Strawberry Pretzel Salad really isn’t a salad at all, it is an easy make-ahead dessert recipe.
A perfect blend of flavors; sweet and salty and pretty hard to resist. It starts with a buttery pretzel crust topped with a rich cream cheese layer, and fresh strawberries in Jell-o on top.
While it can be served as a side, it’s more like a dessert and since it’s best made ahead of time, it’s great for potlucks, parties, and of course holidays!
Ingredients for Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This old-fashioned treat is called pretzel “salad” but really it’s a layered dessert that has a no-bake cheesecake layer and is topped with fresh berries and Jello.
- Crust: crushed salted pretzels, butter, sugar
- Creamy Filling: This is a cheesecake-like layer made with cream cheese, sugar, and whipped topping (such as Cool Whip).
- Strawberry Topping: strawberry jello, sliced fresh strawberries
You can use frozen strawberries if you can’t find fresh ones (thaw and drain first). You could also substitute or add other fresh fruit. Raspberries or peaches would taste great in this recipe.
How To Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Strawberry jello pretzel salad comes together in three easy steps. Be sure to chill each step between so they set.
- Crust: Combine crushed pretzels, sugar, and butter and press into the bottom of a pan (per the recipe below).
- Creamy Filling: Whip cream cheese and sugar, and fold in whipped topping. Spread over the pretzel layer and refrigerate until firm.
- Strawberry Topping: Combine jello and water with strawberries and pour over the creamy layer.
Refrigerate overnight. When ready to enjoy, cut into squares and serve!
Tips for a Perfect Dessert
- Cool layers: Allow each layer to cool/chill before adding the next layer.
- Protect the crust: Spread the cream cheese layer all the way to the edge to prevent the pretzel crust from becoming soggy.
- Cool Jello: Allow the Jell-o to cool down to room temperature before pouring on the fresh strawberries so the heat doesn’t wilt them.
- Use whipped topping: Whipped topping is a more stable ingredient that sets more firmly. Whipped cream can ‘weep’.
To Make Pretzel Salad Ahead of Time
Strawberry pretzel salad is best when made at least half a day in advance (making it a great dessert or potluck dish).
It needs a minimum of four hours to set up, or preferably longer. It will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.
This dessert does not freeze well.
More Sweet Salads (that aren't really salads at all!)
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- ¾ cup butter melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 8 ounces Cool Whip defrosted
Strawberry Topping
- 6 ounces Strawberry Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 cups sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine crushed pretzels, butter, and sugar 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.
- In a large mixing bowl combine Jell-O and boiling water 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Salad, Side Dish
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I made this with gluten free pretzels. I also decreased the amount of sugar in the cream cheese layer and used powdered sugar in place of granulated in that layer. It is vey good, especially since it has been years since I have eaten this salad because of the gluten. Gluten free pretzels do substitute easily in this recipe. I think they are a bit harder/crunchier than regular pretzels, so I crushed them in my food processer.
Following the directions, and exact measurements, it seems like the one featured in the picture has doubled ingredients, except for the crust. I wish that would have been made clear and visible near the recipe.
Hi Guanica, the photos show the recipe exactly as written. I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
When I make this my jello with the strawberries slide off it doesn’t seem to set on top of the cream cheese row? Would you know what I’m doing wrong?
Are you allowing the layers to completely chill in between? Are you using whipped topping or whipped cream?
Love love this site, my always to go to for easy, delicious recipes.
I am so glad you’ve been loving the recipes Susan!
I love this salad. Any substitutions for the pretzel crust? Trying to reduce the carbs. I already substitute for the sugar free options. Just trying what I can do for the crust. Thank you.
I have only tried this recipe as written so I can’t say for sure Barrie. Maybe another reader has tried something and has a suggestion for you!
You can substitute chopped pecans for pretzels
My aunt has made this with pecans instead of pretzels for the crust.
You might replace 1/2 of the pretzels with chopped pecans.
try a Graham cracker crust
I have been making this for 30+ ears now, both regular and sugar free. If you can get wild strawberry jello, use that for a much better flavor, in my opinion. If you want to try a different flavor, use raspberries and raspberry jello or canned pineapple and pineapple jello. Both are great, too. For the raspberry flavor, my daughter made some whipped coconut milk and used that instead of Cool Whip.
