A tasty and uncommon fruit salad is what you'll find in this here Strawberry Pretzel Salad. It's as attractive as a dessert but light and not too sweet. The pretzels tout their saltiness, complementing the sweetness in the jello, strawberries, and cream cheese layers.
It's so good, one serving per person may not be enough to go around!
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We're taking it one step at a time for you newbies in the kitchen!
To those of you who haven't honed your kitchen skills yet, here's some friendly guidance. I realize not everyone feels at ease when following a recipe and this is the perfect dish to walk you through. So here we go!
First Step
Let's begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and buttering a 9"x13" rectangle casserole dish. I like using a glass container to show off the 3 layers of the salad. Pretty, pretty!
Next, we crush the pretzels. The small round pretzels are better than the sticks because they leave chunky little bits to bite into. You can dump them into a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin or pass them through the food processor. Just be sure you don't over-process and turn them into crumbs.
The crust is simple with softened salted butter added to the pretzels and white and brown sugars for a buttery, salty-sweet taste. All you do is mix together, press the pretzel dough into a buttered rectangle basking dish, and bake. You can use your hands instead of a spoon if you like. Easy-peasy!
It's best to allow at least an hour for the pretzel crust to cool before adding the layers. You don't want the cream cheese mixture to melt into the crust. This is a good time to make the strawberry jello topping and the cream cheese filling while the crust bakes and cools.
Second Step
Even though the cream cheese layer goes on the crust first, let's make the jello layer first. We are using hot water to dissolve the jello and it needs to cool while the crust cools. Once it's put together, let it hang out in the refrigerator or freezer to speed things along.
All you need here is a small box of jello, hot water, and sliced fresh or frozen strawberries. I've used both fresh and frozen berries with a satisfactory outcome. But using frozen berries speeds up the chilling of the jello.
Third Step
Now for the filling. It's a combination of cream cheese, sugar, and whipped cream (or cool-whip, if you want to go the easier route). I prefer using fresh whipping cream because of its rich flavor.
All you do here is beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar, then fold in the whipped cream and spread it over the cooled crust. Make sure you spread the filling all the way to the edges of the casserole dish. This makes for easier serving when you cut into the fruity salad. The crust will hold together better since it's somewhat looser than a regular flour crust.

Next, pour the cooled strawberry jello topping on top of the filling.

Chill, slice, and serve!
It's that easy! The hardest part seems to be crushing the pretzels, but using a food processor can make it easier.
PrintRecipe

Strawberry Pretzel Salad With Step-By-Step Instructions
An easy and pretty-to-serve Strawberry Pretzel Salad with a light and salty-sweet taste.
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 15 servings 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed salted, round pretzels
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
Jello Topping
- 1 3-ounce box strawberry jello
- 1 cup hot water
- 3 cups sliced fresh or frozen strawberries
Filling
- 1 8-ounce cream cheese block, softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 8-ounces whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 9"x13" rectangle baking dish.
Crust
- Crush pretzels in a plastic zip-top bag with a rolling pin or process in a food processor, leaving bits of pretzel chunks.
- Mix pretzels with butter and sugars together in a medium bowl.
- Press into the buttered casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely for about 1 hour.
Jello Topping
- Mix jello with hot water in a large mixing bowl, stirring for 2 minutes or until jello is dissolved.
- Stir in sliced berries and place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool.
Filling
- Whip the cream in a large mixing bowl until soft peaks form and stir in the powdered sugar.
- Beat the cream cheese together with the sugar in a separate large bowl until creamy.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated.
- Place the cream mixture into the refrigerator to chill while the crust and strawberry topping is cooling.
Assembling The Salad
- Assemble by spooning the filling onto the cooled crust evenly, all the way to the sides of the casserole dish.
- Pour strawberry jello topping onto the filling, spreading evenly.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, then serve by cutting into 15 equal sizes.
Notes
- Measure pretzels after they are crushed.
- Fresh or frozen berries can be used, making no difference in the outcome of the salad.
- The frozen berries will cool the jello quicker.
- Store covered in the refrigerator.
- Cool-whip can be substituted for the whipped cream to save time.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Strawberry Pretzel Salad

More recipes for you:
- Fresh Fruit Salad
- Congealed Salad, Lime Or Cherry Flavored
- Tropical Fruit Salad, A Mama’s Invention
- Fresh Strawberry Pie Glaze
- Keto Strawberry Jello Dessert
I hope you enjoy this Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe as much as my family does.
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Have a nice day!
There comes a moment when you must quit talking to God about the mountain in your life and start talking to the mountain about your God. You proclaim His power. You declare His sovereignty. You affirm His faithfulness. You stand on His Word. You cling to His promises.
Mark Batterson