Strawberry Pretzel Salad
A sweet and salty no-bake dessert with a crunchy pretzel crust, fluffy whipped cream filling, and fresh strawberries suspended in strawberry Jell-O. A classic Midwestern potluck recipe that tastes like strawberry shortcake but is way easier to make.
Equipment
- 1 9" x 13" Baking Dish (23cm x 33cm)
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 2 cups Pretzels, crushed (~300g)
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar (50g)
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted (3oz or 85g)
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature (227g)
- 10 tbsp Granulated Sugar (125g or ½c + 2T)
- 1½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream, cold (355mL)
Strawberry Jell-O Topping
- 1 lb Strawberries, hulled and sliced (454g)
- 6 oz Strawberry Jell-O Mix (170g)
- 2¼ cups Water (533mL)
Instructions
Make the Pretzel Crust
- Start by grinding your pretzels into fine crumbs.The easiest method is to use a food processor. You’ll need about 1½ cups of crumbs in total. If you don’t have a food processor, place the pretzels in a large zip-top bag, leave a small opening for air to escape, and crush them evenly with a rolling pin.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs with ¼ cup of melted butter and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated.
- Press the mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of a 9 x 13 (23cm x 33cm) baking dish. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to make it easier.
- Optional Step: Strawberry pretzel salad is a no-bake recipe, but if you prefer a crispier crust, you can bake the pretzel crust for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F (175C).
Make the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and sugar together at high speed until fully combined. It’s important to mix thoroughly in this step so that the sugar fully dissolves into the cream cheese and the filling doesn’t become grainy.
- In a clean mixing bowl, in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream at high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the whipped cream cheese and sugar until the filling is a uniform consistency.
- Carefully spread the whipped cream filling over your prepared pretzel crust. An offset spatula is the best tool for this, but the back of a spoon will work in a pinch. (See Recipe Notes)
- Refrigerate the strawberry pretzel salad while you prepare the topping.
Make the Strawberry Jell-O Topping
- Bring the 2¼ cups of water to a boil.
- In a large bowl, mix the boiling water with 6oz of strawberry Jell-O mix.
- Let the Jell-O cool for about 40 minutes.
- Carefully pour about ⅓ (1 cup) of the strawberry Jell-O over the whipped cream filling. (See Recipe Notes)
- Arrange the strawberry slices over the entire top of the strawberry pretzel salad.
- Carefully pour the rest of the strawberry Jell-O over the strawberry slices. Be sure to make sure each of the strawberry slices get some Jell-O poured over them so they become glazed as the Jell-O sets.
- Transfer the strawberry pretzel salad to the refrigerator for 3 hours to allow the Jell-O to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
Note 1: Spreading the filling without disturbing the pretzel crust can be tricky. The easiest way to avoid this is to dollop spoonfuls of filling evenly across the surface first, then use your offset spatula to gently spread them together until smooth.
Note 2: Many recipes at this point instruct you to mix the sliced strawberries with the strawberry Jell-O and pour the mixture over top of the whipped cream layer. However, I find that it’s difficult to evenly distribute the strawberries if the strawberry pretzel salad is made this way, and it can be easy to accidentally disturb the whipped cream layer and create dents.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!