The jello layer was awful. Super rubbery and I followed recipe to the letter. Not sure what happened but won’t be making this again
Hi, Should it be .6oz for the box of Jello? The notes say the 6 oz. large box but I think that they come in .3oz and .6oz. Thanks!
Actually that looks to be the difference in the regular and the sugar free! So I guess .6 would work similarly.
Can you make this without the sugar in the cream cheese mixture? I don’t like any of those sugar substitutes either. I’ve tried them all! Will the texture still be the same if you just do the cream cheese and cool whip?
The texture will be just fine, the flavor will be more tart of course.
I made this yesterday and when I spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzels, the pretzels started to move and mix with my cream cheese. What did I do wrong or what is the best way to spread mixture?
Sorry to hear that, Kim! Once cooled it should be firm enough to spread the mixture on top but some tips to help: make sure the cream cheese was beaten until fluffy before folding in the cool whip, this will help keep the mixture light and spreadable, using a spoon place small dollops all over the pretzel crust to avoid having to spread it too far and disrupting the crust, and use a light pressure spreading it over the crust. Hope that helps!
I typically use unsalted butter when cooking, but since you didn’t specify… do you use unsalted or salted butter when you make this?
Either will work in this recipe. I typically use unsalted since the pretzels are salty but I don’t think you’d notice a diffference.
Love it!! I’ve made this hundreds of times and it’s always a fan favorite but why does the prep time say 25 minutes? The prep time is at Least 1.5 hours.
Hi Kim, thanks for your feedback. The prep time does not include the chill time but you can speed your prep time up when you go to assemble this recipe by premaking your crust. Hope that helps.
Could I make this in individual little mason jars instead of a large pan?
That sounds like such a fun idea, Shawna. We haven’t tried prepping this recipe that way but would love to hear how it turns out!
The biggest hit at our 2021 Christmas party! I knew it’d be good, but had no idea it’d be that good! Toddlers and seniors alike lined up for seconds.
Everyone said it was delicious. I used no sugar strawberry Jell-O and low sugar Cool Whip but after I ate some I thought it needed to be sweeter and more cool whip to be creamier. There was no crunch from the pretzels. They had absorbed moisture. I also added nuts between the creamy layer in the strawberry Jell-O layer but there was not much crunch there either. I also wish I had more Cool Whip to have as a garnish for the top. It was better after it came to room temperature.
Delicious additions Ruth! Glad everyone enjoyed it.
Delicious!!! I LOVED the fresh strawberries instead of the frozen ones. I did use about 5 frozen strawberries to set my jello. Once it was set I threw them out. I also used 1 1/2 cream cheese. I set each phase for one hour in the refrigerator. Turned out perfectly, crust and all. Wish I could show pictures.
While the taste is good, you would have to use an 8×8 pan or double the filling to get it to look like above. My crust and filling didn’t even make it close to half way up the pan. I will make note for next time though and try again.
Glad you enjoyed the taste Karina! In the pictures, we did make it in a 9×13, but an 8×8 or 9×9 would work too.
all the recipes you are posting look so good
Thank you Barbara!
When making the Strawberry Pretzel Salad, making the jello, the directions on the Jello box says add 2cups boiling water and also 2 cups cold water. Do we follow the Jello directions? You recipe says add just the 2cups boiling water.
Add only the ingredients listed in the recipe, not the box instructions. Enjoy Anita!
Smelled so good assembling, wish me luck. Couldn’t get into the kitchen until exactly 4 hours, put in freezer during steps.
Has anyone tried putting a layer of crushed pineapple in between layers?
Crushed pineapple can cause the jello to not set.
I used half pineapple juice and half water when making the jello. If you want to include crushed pineapple, I’d drain really well and mix it in the cream cheese/cool whip mixture (kinda like a pineapple delight dessert).
Can these be made in muffins pans/tins with each lined with cupcake liners? If so, any changes to the measurements or directions?
I haven’t tried these in muffin pans but I think it would work. I am not sure if you’d be able to peel the liner away but I have recently been buying parchment muffin liners and nothing sticks to them! Another suggestion is to use the foil liners and your guests/family can eat them directly out of the foil liners since they’ll hold up better!