Strawberry Jell-O Pretzel Salad

This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is an old-fashioned dessert recipe that still popular for a reason: it’s delicious!

Strawberry Jell-O Salad?

For me the Super Bowl is all about the food. Honestly, I didn’t even know what teams were playing until kickoff. I went over to my brother’s house to watch the game commercials (which were disappointing) and the halftime show (which was amazing). My brother asked me to bring my Strawberry Jell-O Pretzel Salad.

I had some extra time, so I figured I’d take photos while I put everything together. If you haven’t ever made this dessert, it’s super simple and a crowd pleaser!

If you have made this Strawberry Pretzel Dessert dessert and it turned out to be a runny, mushy mess, don’t worry. I have some great tips to prevent this. Are you ready? Let’s go!

How Do You Make Strawberry Jell-O Salad?

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then crush the pretzels!

You can use any kind of pretzels, but make sure they have some salt on them. The salty-sweet combination is part of what makes this dessert so amazing. I put the pretzels in a plastic baggie and crushed them with a rolling pin.

Combine the crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter and press into a lightly greased 9 x 13″ pan.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Once the pretzel crust is slightly cool, refrigerate it 30-60 minutes so that it gets really cold.

In the meantime, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Use a mixer for this. You don’t want lumps of cream cheese.

Blend in Cool Whip with a spatula.

Spread over cooled crust.

How to Avoid Runny Strawberry Pretzel Salad:

Make sure you spread this layer completely to the edges. You want to create a seal so your Jell-O doesn’t leak through. Again, this is key to keeping your layers separate. Once this is completed, put your pan back in the fridge to chill.

Next, make the Jell-O (you want the larger box of Jell-O) according to the package directions minus 1/4 cup of water. This is a personal preference, but I find using less water allows the Jell-O to firm up better.

Put your bowl of Jell-O in the fridge to allow it to partially cool before putting it on top of your cream cheese layer.

While the Jell-O partially cools, slice the strawberries. Then, place them on top of the chilled layer of cream cheese and Cool Whip.

You can be as fancy as you wanted with this step.

I like to place the strawberries in alternating rows across the top. Feel free to scatter them randomly or in any fun pattern you choose.

Once your Jell-O is chilled and about the consistency of jam or pudding (about an hour or two in the fridge), you’re ready!

Spoon or pour the Jell-O over the cream cheese layer.

Return the pan to the fridge. Cool until the Jell-O is completely set (about an hour).

That’s it! As you can see, other than cooling time, this dessert is really effortless to put together. You could even try it with different berries or fruits! Your Strawberry Jell-O Pretzel Salad is ready!

Now it’s time for the best part … eating!

Like this recipe? Check out these strawberry-inspired recipes:

• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
• Strawberry Hand Pies
• Strawberry Cheerio Treat Bars
• Strawberry Thyme Martini

This dessert combines the best of everything. You have the salty and sweet thing going on with the crust and Jell-O. Then you have the rich and creamy layer. And there’s even fresh fruit so you can feel a little better about eating dessert. This totally counts as one serving of fruit and vegetables, right?

Needless to say, I left my brother’s party with an empty pan. Delish!

I hope the pictures and tips for creating this Strawberry Jell-O Pretzel Salad dessert were helpful!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe:

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

---

Servings: 12 people

Print

Pin It!

This Strawberry Pretzel Salad is an old-fashioned dessert recipe that still popular for a reason: it's delicious!

Print

Pin It!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup pretzels - crushed finely
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 package (6 ounces) strawberry Jell-O gelatin dessert
• 1 container (16 ounces) fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 container (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip

Instructions

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter and press into a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once the pretzel crust is slightly cool, refrigerate it 30-60 minutes so that it gets really cold.
• In the meantime, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Then using a spatula, fold in the Cool Whip.
• Spread over cooled crust. (Make sure you spread this layer completely to the edges. You want to create a seal so your Jell-O doesn’t leak through.) Return your pan to the fridge to chill.
• Next, prepare the Jell-O according to the package directions minus 1/4 cup of water. This is a personal preference, but I find using less water allows the Jell-O to firm up better. Put your bowl of Jell-O in the fridge to allow it to chill. However, do not let it become completely firm
• While the Jell-O cools, slice the strawberries. Then, place them on top of your chilled layer of cream cheese and cool whip.
• Once the Jell-O is chilled to about the consistency of jam or pudding (about an hour or two in the fridge), it’s ready. Spoon or pour the Jell-O over the cream cheese layer.
• Return the pan to the fridge. Cool until your Jell-O is completely set (about an hour).
• Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

Please note: For best results, you must chill the layers between steps. This is an easy dessert to make but it does take time due to chilling. Allow enough time to complete the entire recipe.

---

Made it? Share it!Tag @inspiredbycharm on Instagram and use the tag #myIBC so we can see what you're cooking in the kitchen!