This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This raspberry pretzel jello recipe has become very popular in the Russian/Ukrainian community – and for good reason. It makes your taste buds dance! I have zero self-control around this dish, so I was concerned about making a 13×9 -inch pyrex filled with this dreamy pretzel jello goodness, for just the two of us.
We made it last night…. it’s half gone. Try it and you’ll understand. If you have “issues” with Cool Whip, just replace it with your own whipped cream. I picked up this recipe from Tanya – a gal at our church who never fails to impress her guests with scrumptious food.
Ingredients for Raspberry Pretzel Jello Recipe:
6 oz package Raspberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups salted pretzel sticks (before crushing)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese – softened
1 (8oz) package Cool Whip – thawed in the refrigerator
3/4 cup granulated sugar
12 oz bag frozen raspberries – thawed in refrigerator
Q: Can I substitute Cool Whip?
Cool Whip provides the best results. I have tested this recipe with whipped cream (by beating 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff and fluffy) and although this substitution tastes good, it softens the pretzel crust a bit so the crust isn’t as crisp (it’s better on day 2 when using cool whip). Also, if using whipped cream, you may wish to add 2/3 cup sugar to the cream cheese to reach the same sweetness and refrigerate the cream portion for 45 minutes for it to set better.
How to Make Raspberry Pretzel Jello:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
1. Combine 6 Oz packet of Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Crush 2 1/2 cups of pretzels in a ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
3. Melt 1 stick of butter than add 1/4 cup sugar in saucepan. Add pretzels and mix together.
4. Lightly press pretzel mix into a 13×9 -inch pyrex dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, then cool to room temperature.
5. While pretzel mix is cooling down, beat 8 oz of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium/low speed in the bowl of your mixer with paddle attachment until well-combined.
6. Next, stir in Cool Whip using a spatula and mix until well combined.
7. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels and go all the way to the edges of the dish to create a seal. You don’t want the jello to leak into the pretzels. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
8. Place raspberries evenly on top of the cream filling and pour Jell-O over raspberries and refrigerate until jello is set.
Enjoy :D.
Raspberry Pretzel Jello
Ingredients
- 6 oz package Raspberry Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups salted pretzel sticks, before crushing
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick, 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 8oz package cream cheese - softened
- 1 8oz package Cool Whip - thawed in the refrigerator
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 12 oz bag frozen raspberries - thawed in refrigerator
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Combine 6 Oz packet of Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Crush 2 1/2 cups of pretzels in a ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
- Melt 1 stick of butter than add 1/4 cup sugar in saucepan. Add pretzels and mix together.
- Lightly press pretzel mix into a 13x9 -inch pyrex dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, then cool to room temperature.
- While pretzel mix is cooling down, beat 8 oz of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium/low speed until well-combined.
- Next, stir in Cool Whip using a spatula and mix until well combined.
- Spread mixture over cooled pretzels and go all the way to the edges of the dish to create a seal. You don't want the jello to leak into the pretzels. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Place raspberries evenly on top of the cream filling and pour Jell-O over raspberries and refrigerate until jello is set.
This fellow recipe sound wonderful. Any idea of the calorie content?
LeeAnn, I don’t typically include calorie counts because of the time constraint that I have. I really need to hire some help to do that for me! When I need a quick answer though; I have used Caloriecount.com (their recipe analyzer is free).”
Thanks for getting back to me. I’ll check with caloriecount.com as you’ve suggested.
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you LeeAn!
Absolutely delicious!! Made it last week, got many positive comments, perfect for summer time! Thank you, Natasha, for a great recipe!
My pleasure Svetlana! I’m glad to hear everyone loves the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Delicious
Pulsate the pretzels really well into small pieces maybe with a food processor or the jello layer will get down into the crevices
Other than that it was a hit with family👍
Great tip Renee! Thanks for sharing with other readers!
Thank you for making my ramazan much decliouser. I will go for it tonight
Please let me know what you think of the recipe Alisa! 🙂
Hi Natasha!
I’m going to try out this recipe! How long should I cook butter with pretzels? Until butter melts?
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hi Julia, it is just until the butter melts together. I hope you love it!!
Hi Natasha! We LOVE this recipe, it was a huge hit with my picky in-laws, and so good my DH asked me to make it again the next day! I have a problem though. The first day I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was perfect!! I thought it was a little too sugary, so today I cut the sugar in the whipped cream/cream cheese mix by a quarter cup and mixed, and it came out runny. Did I not wait long enough for the whipped cream to thaw? Can I save the mixture?
