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Home » Best Dessert Recipes » Strawberry Pretzel Salad (Jell-O Dessert)

June 20, 2022

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (Jell-O Dessert)

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Strawberry pretzel salad is an easy dessert with a buttery pretzel crust and a no-bake cheesecake layer topped with fresh strawberries and Jell-O. A delicious make-ahead dessert!

Strawberry pretzel salad is an easy dessert with a buttery pretzel crust and a no-bake cheesecake layer topped with fresh strawberries and Jell-O. A delicious make-ahead dessert!

We love strawberry dessert recipes, especially during strawberry season. But, this strawberry pretzel dessert can be enjoyed year round with either fresh or frozen strawberries. We've been making this for years and its such a classic recipe.

strawberry jello layered dessert on a plate garnished with whipped cream and a strawberry and twisted pretzel

Not looking for dessert, but still want strawberries? Try our favorite strawberry french toast for breakfast or our strawberry fruit dip for a snack!

Table of Contents
  • What is Strawberry Pretzel Salad
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
  • Best Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Recipe Twists
  • More Strawberry Dessert Recipes
  • Eat It, Rate It, and Share It!
  • Recipe Card

What is Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I was first introduced to strawberry pretzel salad years ago during dessert at a friend's house. It blew me away. A pretzel crust with a strawberry Jell-O topping and a rich cream cheese layer? Ben talked about it for days so I knew I had to get the recipe. It may be an old-fashioned recipe, but we've been enjoying it ever since.

Ingredients

(full printable recipe at end of this post)

You can easily find everything you need for strawberry pretzel salad at your local grocery store. Below is a photo and the list of ingredients.

ingredients for strawberry pretzel salad dessert recipe

What You Need:

  • Crushed pretzels -- I buy a bag of twisted pretzels and finely crush them in my blender. If you do not have a blender, you can crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or back of wooden spoon. (Pro tip: Use any leftover pretzels for this yummy snack recipe.)
  • Granulated sugar -- You'll need a few tablespoons sugar to add sweetness to the pretzel crust and for the cream cheese mixture.
  • Unsalted butter -- The melted butter helps keep the crust together.
  • Cream cheese -- Take this out of the refrigerator an hour before you need it so it can come to room temperature.
  • Milk -- Just a couple of tablespoons to mix into the cream cheese layer.
  • Cool Whip -- You can use a homemade whipped cream, but the store-bought whipped topping creates a more stable cheesecake layer.
  • Strawberry gelatin -- Use the larger 6 oz. box (or two 3 oz. boxes), like the Jell-O brand.
  • Boiling water and ice cold water -- You'll mix these into the strawberry jello. Do not follow instructions on the box to make the jello mixture, instead use the instructions in the recipe card below.
  • Sliced strawberries -- We use 1 lb fresh strawberries, but you can use frozen. Just thaw and drain them first.

How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Follow these general steps and helpful step-by-step images for how to make this easy strawberry dessert recipe.

Equipment:

You need a 9x13-inch baking dish for this recipe, along with an electric mixer, large mixing bowl, spoon or rubber spatula, oven and refrigerator.

Pretzel Crust Layer:

pretzel crust spread into 9x13 inch pan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pretzel crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press into bottom of baking dish. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Cheesecake Layer:

mixing cream cheese with sugar and milk in stand mixerIn large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar and milk.

cool whip folded into cream cheese mixtureFold in Cool Whip and then spread evenly over cooled pretzel crust.

spreading cream cheese layer over pretzel crust in panRefrigerate at least 1 hour.

