Here’s the classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad — sweet, salty, creamy, and perfect for gatherings.
🍓 Strawberry Pretzel Salad
🥨 Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 3 tbsp sugar
Cream Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
Strawberry Layer
- 1 (6 oz) package strawberry Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 (16 oz) container fresh strawberries, sliced
(or frozen, thawed & drained)
🥄 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar.
- Press firmly into a 9×13-inch dish.
- Bake 8–10 minutes.
- Cool completely.
2️⃣ Make the cream layer
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Spread over cooled crust — seal all the way to the edges (this prevents sogginess).
- Chill 30 minutes.
3️⃣ Make the strawberry layer
- Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water.
- Let cool to room temperature (not set).
- Stir in strawberries.
- Pour gently over cream layer.
- Refrigerate 3–4 hours until fully set.
💡 Tips
- Make sure crust is completely cool before adding cream layer.
- Sealing edges with cream layer prevents Jell-O from leaking through.
- For extra flavor: add a splash of lemon juice to the cream mixture.
If you’d like, I can give you:
- A homemade whipped cream version (no Cool Whip)
- A lower-sugar version
- Or a smaller 8×8 pan recipe 😊
