Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe (VIDEO)
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is always a hit at parties. It’s dangerously good! The combination of sweet, salty and tart make it irresistible. This layered strawberry pretzel dessert is loved by adults and kids.
Jello recipes are the perfect potluck dessert because they keep well and are easy to make which is why this Strawberry Pretzel salad is so popular during the holidays. Our jello cake and classic raspberry pretzel jello are also reader favorites this time of year.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Why is it Called “Pretzel Salad”?
There is a massive debate on Facebook as to why this is called a “salad” and it really is a passionate debate (very entertaining to read). can a pretzel jello salad be a salad? I just want to put it out there that I did NOT name this dish. So, what do you think: Salad? or Dessert?
Can I Substitute Cool Whip?
Cool Whip provides the best results because it doesn’t soften the pretzels and keeps better overnight. You may substitute with more natural version like “True Whip“.
If using whipped cream (by beating 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff and fluffy) and although this substitution tastes good, it softens the pretzel crust so the crust isn’t as crisp. If using whipped cream, 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.
What Kind of Pretzels are Best for Pretzel Jello?
Use small, SALTED pretzels (either sticks or traditional pretzel twists). Salted hard pretzels add the salty element which is surprising but so good. Smaller pretzels are easier to crush and measure.
Tips for Strawberry Pretzel Salad:
- Dissolve the jello according to recipe instructions (NOT package instructions)
- Use softened cream cheese and thaw cool whip in the refrigerator
- Measure 2 1/2 cups of whole pretzels
- Spread cream portion all the way to the edges for a tight seal before adding jello
- Pour room temperature jello gently over the top to prevent cracks in the cream layer
Watch How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad:
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Strawberry Pretzel Salad
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 granulated sugar
- 8 oz cool whip, thawed in the fridge
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
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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.
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Crush 2 1/2 cups pretzels in a sturdy ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
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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.
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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.
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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).
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Tools We Used for this Strawberry Pretzel Jello (affiliate links):
2 Quart Ovenproof Glass Batter Bowl
Glass baking dish
Breville Stainless Steel Electric Kettle
Glass mixing bowl
Stainless Steel Saucepan
Le Creuset Silicone Spatula
Wusthof Classic Ikon 6-inch Utility Knife
OXO Good Grips Nylon Flexible Turner
I hope this pretzel ‘salad’ becomes a new favorite for you! If you have a suggestion for something you want to see on our blog, I’d love to hear about it in a comment below.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I LOVE this salad/dessert but how come The pretzels always taste stale? I have started making this without the pretzels because I cant get it to behave and taste like everyone else. Any ideas? Sandy
Hi Sandy! My only thought would be that you are not using fresh pretzels or maybe using a brand that doesn’t taste great. There isn’t anything else in this recipe or process that would cause them to taste stale.
Can you make this strawberry pretzel salad one day ahead of time
Hi Susan, I usually don’t make it more than one day ahead, but making it two days should be OK, as long as the strawberries are and stay fresh.
When getting jello to room temp, how long would you suggest?
Hi Fran! I don’t have the exact time of this. You’ll need to test it out.
Making this now. How long does the pretzel mix need to cool after baking? 15 min? 45 min?
Hi E, it depends on your room’s temperate; if your room’s temperate is warmer, it may take longer, but it may take anywhere from 15-20 minutes.
Can I use frozen strawberries in this recipe. Loved your post thank you
Hi Sharon. It will still work with frozen strawberries. Just ensure the frozen strawberries are either sliced or smaller.
Natasha is spot on by leaving the jello at room temp…far better than my old recipe which called for cooling the jello in the ref…too lumpy and difficult to pour. This was Perfect! Love all your recipes, love to cook, so keep them coming! Happy Holidays!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Maria! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I have an old recipe from Jello and it uses frozen strawberries w/juice thawed. It also states before you add the strawberries the jello should go in fridge till it’s semi set and then you add the thawed strawberries. What is the outcome using the Jello recipe vs this one? Thanks!
