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

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!
The cool whip is not on the ingredients list. Which kind of stinks when you get home to make it and realize you don’t have an ingredient. ;0
Katie, I’m SO sorry. That’s honestly the worst. You have my most sincere apologies. Thanks for letting me know. I updated the recipe.
xo Michael
No need to apologize! I think most people would’ve known to get cool whip after reading the recipe. Thanks for taking your time to share this fabulous recipe!
Thank you for sharing such a lovely dessert! The tips are awesome and the pics are helpful. It’s always a crowd pleaser and definitely a fav of mine. Thanks ❤️
Do you think leftovers ( hard to imagine leftovers with this) can be frozen?
I honestly don’t know, but I wouldn’t freeze it. It should last a couple days in the refrigerator though.
xo Michael
Does it sit well? If I make it on Saturday, can I serve it on Sunday, or will it be a yucky mushy mess?
Kate, I haven’t made it this way, but I honestly think it would hold up fine for the next day. There might be a little bleeding of layers, but I think it should do okay.
xo Michael
Can I use frozen berries
I think! But I’d try and use fresh if possible.
xo Michael
great recipe.. The only thing I don’t get is how did you get that much jello when u only put half the water… I put only 1 cup of water per your recommendation and it barely spread… Gotta go back to the store for more.. :/
Making this for our 4th of July party…. SO glad I found your recipe! mMmMmMM
I’m making this for my physics class (snack Fridays!) and it looks so good! I’d never heard of it before but a friend showed me the recipe and I decided to try it. I’m waiting for the Jell-o to cool now and then I’ll be done! I’m kind of impatient, so it’s only taken me about two hours total. Plus it’s about 5ºF outside here so it takes less time to cool each layer since I’ve been putting it in the garage!
I want to try this! Looks yummy!! Wish you had a print option button to your recipes 🙂
Thank you for your help with my pretzel crust. I can already tell your recipe and tutorial is going to be spot on! Your directions and pictures are wonderful!
Oh, I like the pictures and the idea to mix salt and sweet!
i know I am old school, but it their a printer version that isn’t 12 pages long?
Yes – I couldn’t agree more. I’m working on a new website design that will allow you to print JUST the recipe. Stay tuned.
Thanks!
Michael
Thanks! It is cooling I’m the fridge now…I’m so excited
I made this with gluten free pretzels. It was great.
Also try pineapple juice for the warm water and cold in the jello…. Then add frozen slices strawberries it will thicken quicker. Love this dessert!
Also try pineapple juice for the warm water and cold in the jello…. Then add frozen slices strawberries it will thicken quicker. Love this dessert!
awesome tuturial.. pics are great, putting this on my “to make” list! 🙂
I think I’m going to make a half batch of this recipe and keep it all for myself!
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Looks so yummy…and easy…definitely making this this week…thanks for the great pics
This recipe sounds great. Awesome pictures! I found you on Pinterest.
is it 2.5 cups of pretzels that you crush or 2.5 cups of crushed pretzels? It makes a difference.
As it says in the recipe … 2 1/2 cups of pretzels (crushed fine)
The pretzels should be crushed, then measured. Hope that helps.