Strawberry Jello Layer:

pouring strawberry jello over sliced strawberries layered into glass baking dishIn a large bowl, stir the boiling water into the dry jello mix until dissolved. Add cold water and refrigerate 1 hour. Layer sliced strawberries over cream cheese layer and pour cooled jello evenly over top. Refrigerate completed layered dessert for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Best Tips

  • Measure pretzels after they are crushed.
  • It can be tricky to transfer the baking dish to the refrigerator once the jello is poured in. I recommend only pouring the jello until it reaches just below the top of the baking dish. Sometimes this means not using all the jello mixture.
  • Alternatively, you can chill the jello until thickened and then stir the sliced strawberries into the jello bowl. Carefully spoon the strawberry jello mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer.
  • Wait to cover with plastic wrap or foil until the top layer is hardened in the fridge.

layered strawberry jello dessert with pretzel crustFrequently Asked Questions

Can I make strawberry jello salad ahead of time?

This dessert needs to be made in advance, but is best consumed within 2 days. It may seem like this can be quickly thrown together, but it actually does take some time because of multiple waiting steps. You need to wait for the crust to cool, wait for the Jell-O to set, let the finished dessert set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, etc. So plan to make this recipe the night before you serve it.

Can I freeze this?

No, I do not recommend freezing any jello recipe, including this one. It will change the texture of the jello which will give disappointing results.

Recipe Twists

Make this same dessert using raspberries and raspberry jello, or blackberries, peaches, etc.

strawberry dessert on a blue plate with fork

More Strawberry Dessert Recipes

  • Frozen Strawberry Dessert
  • Strawberry Jell-O Fluff
  • Strawberry Marshmallow Cake
  • Strawberry Cupcakes
  • Strawberry Cream Donuts

Eat It, Rate It, and Share It!

Made it and liked it? Leave a star rating, take a photo and tag me on social media @seededtable so I can share it!

This recipe was originally published March 2013 and updated June 2022 with new recipe tips, photos and enhanced directions and measurements.

Recipe Card

a serving of strawberry layered dessert garnished with cool whip and a whole strawberry and pretzel twist
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Strawberry pretzel salad is an easy dessert with a buttery pretzel crust and a no-bake cheesecake layer topped with fresh strawberries and Jell-O. A delicious make-ahead dessert!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Chilling Time6 hrs
Total Time6 hrs 30 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: layered strawberry dessert, strawberry pretzel dessert, strawberry pretzel salad
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 380kcal
Author: Nikki Gladd

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish I have this one
  • Mixing bowl These are my favorite
  • Hand mixer

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 2 cups finely crushed pretzels (measure after crushed)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter , melted

For the filling:

  • 12 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip

For the topping:

  • 6 oz. strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 ½ cups cold water
  • 1 lb fresh strawberries , sliced

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, stir together the boiling water and gelatin mix. Stir for 2 minutes, or until completely melted and the gelatin is completely dissolved. Immediately add the cold water and stir. Set aside to come to room temperature while making the crust and filling layers.

For the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Position the rack to the middle of the oven.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the pretzel crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool completely.

For the filling:

  • Once the crust is cooled to room temperature, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream, then spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate 1 hour.

For the topping:

  • After 1 hour, place the sliced strawberries evenly over top the cream cheese layer. Pour cooled jello mixture over the strawberries. Do not fill to the top or it can spill when transferring to fridge in next step. It is possible you may not use all of the jello liquid.
  • Very carefully transfer dish to refrigerator and chill 4 to 6 hours before serving. (Wait to cover with plastic wrap or foil until the jello is somewhat set.)

Notes

  • Do not fill jello to the top of pan as this can cause spillage when transferring to fridge. You may not use all of the jello liquid, and that is fine.
  • Do not cover dessert until jello layer has hardened.
  • This recipe can be halved and made in a 9x9-inch pan.
  • Nutrition information is an estimate only.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 778IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Take a pic and tag @seededtable or #SeededAtTheTable to be featured!
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Thanks for visiting! We’re the Gladd family! We love donuts, Disney, LEGO and Jesus. Not in that order, of course. 🙂 Ben shares DIY wood-working projects and Nikki shares delicious recipes. You’ll also find a sprinkling of travel adventures and other family fun ideas!

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