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.
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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
- 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.
- Crush 2 1/2 cups pretzels in a sturdy ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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.
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!!!
I recently made a strawberry pretzel dessert with mascarpone and homemade whipped cream instead of cool whip and regular cream cheese, using the same quantity of mascarpone for the cream cheese. It works cause mascarpone is a type of cream cheese and it’s full fat. I also find mascarpone a bit easier to work with in a no bake cheesecake filling the cream layer.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Joe! We’re glad to hear that worked well!
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.