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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.
one of my favorite dessert dish… If you can, make a video of this recipe.
That is a great suggestion! Thank you so much! 🙂
But it says to use a hole butter stick so idk😒😕
Olesya, yes that is correct. 8 Tbsp butter.
Hey ..everytime I start putting on the cream on the pretzels ,my pretzels pick up and gets stuck to the cream and then its in possible to cover it and I end up giving up ..what I’m I doing wrong?? Like I thought baking(the pretzels) it will prevent it from moving, when put on cream but no !!!
Baking should prevent it from moving. Are you crushing your pretzels and adding the correct amount of butter and sugar? Those two help bind the pretzels together. I think it can make a difference how much you crush your pretzels. If the pieces are too large, they don’t stick together as well. I hope that helps!
i had some problem too. I figured out that i used to little of the butter mixed with sugar solution. So when it baked it didn’t harden fully together.
Found this a few days ago. Made it Sunday night for return to work in the New Year and it went like hot cakes. Tastes wonderful and it will become a staple in my “work” recipes file. Thank you for sharing.
Victoria, thank you for such a nice review! I’m so glad you loved the recipe 🙂
Ive made this desert countless times since 2011 when you originally posted it! ALWAYS a winner and ALWAYS a favorite everywhere I bring it! Making it right now for tomorrows Christmas party.
THANK YOU for your blog and your recipes! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Olga, thank you for such a wonderful review and you are welcome 😀.
How do you measure 2 cups of pretzels? I used the sticks and when I measured 2 cups of sticks, it didn’t look like enough for a crust. So I thought 2 cups is 16 oz, which is the size of the bag. I crushed the entire bag but the butter/sugar combination wasn’t enough. Then I thought maybe it was 2 cups of crushed pretzels…..what am I missing?
Hi Trish, I apologize, I could have specified that better. It’s 2 cups pretzel sticks (uncrushed) – like what I have shown in the ingredients picture. I have updated the recipe to specify.
So do i add the 2 cups of cold water as well to the jello?
No, I do not do it according to the package instructions. Just add the hot water only per the recipe.
What the flip?
Hi Natasha, is raspberries supposed to be frozen or can be fresh? I’m planning to do this delicious treat for my party at work. Thank you so much.
They can be thawed in the refrigerator if frozen or you can use fresh.
Can I make this a day ahead or with the pretzels get soggy?
Denise, you can make it a day ahead, as long as you’ll spread the cream portion all the way to the sides of the pan so that jello doesn’t leak to the bottom.
Hi, when I spread the wipes topping on my pretzels ot started to melt a little I guess I didn’t let it cool long enough, and when I poured my jello in it was a little warmer then room temp…. it ran clear down to the bottom…. os my dessert ruined? I hope not, I made it for my work Christmas party!
You definitely have to let things cool in between since heat melts the layers. Also, to keep the jello from going to the bottom, make sure you spread the cream part completely out to the edges of the pan so there is no room for the jello go to. If it went down to the pretzels, the pretzels may be softer than desired but it should still taste good.
Is it ok if the pretzels are salted?
Yes, I always use salty pretzels. They add great flavor. I love the sweet, salty combination. 🙂
The Jello box instructions actually say to add 2 additional cups of cold water after you mix the gelatin with the boiling water. Do you intentionally skip this step?
Yes I do intentionally skip that and I don’t make it according to the package instructions.
Why don’t you add cold water to the jello mix? It feels like to little jello with only 2 cups.
The desert slices and holds together better with a thicker jello.
Do you drain the the raspberries?
If they have accumulated alot of juice, then yes, unless you want to stir it into the jello which would be fine too.
Have you tries this with fresh, rather than frozen, berries? Any concerns with doing so?
You can use fresh berries. Just make sure they aren’t overripe. They will work great 🙂
I made the raspberry jello salad. its setting in the fridge, but the jello is leaking into the pretzels. What do i do? Did i ruin it?
That happens if you have gaps in the cream part and it didn’t extend all the way to the edges. I don’t think there’s a good way to fix it at this point. I think it’s still going to be edible and tasty though, but for next time, be sure you spread the cream part all the way to the edges without spaces between the cream and the dish.
I almost had same problem but by the time i poured my jello it was already halfway jello like so it didnt leak. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I made this and the pretzel part was really stuck to the bottom of the pan, made it hard to serve. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Using a glass dish. Any suggestions?
Are you using the same amount of butter that the recipe calls for? Also, it helps if you don’t crush the pretzels up too finely. Ideally, there should still be some small pieces of pretzel in the mixture. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha what is cool whip? is it same as whipping cream?
Zoe, cool whip is not the same as whipping cream. Cool whip doesn’t have any dairy in it while whipping cream does. I tried using whipping cream once but pretzels end up being soggy so cool whip is what I recommend for this recipe. Hope this helps :).
Thank you Natasha! I manage to import some cool whip in by hand carry! will try this recipe soon!!
thanks Natasha! I manage to find cool whip and it is so worth the search!! this recipe is a keeper!! Big thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Zoe 🙂
This is my favorite!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
You’re so welcome 🙂
i used crushed white chocolate covered pretzels no need to cook (dont add butter or sugar)
Thanks for the tip Valerie, I should give your version a try :).