Go Back

Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Strawberry pretzel jello salad is a layered pretzel dessert with a salty-sweet golden crust, a fluffy cream cheese middle, and a shimmering strawberry Jell-O top studded with berry slices. The cold, set layers slice into clean rectangles for an eye-catching sweet-salty potluck-style dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pretzel crust
  • 2 cup pretzel twists coarsely crushed
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
For the cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip) thawed
For the Jell-O layer
  • 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cup boiling water
  • 2 cup cold water or ice
  • 2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries sliced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Make and bake the pretzel crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then mix the crushed pretzels with the melted butter and granulated sugar until evenly coated.
  2. Press the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, bake for 8–10 minutes until set, and then cool completely.
Make the cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the thawed whipped topping and spread evenly over the completely cooled pretzel crust.
  2. Refrigerate the cream cheese layer for 30 minutes.
  3. As you spread, seal the cream cheese to the edges so strawberry Jell-O doesn't seep through.
Assemble the strawberry Jell-O layer
  1. Dissolve the strawberry Jell-O in 2 cups of boiling water, stirring until smooth.
  2. Stir in the 2 cups of cold water or ice, then let the Jell-O cool to room temperature but do not let it set.
  3. Stir the sliced strawberries into the cooled Jell-O, then gently pour over the chilled cream cheese layer.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the Jell-O is completely set.
  2. Slice into rectangles and serve cold.

Notes

For the cleanest rectangle slices, cool the pretzel crust fully before spreading the cream cheese layer and avoid letting the Jell-O thicken before pouring. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (freezing not recommended due to texture changes). For a lighter version, use light whipped topping in the cream cheese layer.