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Gluten-free strawberry pretzel salad on a wooden plate.
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4.86 from 14 votes

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a salty and sweet, southern dessert-like salad. Made with strawberry filled Jell-O topping, sweet cream cheese middle layer, and a salty pretzel crust.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Cooling Time4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time4 hours 40 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 253.15kcal
Author: Aimee Mars

Ingredients

PRETZEL CRUST

  • 2½ cups Pretzels crushed
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed in the fridge

STRAWBERRY TOPPING

  • 6 ounces Strawberry Jell-O
  • 1 lb Strawberries sliced and hulled
  • 2 cups Boiling Water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400℉ and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray or oil.

PRETZEL CRUST

  • In a medium bowl stir together the crushed pretzels and sugar. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the ingredients are evenly coated. Firmly press the pretzel mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

  • Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula gently fold in the cool whip. Spread evenly over the crust and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.

STRAWBERRY TOPPING

  • Place dry Jell-O in a medium bowl and pour in the boiling water. Stir until the Jell-O is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in the strawberries and pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until the Jell-O layer is completely set.

Notes

  • Make the strawberry Jell-O first and let it chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half before stirring in the fresh strawberries. This will keep it from bleeding into the sides and cream cheese layer.
  • After spreading the cream cheese layer over the pretzel crust let it chill and firm for about 15 to 20 minutes before adding the topping.
  • Spread the cream cheese all the way to the edges to prevent the Jell-O layer from seeping down the sides.
  • Firmly press the pretzel crust into an even layer at the bottom of the dish. The firm crust helps to set up the other layers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 253.15kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.27g | Protein: 3.64g | Fat: 11.65g | Saturated Fat: 6.8g | Cholesterol: 32.91mg | Sodium: 266.21mg | Potassium: 95.25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22.96g | Vitamin A: 393.5IU | Vitamin C: 16.67mg | Calcium: 38.6mg | Iron: 0.83mg