels to your butter and sugar mixture and stir until the pretzels are evenly coated.
4. Spoon out your pretzel base into an oven-safe glass casserole dish, bake for ten minutes at 350ºF (170ºC) then allow it to cool down to room temperature.
5. With an electric hand mixer, beat together one 8oz package of softened cream cheese, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and one cup of thawed cool whip.
6. Fold your cream mixture over the cooled pretzel base and spread evenly to each corner to ensure a tight seal. Place your dish in the refrigerator and cool for thirty minutes.
7. Hull and slice 2 lbs (900grams) of strawberries into quarters.
8. Slowly pour over your chilled cream and pretzel base and spread from corner to corner.
9. Cover your glass dish with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

Notes

Make your jello according to this recipe. Don’t follow the package instructions since they are meant for different things.

To make handling easier, allow your cream cheese to soften and thaw your cool whip in the fridge so it’s easier to mix together. (Give yourself at least three hours for your cream cheese to thaw.)

Measure your pretzels when they are whole, not crushed, or your ratio could be off.

Make sure that all your ingredients are spread equally and evenly throughout the pan that way every bite is perfect.

Your cream center will work best with a thawed tub of cool whip. The reason for using cool whip instead of whipped cream is because cool whip won’t leave you with soggy pretzels when it has cooled down. If you are completely against it cool whip, then you can use whipped cream instead; just know that there is no guarantee you will have a crispy crust. (If you have your heart set on whipped cream all you have to do is beat one cup of heavy cream until it is nice and fluffy. Super easy and delicious.)

The best way to thaw cool whip is to keep it in the fridge overnight.

Strawberries will always taste better fresh, but if you are in a pinch for time and aren’t able to slice and dice, then frozen is a good option. The trick with frozen strawberries is thawing them out before adding them to your recipe that way you aren’t biting into a frozen strawberry cube.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g