Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The creamy filling is so decadent, and the strawberry topping is sweet and delicious.
This Easy Strawberry Dessert is so delicious and very simple to make. I love to make it a day ahead and just grab it from the fridge for everyone to enjoy. Strawberry Pretzel dessert recipe is one of my go to recipes to bring to potlucks, cookouts and more.
If you love strawberry pie, you will love this easy to make recipe. Lots of fresh strawberries make this the perfect summer dessert and the pretzel crust is amazing.
We love the salty sweet crust, creamy filling and strawberries all together, you will know why this is a hit. You might also like Strawberry Delight Recipe and Strawberry Fluff Salad.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
The pretzel crust is perfect with the salty and sweet combination. The middle layer is so creamy and decadent with the cream cheese mixture.
The top is so amazing with fresh strawberries blended into a gelatin layer.
This all combines for 3 layers of an amazing dessert. It is really so creamy and delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- Crushed Salted Pretzels. You can use any type of pretzels since they will just be crushed.
- Melted Butter. Make sure to use real butter! You can taste the difference.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar combines for the perfect amount of sweetness.
Creamy Filling
- Cream Cheese. Softened at room temperature to it’s easy to combine.
- Cool Whip. It needs to be defrosted.
Strawberry Jello Layer
- Strawberry Jell-O. You can try other flavors of gelatin.
- Sliced Strawberries. Don’t slice the strawberries too thick.
Find the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
- Step 1 – Prepare Oven – Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2 – Make Salty Pretzel Crust – Combine crushed pretzels, sugar and butter in a bowl.
Step 3 – Press into baking dish – Then press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. You may need to use a rolling pin to cover the baking dish. Bake 10 minutes and cool completely.
- Step 4 – Prepare Cream Cheese Layer – In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and ¾ cups of sugar. Then with a electric mixer on medium speed mix until fluffy.
- Step 5 – Fold in Whipped Topping – Gently fold in whipped topping. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Step 6 – Mix Jello – Next, use a large mixing bowl and combine Jell-O and boiling water until the jello is dissolved. Then let the mixture to sit at room temperature until completely cooled.
Step 7 – Top cream cheese filling with strawberries – Place sliced strawberries over the cream cheese mixture. Pour cooled Jell-O over top. Refrigerate until firmly set at least 4-6 hours to set.
Storage
Store leftover dessert in the refrigerator. If stored properly, it will last up to 3 days. Make sure to place plastic wrap over the baking dish to help the dessert to stay fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many people that have question why this Strawberry Pretzel Salad has salad in its name. When clearly it is a dessert. This Strawberry Jello topping combined with the cream cheese filling can be called whatever you like.
Maybe it a southern thing for long ago, but we love it just the same. The crunchy pretzel crust really completes this strawberry dessert.
When preparing this Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, we recommend using Cool Whip. It holds up really well with the pretzel crust keeping from getting soft and soggy.
You can make Homemade Whipped Cream, if you prefer. But it is possible that it could soften the crust making it not as crisp. Especially if you make it ahead of time.
Yes, if you do not have fresh strawberries and all you have is frozen, they will work too. We recommend defrosting the frozen berries completely. Then drain the strawberries, making sure that there is no extra liquid.
If you do not drain them, then the strawberry layer may not set up correctly.
We recommend using the small salty pretzels. You can either use the sticks or the pretzel twist. Fresh, salted hard pretzel are going to provide you with the best crust.
It gives that salty flavor and when combine with the sweetness of the strawberry it makes it the perfect combination.
Pro Tips
- Cool Complete – Allow the pretzel crust to cool completely before putting the cream cheese mixture. Making sure that it is cool completely allows the dessert to set properly.
- Refrigerate – Once the cream cheese mixture is on the crust, it is important to refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Fully Set – The dessert needs time to fully set. Don’t try cutting it early, or partially set. You will have a mess and will not get the pretty squares.
- Use Cool Whip – While we love homemade whipped cream, you need to use cool whip in this recipe. You need something stable to mix into the cream cheese and keep that layer together.
- Make Ahead – This recipe is really best made a day ahead. I love this because it makes it even easier if you are taking it to an event. All you have to do is grab and go.
Try More Easy Strawberry Recipes
- 2 Ingredient Strawberry Angel Food Cake
- Strawberry Pie Recipe
- Strawberry Lemon Blondies
- Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake Recipe
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
I am so excited for you to try Strawberry Pretzel Dessert. Please leave a comment and star rating once you do.
Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine crushed pretzels, sugar and butter in a bowl and press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Bake 10 minutes and cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer on medium until fluffy. Gently fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture evenly over the cooled crust and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Large mixing bowl combine Jell-O and boiling until jello is dissolved. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature until completely cooled.
- Place sliced strawberries over the cream cheese mixture. Pour cooled Jell-O overtop.
- Refrigerate until firmly set at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
Love this dessert teminds me of my childhood. This is a great summer dessert bit would be good anytime.
My family requests that I bring this pretzel salad to family BBQ’s and holiday dinners! It is amazing. I have used different fruit and flavors of jello to change things up a little bit and have never had one that wasn’t a hit! It is a must have!
THIS IS DELICIOUS !! NEED I SAY MORE
Reminds me of family reunions when I was a kid. Yummy!