My Strawberry Pretzel Salad is the most popular dessert on my blog, for nearly every holiday. The combination of sweet cream, salty pretzels, and tangy fresh strawberries makes it irresistible. This layered strawberry pretzel dessert is loved by adults and kids.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Awesome. Best directions on the internet to make this recipe. My family loves this dessert. Bookmarked forever!” – MZee ★★★★★
Strawberry Pretzel Salad Video Tutorial
This Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe is near and dear to my heart, because it is the first video recipe that went viral on Facebook, and now has been viewed over 57,000,000 MILLION TIMES! I’m so thankful for everyone who watched and shared!
Easy Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
Jello recipes, like our Jello Cake and classic Raspberry Pretzel Jello, are the perfect potluck desserts because they keep well and are easy to make and take, which is why this Strawberry Pretzel Salad is so popular during the holidays, and it makes me so happy that it graces your holiday table.
It’s easy to make a day ahead and is served right out of the fridge. Easy! Leftovers–if you have any–last for up to 4 days. It’s so simple to make with my easy step-by-step directions, and I increased the crust since there was a clear consensus that more is better!
Is it a Salad or Dessert?
There is a massive debate on Facebook as to why this is called a “salad,” and it is a passionate debate and very entertaining to read. So let me know in the comments–salad or dessert?
Strawberry Pretzel Salad Ingredients
This creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty Strawberry Pretzel Salad has a little of everything in a single bite, and requires just a few staple ingredients.
- Strawberry Jell-O – get the larger 6-oz box. Make sure to follow my recipe instructions for adding water and NOT the box instructions. If you use too much water, it won’t set properly.
- Pretzels – salted, small sticks or mini pretzels are easiest to crush. The amount of whole pretzels can vary depending on the type you use; about 4 cups of whole pretzels will yield 2 cups coarsely crushed.
- Cream cheese – soften so it mixes well – Tip: place unopened package in warm water for 15 minutes to warm quickly.
- Cool Whip – 1 tub, thawed in refrigerator – see my notes below for substituting
- Strawberries – Fresh sliced strawberries work best, but you can use thawed and drained frozen strawberries.
- Pantry staples – sugar and unsalted butter
Can I Substitute Cool Whip?
Instead of 8 oz of Cool Whip, beat 1 cup heavy cream with 2 Tbsp powdered sugar to stiff peaks, and add 2/3 cup sugar mixed into the cream cheese. In my testing, heavy cream can make the pretzel layer soften and take longer to set, so let it chill for 45 minutes in step 4 and serve the same day.
How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This layered strawberry pretzel salad dessert is so easy to make with my easy directions!
- Dissolve the Jell-O in 2 cups of boiling water and stir (**do NOT follow package instructions), and then preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a x-large measuring cup makes it easier to pour.
- Crush the pretzels in a zip-top bag. Aim for coarse texture, since the crust can become hard if the pretzels are crushed to a powder.
- Pretzel layer – melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan, and then mix in the pretzels. Press mixture into the bottom of a 13×9″ dish (glass is nice to see all the pretty layers). Bake at 350°F for 10 min, and then cool completely.
- Cream layer – beat the cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer, and then fold in the Cool Whip. Spread it over the room temperature pretzel layer all the way to the edges to seal out moisture so the pretzels stay crisp and to keep the Jell-O from seeping down. Chill in the fridge for 30 min.
- Jell-O layer – stir sliced strawberries into the room temperature Jell-O from step 1. Pour it gently over the cooled cream layer (to prevent cracks), and then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. It’s best within 24 hours, but can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving.
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
For a different flavor, swap the strawberries for other sliced or small fruit. Try well-drained canned mandarin oranges with orange Jell-O or raspberries for Raspberry Pretzel Jello. Avoid fruits that release too much liquid and will prevent gelatin from setting, such as pineapple, mango, kiwi, or watermelon.
