Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is spectacular. No kidding. You will love this fabulous dessert–uh, salad! The original recipe actually called this a salad! It has a wonderful pretzel crust, a lusciously smooth cream cheese layer, followed by a delicious strawberry Jello layer and finally topped with whipped cream. Oh, yum! The question about this recipe is whether or not it should even be classified as a salad!! It seems more like a dessert to me!

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My dear friend, Mimi Pownall, gave me this recipe in the very early 1980s, and I’ve loved it ever since for its versatility. You can use either frozen or fresh strawberries, depending on what you have on hand. I remember one time, I decided to get a little creative and make it with strawberry pie filling instead of the usual Jello goop—let me tell you, that was absolutely delicious. Interestingly, while we were discussing recipes during one of our frequent chats, Mimi mentioned that she had recently come across a list of Malaysian online casinos while searching for some new dessert ideas. She was surprised to find that these sites often share local recipes in their community forums, which added a unique twist to her usual browsing. It’s funny how exploring something entirely unrelated, like online casinos, can lead to discovering new culinary inspirations.

This recipe has been all over the Internet for years and I’m not sure who the originator of this recipe is. I would not be surprised if this recipe originated from the makers of Jello or someone else selling a product.

You will love this fantastic Strawberry Pretzel Dessert. Try it at a potluck sometime and see everyone swoon. This is such a marvelous recipe for holidays or Valentine’s Day with it’s beautiful colors and light creamy taste. It’s wonderful to serve after a large meal because it’s so light and fluffy. Add this to your holiday dessert list. You won’t be sorry.

When I initially posted this recipe right after I started my blog in June 2012, my pictures were blurry and just not very good! I was using an iPhone for a camera back then which wasn’t particularly good to show exciting pictures of food!

Besides all that, I made the mistake of using plastic wrap instead of foil to wrap the dish before refrigerating it one last time. The plastic wrap fell into the dish and pulled off the beautiful sheen from the Jello that it originally had. I’ve made those corrections in the notes for the recipe so you can avoid my mistakes.

I recently remade Strawberry Pretzel Dessert (October 2016) for a potluck for our Sunday school class. This is one of those recipes that’s great to freeze during the stages (and to speed up the process), but after that it’s better to keep the dessert refrigerated. This is always a crowd pleaser even if it is a little high maintenance for a dessert. It is so good you will find it is gone before you blink your eyes! 🙂

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is a yummy dessert!

This lovely layered Jello salad is amazing.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert has a delicious pretzel crust, a cream cheese layer, and finally a strawberry Jello layer. Swirl whipped cream on top if desired.

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients.

It is actually easier to work with pretzel sticks rather than regular shaped pretzels, but that’s all I had. Crush pretzel sticks – about 10-oz.  will yield 2 cups crushed pretzels. That’s all you’ll need.

You can crush the pretzels by putting them through a food processor. Otherwise, place pretzels in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Add brown sugar and melted butter and mix ingredients together.

Press pretzel mixture into a greased 9×13″ baking dish. 

Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350. Cool the crust COMPLETELY before adding the next layer. I usually cool about 10 minutes on counter than put the dish in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soften cream cheese in mixing bowl. Add sugar and 8-oz. cool whip. Cream all the ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth.

Smooth the cream cheese mixture over top of cooled pretzel crust, and freeze again while preparing strawberry mixture.

Meanwhile, boil water. Stir in 1 large or 2 small packages of strawberry gelatin. Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. 

Stir in thawed strawberries. Allow mixture to thicken. I usually put it in the freezer about 30 minutes to allow it to thicken.

Spread thickened strawberry mixture over top of cream cheese layer. I usually place the mixture back in the freezer another 30 minutes to set the topping.

Remove dessert from freezer and cover with foil (NOT PLASTIC WRAP)!!! Plastic wrap will adhere to the strawberry mixture and ruin the surface. Refrigerate about 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Serve with Cool Whip or whipped cream.

You can cover the whole strawberry surface with cool whip or just dollop whipped cream on top like the picture.

Time for a spoonful of this luscious gelatin salad – really more like a dessert!

Here’s the recipe.

