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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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Classic strawberry pretzel salad is a household favorite that is perfect for a pot luck too!

This old fashioned recipe is a family favorite. If you have ever been to a southern potluck function, then you have more than likely had strawberry pretzel salad. Why is it called a salad? Honestly, I have no idea, because I consider this a layered dessert. Looking back through my mom’s recipes, it seems a lot of Jello recipes are referred to as salads.

Eat Your Jello

Did you know that today is National Eat Your Jello Day? I honestly had no clue either! Who makes up these holidays? But I thought that this would be the perfect day to share my mom’s recipe. She used to make this classic dish ever since I was a little girl. I am not sure where my mom got this recipe. I thought that she may have gotten it from her “Joys of Jell-O” cookbook. Sadly, this recipe isn’t listed in the book.

What is strawberry pretzel salad?

Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a yummy dessert with a buttery pretzel crust,  topped with a rich cream cheese layer, and fresh strawberries with Jell-o on top. Our family even loves it as a side dish.

Why is strawberry pretzel salad a pot luck favorite dish?

Whenever this dish is brought to a potluck or large gathering, it disappears quickly. My entire family loves it as well. I think it’s because it has the perfect balance between saltiness and sweetness. It could be that we just love the layers of pretzels, sweetened cream cheese, cool whip, strawberry jello and fresh strawberries!

How do you make strawberry pretzel salad?

Here’s how to put it all together – just follow the recipe.

Keep in mind that this needs to be refrigerated for at least 2-4 hours before serving, I recommend even more time than that to be sure the Jell-o layer is firm.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad - Just like Mom Used to Make

Strawberry Pretzel Salad - Just like Mom Used to Make

Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a yummy dessert with a sweet buttery pretzel crust,  topped with a cream cheese and Cool Whip layer, and fresh strawberries with Jell-o on top. Our family even loves it as a side dish.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Refrigerated Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 1/2 cups salted pretzels, (measured before crushing)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 8 oz cool whip, thawed in the fridge
  • 1 lb fresh strawberries - washed, hulled and sliced

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Combine strawberry Jell-O with 2 cups boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Crush 2 1/2 cups pretzels in a sturdy ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
  3. In a medium sauce pan, melt 8 Tbsp butter then add 1/4 cup sugar and stir. Mix in crushed pretzels. Transfer to a 13x9 glass casserole dish, pressing the pretzel mix evenly over the bottom of the dish and bake for 10 min at 350°F, then cool to room temp.
  4. When pretzels have cooled, use an electric hand mixer to beat 8 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on med/high speed until fluffy and white. Fold in 8 oz Cool Whip until no streaks of cream cheese remain. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels, spreading to the edges of the dish to create a tight seal. Refrigerate 30 min.
  5. Hull and slice 1 lb strawberries then stir into your room temperature jello. Pour and spread strawberry jello mixture evenly over your cooled cream cheese layer and refrigerate until jello is set (2-4 hours).

Notes

Crush the pretzels as much or as little as you want. My preference is to keep pieces rather larger.

Doesn’t this look delicious? This is especially perfect to serve in the summertime.

It cuts perfectly into whatever serving size you choose.

Remember to grab a piece for yourself before it’s all gone! Try these strawberry recipes too:

Have you ever made any Jell-o desserts before? I’d love to hear about them!

Don’t forget to Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board!

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