Helpful Reader Review
“I added a handful of scattered blueberries on top of the strawberry layer for my family 4th of July party, and it looked so cute!” – Tanya ★★★★★
My classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe brings back all the nostalgic memories from childhood with the three layers of salty crunch, creamy sweetness, and bright fruity gelatin. This dessert is a favorite at BBQ’s and holiday dessert tables, since it’s simple to make and easy to transport.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups crushed salted pretzels, (about 4 cups whole pretzels)
- 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
- Dissolve – 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 pretzels in a sturdy ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
- Pretzel layer – In a medium saucepan, melt 12 Tbsp butter, then add 1/4 cup sugar and stir. Mix in crushed pretzels. Transfer to a 13×9 glass casserole dish, pressing the pretzel mix evenly over the bottom of the dish, and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, then cool to room temperature.
- Cream layer – 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.
- Jell-O layer – Hull and slice 1 lb strawberries, then stir them into your room temperature Jell-O. Pour and spread the strawberry Jell-O mixture evenly over your cooled cream cheese layer and refrigerate until Jell-O is set (2-4 hours).
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Party Desserts
I love potluck dessert recipes that are easy to make, bring, and serve at an event. Try these favorites:
- Tiramisu
- Banana Pudding
- Mini Cheesecakes
- Angel Wing Cookies
- Pumpkin Roll
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Apple Roses
- Lemon Posset
- Date Snickers
Just delicious! Made my first one today and it came out perfectly. And you’re right, without a party to which to take this treat, one might devour the 13 X 9 X 2 pan oneself!
LOL! I’m glad you love the recipe Sheldon! Thanks for sharing your great review! 😀
For all the years of cooking and baking. I never realized it makes a difference in what make utensils you cook or blend with!
The right tools make things so much easier 🙂
Just made this strawberry pretzel salad for family gathering. Very yummy….empty pan, in minutes….
That’s great! I’m so glad to hear that everyone loves the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Bonnie!
Thank you for adding the info about the whipping cream substitution, because that is exactly what I was wondering about. And thanks to the “Char” who commented on her experience with very stiff peaks of whipped cream. I hope to make this soon and try that also.
You’re welcome Sarah! Please let me know what you think when you decide to make the recipe!
I love this recipe, my mom used to make it for the neighborhood get-togethers. But something went a little wrong with mine this time. I put the pretzel layer then the cool whip layer and poured the room temp jello on top and then the prezzel layer became a raft and lifted up carrying the whip cream layer and sliced strawberries leaving the jello layer at the bottom (still delicious but the pretzels got kinda soggy). Hoping you might have some insight into where I went wrong. Thanks
The only things I could think of that could cause that is not sealing the white cream part to the edges which would let the jello sink down to the bottom. If the jello gets down there, it will definitely make the pretzels soft (I was hoping to spare someone else the same fate by stressing that in the recipe :)). If the jello was completely at room temperature, that should not have been the culprit – also it helps to let the cream part set in the refrigerator before adding the jello. I hope that helps for next time!! 🙂
My pretzels don’t stay together well after I bake, cool and finish the dish. Should i add more butter
Hi Nancy, the crust is normally not very compact to make it easier to serve but if you want it firmer, try crushing the pretzels finer and adding a little more butter 🙂
Thank you
My pleasure Nancy!
I love this recipe except for the Cool Whip. We are trying to “eat clean” & that is so not in our menus. I tried a couple of stabilizing whipped cream recipes but did not like the consistency of those. So I did what my grandmother did to frost an angel food cake 😛😛. I whipped 2 cups of organic heavy cream until just before it turns to butter. Nice thick peaks. Removed from mixer than whipped up the softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup organic sugar 😜 I folded in a spoonful of the cream at a time until it was well blended. It set up beautifully.
I’m so happy to hear that worked well for you! I have tried with just whipped cream and it didn’t work as well. Thank you so much for sharing that with all of us! I get loads of questions on that kind of substitution. That is super helpful!
Thankyou,this is my favorite go to recipe for potlucks . Everyone always enjoys !
You’re welcome Ruby! I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
At first I thought there were pecans in the pretzels. I was mistaken, but I think I might try putting some pecans in my pretzel crust when I make this! Any thoughts?
I haven’t tried that but it sounds tasty . let me know if you try it how it works out.
Hi Natasha. I’m planning to make this tomorrow. I noticed that I have “cool whip extra creamy” is that ok to use? Or should I buy a regular cool whip?