Hi, Mila! Without having tested that specific recipe, I cannot advise. You could read through the comments below to see what some of my reader’s experience has been with this recipe. I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s quite a treat.
Hi Natasha, I made the jello cake yesterday and i forgot to set it out for my guets. How long does it last in the fridge before the crust gets soggy. Its a solid recipe. We love this dessert in our family.
Hi Marina! This is good for about 2 days so the strawberries stay fresh.
Hi Natasha, looking forward to trying this recipe for thanksgiving. Question..
If I plan on serving this at Thanksgiving around 1:30 PM, would it be okay to make this a day ahead to sit overnight? I am worried that it might be soggy. Wondering if you have any time frame that you suggest? Thank you!!
Hi Jemma, we often make this a day ahead. Using cool whip will work best for make-ahead compared to substituting with heavy whipping cream (just fyi).
This is a winner. I made it by your recipe the first time and going forward I did three things. Like previous comments the crust fell apart. I added 2 tbs more butter and two tbs more surgar. Secondly, I Icould buy only a 2lb box of strawberries. I cut up half as instructed and placed the other pound in the blender for strawberry sauce nd used it to replace some of the water. I substituted the reamo n dr of the water with whote grape juice. Thirdly, I added toasted chopped precans to the pretel crust(someone elses’ suggestion).This recipe of yours is a family favorite
So glad they loved it! Thank you Gayle!
I am on weight watchers, so I traded out the regular stuff for light/fat free products
Hi Ari! That’s great, how was it?
Can strawberry pie filling be substitutes for fresh strawberries in the strawberry pretzel salad
Hi Christina, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share how it goes!
Can you please help me with a smaller portion of this recipe I’m scared to try it myself I know it’s halving the ingredients but can you help me..
Hi Shell! I have not made this in a smaller version, however, I do have a tool on my website that you can use that will cut down the recipe for you. In the recipe card above, hover your cursor over the number of servings in red lettering and you can adjust the serving size. I am not sure what size pan you’ll have available to use for this recipe, but you will most likely need to adjust the pan size as well if you are only making 1/2 of the recipe.
I made this over Labor Day weekend. Several people in my family are diabetic, so I made this recipe processed sugar-free. I used stevia in the crust and filling instead of sugar, sugar-free Jell-O and sugar-free Cool Whip. The strawberries have natural sugar, of course, but it makes a terrific diabetic dessert 🙂 If you used gluten-free pretzels, it could work as Keto-ish as well.
Thank you for sharing your experiment with this recipe, Kori! I’m glad it was enjoyed. 🙂
Hi Natasha, I ran across your Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe and it sounds so delicious and I’m wanting to make it but I don’t know how to measure 2.5 cups of whole pretzels! I don’t bake very often and I just can’t figure out how to get the correct measurement, can you give me an approximate amount after being crushed, please? Thank You in advance for any help you can provide!
Hi Sheryl. I’m sorry, I do not have the measurement for the pretzel crushed, you may look this up on google to see if there is an answer. I scoop them up with a measuring cup directly out of the bag/container. It ends up being about 200g total.
Thanks for replying back! I wondered about measuring them like you said but then my brain was saying, no, that won’t work, you have all that unoccupied space! Lol, I literally just busted out laughing at myself! Thank you so much! Planning on making it tomorrow and I can’t wait!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times! It’s always a hit everywhere and it’s always gone within minutes! I wanted to try something different and decided to do pineapple jello with crushed pineapple and added halved maraschino cherries once I had added the jello layer. It was very delicious as well! Can’t wait to try other fruits & jello with it!
Thanks for sharing that with us! I think it’s a good idea to try other fruits too, we’d love to. know how it goes.
Can I use brown sugar for the crust instead of granular sugar
I haven’t tested this to advise what the results would be like.
