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–+ servings
three slices of strawberry pretzel salad on plate
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4.89 from 36 votes

Easy Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This Strawberry Pretzel Salad has a crunchy pretzel crust, a tangy cream cheese filling, and a sweet topping made with strawberry jello and fresh strawberries. The BEST side dish or dessert for the holidays!
Prep Time2 hrs
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time2 hrs 10 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas, Classic, Thanksgiving
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 372kcal
Author: Jennifer Debth

Equipment

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (12 tablespoons = 1 1/2 sticks)
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 cups crushed pretzel sticks crushed in food processor for best results* (use gluten free, if desired)

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (8 oz) tub cool whip thawed in the fridge
  • 1 pint strawberries sliced

Strawberry Jello Topping

  • 1 (6 oz) package strawberry jello mix
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • Whipped cream if desired
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pretzel Crust

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray, then make a parchment paper sling and place into greased pan.** Set aside.
  • In a medium sized bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, and crushed pretzels.
  • Press firmly in the bottom of the pan.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely before topping with the cream cheese filling.

Cream Cheese Filling

  • In a large bowl, beat together sifted powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until well combined.
  • Beat in cool whip.
  • Spread evenly onto the completely cooled pretzel crust.
  • Top evenly with sliced strawberries.
  • Chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes while you make and cool the top layer.

Strawberry Jello Topping

  • Place jello mix into a large bowl, then pour hot water over.
  • Stir until completely dissolved then cool at room temperature for 30-60 minutes while your middle layer is chilling.
  • Pour over the chilled middle layer.
  • Cover with saran wrap, then store in the refrigerator until the jello has set, at least a few hours.
  • Use the parchment paper sling to remove the salad from the pan, then cut into pieces.
  • Top with whipped cream, if desired, and serve!
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Video

Notes

*See video for visuals to see texture of the crushed pretzels.
**See video for visuals on what a parchment sling looks like. This is optional, but it makes it easy to remove the salad from the pan and then cut into even pieces!
Prep time says 2 hours, but that includes chilling time. "Active" prep/cook is probably only 30 minutes or so.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg