Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
Pretzel crust with a creamy layer of cream cheese and whipped topping, topped with Jello and strawberries!
Servings: 6
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- 9x13 Casserole dish
- Cooking spray
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 ½ cups crushed pretzels (about half of a 16oz bag of tiny twist pretzels)
- 1 cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
Cheesecake Layer:
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (16-ounce) container Cool Whip frozen topping, thawed
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Strawberry Layr:
- 1 (6-ounce) package strawberry Jello powder mix
- 3 cups boiling water (not the amount on the Jello package)
- 4 cups sliced frozen strawberries
Instructions
For the crust:
- Prepare the oven and dish. Preheat your oven to 400°F and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Combine the crust. In a large bowl, stir together the pretzels, melted butter, and light brown sugar until all the crumbs are coated and the mixture resembles a sand-like texture.
- Press it into the dish. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish and use your fingers or the bottom os a flat measuring cup to press the crumbs into the bottom of the casserole dish to create a crust.
- Bake. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until golden and allow it to cool completely. If you need to speed up the chilling process, you can put it in your freezer while you make the next layer.
For the cheesecake layer:
- Blend the cream cheese. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Fold in the whipped topping. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the thawed whipped topping (scooping from the bottom and folding over the top towards the center) until the mixture is fully combined.
- Spread to the edges of the pan. Spread mixture over the cooled crust, ensuring that you get all the way to the edges of your casserole dish. (This will create a seal so the next layer stays on top and doesn’t seep into the crust to make it soggy.) Set aside in the refrigerator to chill while you make the strawberry layer.
For the strawberry layer:
- Make the Jello. In another bowl, add the jello and boiling water and stir until all the powder is dissolved.
- Add the strawberries. Add the frozen strawberries and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before pouring it over the cheesecake layer. When you pour it, pour it slowly in a corner and then scoop out the strawberries so that they don’t plop down into the cream cheese layer and create a hole. Spread the strawberries out evenly.
- Refrigerate and serve. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight and serve chilled.
Notes
Optional Garnishes: a handful of un-crumbled pretzels and an extra cup of cool whip for topping
Storage Instructions:
If you have leftover strawberry pretzel salad, make sure to refrigerate it as soon as possible. You can leave it in the casserole dish and place plastic wrap over it, or cut it into squares and place them into an airtight container. Store your strawberry pretzel salad for 3-4 days.
Prevent a Soggy Crust:
Make sure the crust is completely cooled before adding the cream cheese layer. Also, make sure the cream cheese layer is spread all the way to the edges of the casserole dish, or the jello liquid will seep down into he crust.
Can This be Frozen?
This layered treat is best eaten the day that it is made. If you tried to freeze this strawberry pretzel salad, the layers would separate as it thawed, and it would become a giant mess. You could make it 1 day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator, but that’s it.
Do I have to use frozen fruits?
The frozen fruit helps chill the jello quickly enough to add to the cream cheese layer. If you don’t want to purchase frozen fruits, you can buy them fresh and freeze them on a baking sheet with parchment paper. After they are frozen, you can store them in gallon zip lock bags. (Freezing them in the zip lock bag will freeze them all together and create a big block of fruit.)