Hi Lana, I haven’t tried that one but I think it would still work fine.
I used splenda bag sweetener in place of sugar an sugar free jello and it was great.
Those are great suggestions! Thanks for sharing Marlene!
This did not come out, my jello went all the way through and into my pretzel bottom.
It is very, very important to create a seal with the white layer, covering all the corners, otherwise the jello will run down. I hope that helps for the next time.
Natasha, my family loves this dessert and i want to make it for a baby shower. What are your thoughts on making in cupcake papers in a cupcake pan?
Sherri, I haven’t tried that but see others do it online. If you test it out, make sure to send me a picture and let me know how it goes 😀
Hi Natasha, i made this recipe for the first time couple days ago, and looks like pretzelz start getting soggy 2 days later and strawberries look like they might be going bad couple places. Also we thought the jello part was sort of rubbery? Im wondering if 3 cups of water into jello would be a good amount? -since original package says 4 cups total and i understand that strawberries might give off some juice. Also do you know how much 2.5 cups of pretzels would weigh? I feel like they’re a little hard to measure just because of their side. Ill be making this again today for family, any advise would be appreciated 🙂 thanks for the ricipes!
Hi Valentina, if you want to make this in advance as you described, it’s best to use strawberries that aren’t overly ripe so they last longer. Also, I have found that using whipped cream will make the pretzels soft while using whipped topping will help keep it from softening. I hope that helps! I haven’t added more water but you could if you prefer it that way. Also, make sure to keep it covered when refrigerated so the jello doesn’t get dry/stiff. I hope that helps!
Second attempt i made the raspberry version with 3 and a third cups boiling water in the jello. Ughh it was so good! It was gone in no time. Thanks Natasha 🙂
You’re welcome Valentina! I’m happy to hear that! 😀
I made this recipe for the first time on Easter and it was a hit!! The only problem I had was when I poured over the strawberry/Jell-O some of the cool whip/cream cheese mixed in. I did let the cool whip/cream cheese cool like the recipe said. What can I do to prevent this from happening to me next time?? Thanks Natasha your recipes are super easy to follow!!
Hi Ana, it is important to chill the cream cheese portion and to make sure the jello topping is at room temperatur or it can melt the cream portion. I’ve had this happen before with a similar dessert. I hope that helps!! 🙂
Hello, I made this for Easter and itnwas delicious! I was wondering how long it xan stay in the fridge before goinf bad? Its just me and my husband so we cant eat all too quickly, also my crust is a little hard to get out if the pan. Is that normal or is there anything I can do to make it easier to get out?
Hi Kelcie, it will stay good for a coupe of days in the refrigerator. With the crust, it sticks a little bit but should not be too difficult to remove with a firm spatula. Did you change anything in the proportions of the crust?
My cream mixture stuck to the pretzel crust and pulled it out. My crust didn’t form
Hi Heather, the pretzel portion will not be fully set until it is chilled in the refrigerator. It helps to spread the cream over the top if you put dollops of cream over the surface – it spreads easier without lifting the pretzels. It is normal for the pretzels to stick to the cream but this method helps make it easier to spread. I hope that helps for next time!! 🙂
I was worried the crust would stay stuck to the pan after it came out of the oven, but after sitting in the fridge, it came out using a little metal spatula. This is a nice, light, and flavorful dessert.
That’s great to hear Candice! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
hi there! i dont have cream cheese but i have all the other ingredients, can i make it without the cream cheese?
Hi Ella, you really need the cream cheese for the creamy part to form and thicken properly.
Am I able to make this the day before? Will the pretzels get soggy?
Hi Yelena, yes that would work great a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The only time the pretzels softened was when I tried to substitute the cool whip with real whipped cream, but if you make it per the recipe and make sure to seal the white cream all the way to the edges (so the jello doesn’t sink down to the pretzels), it will not get soggy.
In your printed recipe it calls for 2 1/2 cups of pretzels…..but in your video you say 2 cups. I just made the one in the video and it is in my fridge setting up. Sure hope it turns out ok. Guess I should have read recipe too.
Hi Debbie, I’ve been making it more recently with 2 1/2 cups for a slightly thicker crust but it still works great with 2 cups. I hope you love it!!