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL DESSERT

(Recipe from Mimi Pownall, when we attended First Baptist Church Indian Rocks, Largo, FL)

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Teresa Ambra

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is a festive and beautiful dessert-type salad with a pretzel crust, a cream cheese layer, and a strawberry jello layer. It's elegant enough to serve for company or holiday dinners, but so delightful and amazing to the taste buds that your family will request if often! Everyone will want seconds.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 308 kcal

Equipment

• 1 9x13" glass baking dish
• 1 Rolling Pin to crush pretzels
• 1 zip lock bag WITHOUT the "stand and fill" bottom
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 small mixing bowl
• 1 medium sauce pan
• aluminum foil
• 1 spatula to serve
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups crushed pretzels about 10 ounces (measure after crushing)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
• 3 tbsp. light brown sugar packed
• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
• 16 oz. container cool whip or other non-dairy whipped topping, divided use
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 oz. pkg. strawberry gelatin or two small pkgs.
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups frozen strawberries thawed

Instructions

 

• Place pretzels in a zip lock bag; crush with a rolling pin.
• Mix crushed pretzels, brown sugar and butter in a small mixing bowl.
• Press into greased 9x13” baking dish and bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• (I place in freezer for about 30 minutes to speed cooling time).
• Mix granulated sugar, cream cheese and half the cool whip in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer and place on cooled pretzel crust.
• Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan over high heat.
• Add jello and stir until dissolved.
• Then add strawberries.
• Stir until thick.
• If necessary put in freezer for a half hour or so until mixture thickens.
• Spread over cream cheese layer.
• Freeze until firm – about 30-45 minutes.
• Cover with foil (NOT PLASTIC WRAP!!!) Plastic wrap will adhere to the frozen surface and take off the beautiful finish.
• Refrigerate overnight before serving.
• If desired, serve with remaining cool whip—either spread over the strawberry layer or dollop on individual servings.

Notes

NOTE: May substitute cans of pie filling for strawberry mixture, although this mixture is really good. I have used raspberry and blueberry pie filling as a substitute for the strawberry-Jello mixture. But I bet you could use fresh blueberries or blackberries and Jello to match and it would be fantastic, too.

 

NOTE: The original name for this recipe calls it a salad. This is really a dessert, NOT a salad!

 

NOTE: Don't use plastic wrap to cover this salad/dessert. It will adhere to the strawberry topping and make a mess. Cover with lid or foil instead.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 317mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 1gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 1mg

Keyword dessert, pretzels, strawberries, strawberry dessert, strawberry salad

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here’s another look at this wonderful dessert. Take this dessert along to your next party and there won’t be a smidgen left!

Here’s a piece for you! Doesn’t Strawberry Pretzel Dessert look yummy? Your family, friends, and company will love this wonderful dessert–salad! This is a great dessert to take to holiday parties. The colors are so festive.

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Twinkie Dessert

Fresh Strawberry Breakfast Cobbler

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Teresa Ambra

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is a festive and beautiful dessert-type salad with a pretzel crust, a cream cheese layer, and a strawberry jello layer. It's elegant enough to serve for company or holiday dinners, but so delightful and amazing to the taste buds that your family will request if often! Everyone will want seconds.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 308 kcal

Equipment

• 1 9×13" glass baking dish
• 1 Rolling Pin to crush pretzels
• 1 zip lock bag WITHOUT the "stand and fill" bottom
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 small mixing bowl
• 1 medium sauce pan
• aluminum foil
• 1 spatula to serve
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups crushed pretzels about 10 ounces (measure after crushing)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
• 3 tbsp. light brown sugar packed
• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
• 16 oz. container cool whip or other non-dairy whipped topping, divided use
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 oz. pkg. strawberry gelatin or two small pkgs.
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups frozen strawberries thawed

Instructions

 

• Place pretzels in a zip lock bag; crush with a rolling pin.
• Mix crushed pretzels, brown sugar and butter in a small mixing bowl.
• Press into greased 9×13” baking dish and bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• (I place in freezer for about 30 minutes to speed cooling time).
• Mix granulated sugar, cream cheese and half the cool whip in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer and place on cooled pretzel crust.
• Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan over high heat.
• Add jello and stir until dissolved.
• Then add strawberries.
• Stir until thick.
• If necessary put in freezer for a half hour or so until mixture thickens.
• Spread over cream cheese layer.
• