Best Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad is a dessert with three distinct layers and one of our favorite desserts for any holiday! A sugary, salty pretzel crust is topped with a whipped cream and cream cheese mixture. The top layer is a delicious strawberry jello mixture filled with sliced strawberries.
Holidays are funny days in a way. Think about it…different families have their own traditions. And usually, people are VERY committed to their traditions.
When I was growing up, we had the exact same things EVERY year for Thanksgiving AND Christmas.
After we got married, we faced something that some people probably don’t think about until they face it: melding our family traditions and creating something that worked for us.
One of the areas where we needed to meld traditions was the food we served for the holidays. On our first Christmas, I was introduced to old-fashioned strawberry pretzel salad.
I never had this dish until my mother-in-law made it for the first time after I got married. I was immediately hooked!
Strawberries, jello, cream cheese, and whipped cream layered on top of a sugary buttery pretzel crust? Yep, I’m IN! There were other traditions I begrudgingly accepted, but this dish was one tradition I was thrilled to adopt!
This recipe is a less cake-like version of Cheesecake Strawberry Poke Cake.
I asked for the recipe and began making this dish myself whenever we didn’t spend the holiday with her. And now that she’s passed, I make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas without fail. It’s a fun way to honor her, and our kids LOVE this dish.
In fact, if I didn’t make this strawberry jello pretzel salad one holiday, I might just face a mutiny from my entire family!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is the perfect dessert for potlucks or ANY party! Serve this fruity delight at your summer cookout or holiday gathering. This family favorite is ideal for ANY occasion!
Do you love strawberry recipes, too? If so, check out my Strawberry Bread Recipe and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.
How To Make Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad has it all: salty, crunchy texture and sweet creaminess all wrapped up in a sweet fruity gelatin layer.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to gather together for this recipe.
Bottom Layer – Pretzel Crust:
- 2 cups crushed pretzels (pulsing them in a food processor or using a rolling pin works well!)
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Middle Layer – Cream Cheese Filling:
- 2 cups whipped topping
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
Topping – Strawberry Jello Layer:
- 2 packages of strawberry Jello
- 2 cups of water (boiling hot)
- 32 oz frozen sliced strawberries w/ sugar
NOTE: For more recipe details, please check out the handy printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How To Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to make old-fashioned strawberry pretzel salad.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl combine pretzels, butter, and sugar and then press into a 13×9 pan.
- Bake for about 10 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.
- In a medium bowl, mix whipped topping, cream cheese, and sugar together until smooth.
- Spread your creamy layer evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, going all the way to the edges of the pan.
- Cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Dissolve the strawberry gelatin in boiling water and then add strawberries.
- Chill the gelatin mixture until partially set, about 20-30 minutes.
- Spoon the strawberry mixture over the filling.
- Chill for 4-6 hours until your dessert salad is fully set.
Cut into bars or scoop out, garnish with additional whipped topping and pretzel pieces, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips that can help your layered strawberry pretzel dessert come out perfectly every time!
- Although this recipe is easy to make, it’s slightly time-consuming. I recommend making this the day before you want to serve it so you can spend your time before the big meal just prepping that food.
- Allow each layer to chill before you add the next layer on top.
- Prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy by fully covering the crust with the cream cheese layer so that the jello layer doesn’t make it soggy.
- Use store-bought OR homemade whipped cream. I actually prefer using my homemade whipped cream because I can make it as stiff as I want the texture to be.
- Use fresh strawberries OR frozen ones. If I can’t find good-looking fresh strawberries, I just use frozen berries. And since I usually only make this recipe for the winter holiday, frozen strawberries it is!
- Do NOT follow the Jello package directions. Follow the directions in this recipe. toget the best recipes.
- Use room temperature cream cheese for easier mixing.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad FAQs
Here are common questions I see from readers about this recipe. If you don’t see your question below, please leave it in the comments so I can answer it for you!
From my experience, after 3 days, the pretzel layer in any leftovers get soggy (but still makes a delicious dessert!). But it should stay fresh for 2 days.
You need to put it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then, store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Unfortunately, no. This recipe won’t freeze well because it will get soggy and runny once it thaws.
I use the thin pretzels (usually the knot shapes) because they break up well for the crust and add a nice crunchy pretzel crust. If you use pretzel pieces that are too large, your pretzel crust will fall apart when you cut it.
See what an easy recipe this great dessert is? I LOVE the festive touch it adds to holiday dishes, and the light tasty dessert it makes for summer gatherings. It’s a terrific potluck dessert and perfect for ANY part or occasion!
More Delicious Sweet Bites You’ll Love
If you love this Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad, be sure to check out these other yummy treats!
- Easy No-Bake Strawberry Jello Pie Recipe
- How To Make Rainbow Jello Squares (+ Video!)
- Easy Patriotic Red White And Blue Poke Cake Recipe
- 4-Ingredient Homemade Strawberry Gummies (With Real Fruit)
- Favorite Easy Creamy Grape Salad Recipe With Pecans
Pin For Later!
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad Dessert
Make this crunchy, creamy, fruity layered dessert for your next cookout or holiday!
Ingredients
- 2 cups pretzels, crushed
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Middle Creamy Layer
- 2 cups whipped topping
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
Top Fruity Layer
- 2 packages strawberry jello
- 2 cups boiling water
- 32 oz frozen sliced strawberries w/ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl combine pretzels, butter, and sugar then press into a 13×9 pan.
- Bake for about 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
- Beat whipped topping, cream cheese, and sugar together until smooth.
- Spread over cooled pretzel base.
- Cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water then add strawberries.
- Chill until partially set, about 20-30 minutes.
- Spoon over the filling.
- Chill 4-6 hours until fully set.
Hi there! This was a favorite for the holidays for my family too, when I was growing up. I see that the frozen strawberries say “with sugar”. Mine a plain frozen, and I’m wondering if I can just add sugar to the jello mixture to sweeten it up?
Hi Sarah! I think you have two options. First, either thaw the strawberries and add a little sugar to them before adding them to the jello (this is what I do sometimes). Or #2, just leave them unsweetened and add them to the jello. I will also do this sometimes (just depending on how I’m feeling). The good news is that the jello is sweet enough that it can balance out the less sweet berries! Up to you and your preferences!
Hi, my crust came out to hard! Was so very hard to slice? What did I do wrong??
Hi Davida! The bottom layer is made of pretzels and has a pretzel texture for a day or two and may seem hard to slice. After that, it definitely softens up. We like the mix of textures. If you would prefer the entire dish to be soft, you could make it a couple of days ahead of time and let it soften up.
What size packages of jello. 3oz ir 6 oz? Thank you. Can you use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream?
Hi Barbara! Use (2) 3 oz. packages or (1) 6 oz. package of Jello. Yes, you can totally use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream. I’ve done it and it’s delicious! Thanks for stopping by – I hope you love it!