Hi Brittany, did you use whipped cream or cool whip? I don’t think it would be loose due to the sugar. Cool whip and cream cheese should not be runny when folded together – did you possibly speed thaw the cream cheese or cool whip in the microwave – the microwave can break the consistency of cool whip and change the consistency of cream cheese. Did you possibly use real whipped cream and underbeat it? I hope that reply is helpful! 🙂
Hi Natasha, have you ever tried adding gelatin to the cool whip/ cream cheese mixture? So it’s more like ptichye moloko?
Hi Yuliya, I haven’t needed to in this recipe since it firms up enough without it.
Hi, I made this and it was very good but I had trouble cutting through the pretzel bottom. We really had to saw it and it made it a lot of work. Do you experience this? If not any thoughts?
Hi Laura, did you add the same amount of butter? Also, you might try crushing the pretzels just a little more next time. If the pieces are large, is a little more difficult to cut through. I hope that helps! I’m so glad you liked it!
Natasha, I made this dessert for my husband and he said it is the bomb! I substituted with heavy whipping cream and it turned out really good. My jello sipped thru a bit and I didn’t think it’s a big deal but actually it kept sipping until jello solidified and half of the cake had jello on top and bottom :0 Next time I’ll be very careful not to let that happen. Thanks for pointing that out!
You’re welcome Rita! I’m glad to hear you both enjoyed the recipe!
Tips that I use all the time for my jello to stay on top. I add my cream/wiping cream mixture right on top of my hot pretzels so that way cream cheese melts a little and seal. then i put it to the freezer for 20 min.Than I pour Jell-O over raspberries and refrigerate until jello is set. works every time.
Thanks for the tip Lina!
I want to make this today for a birthday tomorrow. Do you thaw your raspberries in the original bag in the fridge, or do you put them out on a paper towel onto a plate to thaw and collect the extra juice? Thanks!
Hi Alina, I thaw them in the original bag in the fridge and if you thaw in the fridge, they don’t release as much juice as when you try to speed thaw raspberries, so you can just add them to the recipe without patting them dry. The juice just gets incorporated into the jello anyways 🙂
Due to my jello always leaking I first let the jello sit with the raspberrys, then I put on whip cream and cream cheese. Last is pretzels. If your not sure if your desert will leak causing…hence you will have to make another one. Try this way instead.
That’s an interesting spin on it – to assemble upside down! Thank you for sharing! 🙂 The best way that I have found to prevent leaks is to make sure to create a seal all the way around with the cream part without leaving any gaps between the cream and the sides of the dish.
I am making this now in my 50’s but remember my best friend’s mom making this many years ago. I remember her pretzels being on the top layer over the cream cheese,etc layer.Thanks for sharing this as I didn’t think that I was losing my mind! I already made mine, but will try it this way next time. TFS!
My daughter and I made the rasberry pretzel dessert last night and we do not understand ‘how’ the cream cheese/whip cream mixture rose to the top. Looks like cottage cheese. Gonna see if I can find some Whipping Cream to camaflouge, I’m hoping it tastes as good!! Merry Xmas
Did you possibly add the Jell-O while it was still warm? That could cause it. Or, not waiting for the cream layer to set before adding the Jell-O could cause it to rise that way. I hope that helps!
Yep, probably did both!! Thank you for the reply..
The same thing happend to me. What I did then was with my second one I first made sure the jello sets with the rasberrys in the refrigerator ..then do the whip cream and cool whip, then pretzels.
Can I make this a day ahead??
Carley, yes you can make this a day ahead.
I am wondering if I can use raspberry pie filling for the topping? I do not have raspberry jello or raspberries that is my dilemma and I need a salad for Christmas. Can’t get to the grocery store so am hoping this will work.
Hi Laurie, I haven’t tried that but I do think it would probably taste good! It might not stay put like a jello would when you are slicing the pieces but again, I do think it would taste good 🙂
We LOVE this dessert! It has the salty, the sweet, and the tart tastes all blended to create a wonderful symphony in your mouth. Unforgettable! It is now one of our very favorites. We found out quite by accident that it is much better on the 2nd day after it has had time for the crust to soften and blend a little. Mmmm! So glad to find this scrumptious morsel!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Nataha, is there healthy substitute for cool whip?
Lucy, the best thing that I have found is a product called “truwhip”. Is is sold in the natural section of our Fred Mayer grocery store.
HI Natasha! Will fresh raspberries taste just as good? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely!! 🙂
Thank you I made this for the first time this Thanksgiving was delicious a big hit will be a new tradition
That is so great!! I’m all smiles reading your comment. Thank you 🙂 I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving!!