I have everything I need to make this today, except I miscalculated on the Jello Powder. I’m in Canada and they are sold in 85g (4 serving) packs, do you know what or many grams of the jello powder I would need? Thank you
Hi Vicky, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.I believe this recipe calls for 170.1 g of strawberry Jell-O.
Thank you so much Natasha, I made it with 2 x 85 gram packs of Jello. I didn’t see your reply until just now and I wanted to make it so bad so I went ahead with it and I’m so glad I did! It is so wonderfully fresh and refreshing!! Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Vicky! 🙂
I am making this for a family reunion/camping trip. I have made it before when it was to be eaten same day. How long do ou think this could be kept and still be good?
Hi Bonnie! About 2 days so the strawberries stay fresh.
Can I use a foil 9×13 pan? I’m taking the dish for a friend who lost their mother.
Hi Lisa! I have not tested making this in a foil pan. A glass pan works best because of sticking. If you experiment, let us know how it works out.
A foil pan works fine! My nephews request this every year for Christmas dessert at our family gathering, they love it soooooo much… and so does everyone else. 🙂 I have a pan chilling in my fridge at this very moment for later this evening.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Carrie! That’s so great! Merry Christmas!
I used a foil pan for Christmas because I had to make a larger size of it. It worked just fine, it didn’t stick at all. Wonderful recipe!
I forgot to put stars and it randomly chose 3. I needed to come back on here to say it’s a 5 star winner lol
Thank you, we appreciate that!
Glad to hear that it worked well! Thanks for your great comments and feedback, Joyce.
I’m very excited to make this dessert for the residents at the Assisted Living home I work at. I am the full-time third shift staff member and I am responsible for making the desserts. I’ve got the pretzel crust cooking as we speak. I really think they are going to love this! So easy and it looks so good. I love them and I love giving them lots of variety. Thank you so much! 👋❤️
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Daphne! I’m all smiles
Love, love, love this recipe. I have made it twice for get togethers and it has a hit both times. Thank you for sharing😊
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Doreen!
I have made this recipe multiple times myself and my neighbors,friends love it. So I was wondering if I could double the recipe to make two 9 x 13 pans at one time?
Happy to hear that, Kim! I imagine that will work.
Can a graham cracker crust be made for this salad instead of the pretzel crust, my husband didn’t like the pretzel one, but I thought it was very good.
Hi Betty, a couple of my readers have reported great results using graham crackers. You might look online for proportions with other recipes that use graham crackers.
Delicious!!!! Made for a family get together. Wish I would have made 2. They were gone in a flash.
Great to hear that it was a huge hit!
I have made this in the past and failed. So, I was reluctant to do it again. Well, this recipe turned out delicious! Omg I could eat the entire pan. Thank you for a foolproof easy recipe!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Lori! Thank you for your wonderful review!
Made this over the weekend and have to tell you that it is delicious. Gave some to my neighbor or I would have eaten the entire thing.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Several members of my family have gluten allergies and/or have diabetes. Made this for Easter with gluten free pretzels, sugar free jello, and substituted Splenda for the sugar. It got rave reviews! As requested, I’m making this again for July 4th family dinner. So if you want to make this gluten free and as sugar free as possible, it is fabulous!
Hi Kay! That’s wonderful. So glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing with us.
Great recipe, but my jello set too fast and was clumpy. : ( Would not recommend making the Jello part till after the crust and cream mixture.
Making this for the 4th, one tip on the Jello, put it in the freezer until,it’s like jelly and spreadable. This won’t melt the cool whip/cream cheese layer.
Making this four the 4th, gotta say it was easy, one tip for the jello is to cool it in the freezer until it’s slushy like but spreadable. This way it won’t melt the cool whip/cream cheese mixture
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Denise!
The strawberry pretzel salad is yummy. Can this be frozen in portions let’s say?
Nancy Wood
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but I suspect it is not freezer-friendly.
Has anyone tried to make this in individual cupcake form for easier serving? Thinking I might try it out but hoping the pretzel crust doesn’t stick to the liners
I’ve tried making this (my favorite dessert) a few different ways. Making cupcakes is one of them. In case you do want to make cupcakes, a little tip for you is to spray the cupcake liner with “Pam”, it made it so the pretzels did not stick. I’ve also done a “deconstructed” strawberry pretzel salad in plastic beverage cups (like the size they give you on airplanes), which was the easiest way of making this delicious dessert. Instead of leaving the pretzel crust in the pan, I lightly smashed up the crust with a rolling pin. I then placed the pretzel crust in the bottom of each cup. I made the cream cheese/whipped cream layer and then set that aside in the refrigerator. I proceeded to make the jello/strawberry mixture and chill until it’s ready to be served. When we were ready to eat dessert, I had each layer waiting to go (with extra coolwhip for the top). I also made peach pretzel dessert cups that same day. Both got rave reviews 🙂
Thank you so much for your tips and suggestions. We appreciate it!
This is a wonderful salad/dessert. I used to use frozen strawberries. But of course fresh is better! I tried a disposable dish. Do what Natasha says. Follow her instructions. Do exactly what she says. Thank you always Natasha. Excellent recipe! Yummy!
So glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing with us, Debra!
My kind of Manly salad.
Nothing green in it and it tastes fabulous!
Thanks Natasha.
It sure is a treat! I’m so happy you loved it!
Are you sure it is only 8 oz of cool whip you added to your strawberry pretzel salad, it looked like a large tub in your video.
Hi Jean. Yes, the tube of cool whip is 8 ounces total.
This is absolutely delicious. I saw that there were multiple versions of this recipe online, but this one looked like it had the best ratio of ingredients. I wasn’t disappointed. The only thing I would do different, and this is on me, would be to crush the pretzels even smaller so the crust stayed together better. I like that this has sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy. Besides, strawberries are the best. Thanks Natasha.
That sounds great! Thank you for your review, comments, and suggestion. That is so helpful!
If you followed this recipe your dessert will flop. Do Not put jello on too until it is almost set
In this recipe, can I substitute the cream cheese by an equal quantity of mascarpone cheese with Cool Whip for a creamier and a tastier mixture?
Thank-you Natasha! I love your recipes and your bubbly personnality!
Hi Celine. I have not tested that but I think it could work. It’s worth experimenting with. Let us know how it turns out if you try it.
Hi Celine!
Did you try this with the mascarpone cheese? I feel like it woods Knick it out of the park!!!
If I don’t have any fresh strawberries can I use frozen ones? If so how much do you recommend? I saw on one recipe to use 2 10oz packs and do not let them thaw. Would that work with this recipe?
Hi Mandy, it will still work with frozen strawberries. Just ensure the frozen strawberries are either sliced or smaller.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad be made the night before you would serve it. Will the Pretzel be soggy if you make it the night before you serve it the next day.
Hi Charlotte, that will work. that will work! I usually like to make this the night before or max 2 days before so the strawberries stay fresh. Read through my recipe notes and watch my process to make sure you get a good seal to avoid a broken/soggy crust.
We loved this, but on of my grand children has a severe allergy to red 40 and yellow 6. What can we use as an alternative?
Hi Diana, any jello would work for this recipe. I believe there are brands out there that do not have artificial coloring.
Hi Natasha, I’m wondering what I can use instead of Cool Whip, I haven’t seen anything like this in Australia. Thank you.
Hi Elaine, please see this note in the recipe: “Can I Substitute Cool Whip?”
I Natasha I love your recipes they are amazing thanks for sharing I’m from Canada I follow you God bless you and your family.
Hello Leonor, thank you so much for your support. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
Jello layer leaked through the cream cheese layer. I may not have set long enough in fridge. Is it ruined or is it still salvageable?
I have not experienced that before but you can try to salvage it but if not, I suggest leaving it in the fridge for a longer time.
I make this using mango jello and Del Monte diced mango and pineapple in lite syrup fruit cups. Had to get mango jello at Amazon. I use the lite syrup as part of the water.
Yum! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Your Video Tutorial inspired me to try this beloved family favorite again after a sad six-year hiatus. The last three times I made it, the jello topping layer kept sliding off into piles of green beans or mashed potatoes; thus, it hit the retirement file. But, after carefully following your directions…WA-LA! PERFECTION! Many, many thanks!
Love it, thanks for following the directions. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve had the same problem the last 2 times I made it, why do you think it happened? I never use to have a problem with it. Thanks
Hi Joan! Did you make any substitutions? I would look over the steps and the process that I take. I provide some helpful tips in the recipe notes. The jello should be at room temperature when poured over the cream layer and the cream layer should be cooled.
This is a modified version of the original DELAWARE recipe. The original recipe uses frozen strawberries to help cool the jello. Be sure to cool each layer thoroughly before moving on to the next one.
I change this up for summer by using orange jello and mandarin oranges instead of strawberries.
I love this dish. If you substitute pineapple juice for the water in the jello mixture it gives it an even better flavor!
That sounds delicious! I haven’t tried that but I’m sure it would work and also taste great! Let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Hi Natasha, can you use whipped cream cheese for this recipe or it has to be the regular cream cheese? Thank you!
Hi Irina, I can’t say that will work here without trying it myself. I imagine you may need to use more of it since it is whipped up? If you happen to test it out, I’d love to know how you like that!
Hi Natasha! I love your videos and the recipes that I’ve tried so far. I just have a question about the Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I live in the northeast and most of the year, the strawberries we can buy are very big and not very sweet at all. How would these work out in this recipe, or do you have any suggestions for a substitute? Otherwise, the only time we can get really good strawberries is a few weeks in June and July.
Hi Cecile, you could possibly add more sugar to the strawberry sauce or even to the whipped cream to help balance the sweetness. You can also try out our raspberry pretzel salad. I have not tested another fruit but some of my readers have mentioned oranges, but I think other fruits may work. You’d have to experiment with it.
I made one time with cool whip and another time with whipped cream. Both times, the dessert was delicious. I keeper on my books. Thank you
Thank you for sharing with us, Paula! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I’ve made this twice and it’s phenomenal, but the fact that pretzel crust is very crumbly and does not truly stick together frustrates me. Any suggestions?
Hi Heahter, it sounds like maybe the pretzels weren’t crushed enough to form a good crust. I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things looked different from my process.
I love this salad but every time I make it the pretzel/butter crust is so hard it sticks to my dish. I bake it the recommended time and temp but it is hard as a rock. I’m tempted to try it without baking crust but not sure how that would work. Any suggestions?
Hi Kay, I haven’t had an issue with sticking with using a glass pan. Are you using a glass pan? I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things looked different from my process. The butter used for the crust is usually enough to keep it from sticking to the pan. I have not tested this w/out the crust.
Same for me and I followed the recipe as directed. The pretzels were stuck to the bottom of the glass pan and it was impossible to pry the crust off. I was disappointed because this is the best combination of ingredients that I’ve tried for Strawberry Pretzel dessert! I used salted butter, not sure if that caused the issue or not.
Would salted butter make a big difference? Other than that, I have all of your suggested ingredients. Thanks for your response.
Hi Rebecca, I always use unsalted butter because I have more control over the saltiness of my food, but I think it would work with salted butter – you’d have a little more of that salty contrast, which is fine.
Where do I find that much jello? My box is only a small packet..I would need about 16 boxes lol
Hi Rita, you may try online or at the grocery stores.
Rita, 3 oz is one small regular size box, the family size one is 6oz. If you can’t find the bigger box just use 2 smaller ones to get the 6 oz needed for the recipe 🙂
As an edit to my earlier comment, don’t set the jello in the fridge before pouring on the crust lol I added frozen strawberries to the jello & set it in the fridge for 10 min & it was almost completely set before I poured it on the crust (oops!) Just follow the recipe exactly.
Thanks Natasha for the tip about putting equal scoops of the cream cheese mixture over the crust before spreading it. That really helps! After spreading it I did put that in the fridge for about 15 min (along with the separate bowl of jello) before pouring the jello on. Delicious Easter dessert 😁
Hi Lisa, you’re welcome and thanks for following the recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe and whenever I make it my guests rave about it. I change the crust a bit by adding a 1/2 cup roasted and salted pecans and decrease pretzels by about 1/2 cup. I may have commented in this site previously and if so I apologize for the duplication. The pecans give it a great nutty flavor.
No worries and thank you for sharing that with us! We always appreciate some suggestions and feedback about our recipes.
Omg, I can’t express how delicious this is! I’ve added some vanilla to the cream cheese batter and a clear gelatine… So good! My only concern is how to make the pretzel layer more firm? It was crumbling so much…
Hi Iva! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! It sounds like maybe the pretzels weren’t crushed enough to form a good crust. I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things looked different from my process.
I made this 2 days ago for our Easter feast, which was today. We have several people in the family who have food allergies and diabetes. I used gluten free pretzels, and they stayed very crisp, though I made the salad 2 days ago. I also used Splenda in place of the sugar, and sugar free strawberry jello. It was fabulous!! Everyone loved the salad!
Hi Kay, thank you for sharing those substitutions with us. I’m so glad this recipe was enjoyed.
I’ve made this & going to make it for Easter in 3 days. I have sprayed the dish & the pretzels always stuck to the dish so bad, so I am not going to spray or butter the dish this time. Is that what you recommend, not spraying the dish?
Hi Lura, I haven’t had an issue with sticking with using a glass pan. I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things looked different from my process. The butter used for the crust is usually enough, I don’t spray or butter my pan.
my husband and I enjoy watching your videos, your just a doll! 😛
Thanks to you both, Cindy for always watching! I hope you’ll both love all the recipes that you will try.
Love your videos and recipes. Gonna make the jello pretzel salad for Easter. Yummy.
Sounds like a great plan, Diane. I hope it becomes your new favorite!
Hi Natasha…can I substitute the granulated sugar with powdered sugar n mix with cream cheese?
Hi Eugene, I have not tried that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Eugene, You can substitute granulated sugar with SPLENDA for baking. I’m diabetic and use a lot, and everything comes good, you don’t even know the different.
Just made this. I added marshmallow fluff to the sweetened cream cheese and then folded in the cool whip! That was the one thing missing! Oh my I can’t wait to enjoy this later!
Sounds AMAZING! Thank you, Kris. Enjoy.
Making this again for Father’s Day dessert! My husband absolutely loves this dessert and it’s perfect for a Summer holiday! 🙂
Sounds like a plan! It is indeed perfect for the summer holidays and other occasions.
Hi I made this dessert. But the cream filling was very soft, so why did that happen?
Hi Rose, I would love to help troubleshoot. Did you use any substitutions to cool whip? Cool Whip provides the best results because it doesn’t soften the pretzels and keeps better overnight. If you made your own by using whipped cream, 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. The cream cheese should not overly soft. You don’t need to leave it out more than 1hr before using it. Also, ensure your jello has cooled to room temp before adding it on top of the cream. I hope this helps.
Can I make this the night before and refrigerate…as the meal prep for this dessert takes quite a while….?
Hi Diane, this recipe does keep well in the fridge overnight.
Can any parts be done day before? Like i can cut berries and get pretzels crushed before hand. Any other tips on prepping? Need for sunday.
Hi Becky, I usually like to make this the night before or max 2 days before so the strawberries stay fresh. You could crush pretzels beforehand but thats about it. The berries you’d want to wait to cut until you are ready to use.
Could this be made with sugar and a sugar free gelatin, and lite cool whip…. (For diabetics)
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried it that way but a couple of my readers have reported good results with sugar-free jello, sugar-free cool whip, and sugar substitute. I can’t really recommend it or tell you how much to substitute without testing it myself. I hope you enjoy it if you try sugar-free 🙂
I made this according to your directions but the jello was rubbery. I was disappointed.
Hi Nat, I recommend watching the video to see if anything was done differently in the preparation – any substitutions made possibly?
Love this strawberry recipe. Has anyone ever tried it with blueberries?
Hi Mary, one of our other readers said this, “I added some blueberries too, just about a 1/4 cup. This in addition to the amount of strawberries the recipe called for. It was a very pretty and yummy dessert!”
I hope that helps.
Hello,
In my country we dont have ‘cool whip’, what can i make instead?
Maybe heavy cream with sugar?
Or philedelpia cheese ith sugar?..
Thank you
Hi Hadari, please see this note in the recipe: “Can I Substitute Cool Whip?”
Hi, I have a question about using whipping cream instead of cool whip. So it says when using whipping cream, to add 2/3 cup of sugar to the cream cheese. Is that on top of the 1/2 cup of sugar or would it be 2/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup?
Hi Lydia, this is in addition to. Cool whip is already sweetened, so if you are making your own whipping cream, you need this addition to reach the same sweetness.
I really loved Olive Gardens Mediterranean Chicken but they discontinued it A few years ago, and I’ve been looking for a recipe for it every since!!!! Please if anyone has a recipe for it I would really appreciate receiving it. Thank-you so much
Hi Sherry, I don’t have a recipe for that yet but thanks for the idea and suggestion. I’ll try to add that to our list.
You could also ask if a fruit salad is fruit or a salad, but I for one don’t give it much thought as long as it is good, I don’t eat a lot of sweets but this sounds good. I think the definition of salad is different products put together so the flavors are mixed together no matter if there loosely together or stacked
I just made the recipe last night. It is delicious although I might try to cut out the sugar in the pretzels next time.
I probably know the answer to this already but can leftovers be frozen?
Hi Noreen, I’m glad you enjoyed that. You may try a substitute in place of sugar, the sugar in the pretzel crust holds the pretzels together, almost like a “glue”. I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but I suspect it is not freezer-friendly.
Hi Natasha! I saw what i did wrong…..I used 2and 1/2 cups of crushed pretzels instead of 2and 1/2 cups pretzels BEFORE crushing it was just too much. Thank you for the timely response. I’ll give it another whirl!
I hope you try it again soon!
HELP!!!!!!! Everything came out beautiful but my crust is falling apart. Followed recipe to the t what did I do wrong?
Hi Mark, watch the video to see if anything was done differently in the preparation – any substitutions made possibly? Also, be sure to pre-bake the crust which helps it to set before adding the toppings.
This is the first time making this dish. Just a question: Do I need to defrost the frozen strawberries? Thanks!
Hi Sandra, it will still work with frozen strawberries. Just ensure the frozen strawberries are either sliced or smaller.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! Any hints or recommendations on cutting thru the pretzel crust? Maybe I baked it for too long?
Hi Lenna, I like to use a very sharp serrated knife to cut through.
My sugar did not dissolve well in the cream cheese..what can I do?
Hi Cleta, I haven’t had that experience but I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. Was it lumpy – that could indicate using cream cheese that was too cold. If it was cold cream cheese, you may want to let it stay at room temperature for 15 minutes longer and then beat again until fluffy and smooth. If the cream cheese was softened, I suggest beating it for a couple more minutes.
I would like to make this for Thanksgiving, but have a question.
Can you use frozen, sliced strawberries for this dish?
Hi Polly, we fresh them fresh, but I bet that could work here! I used frozen raspberries for the raspberry pretzel jello, and that worked well! be sure your frozen strawberries are either sliced or smaller.
I make this all the time and use two 16 oz. packages of frozen strawberries with syrup, with everything else being the same. It is one of my top 5 foods to eat.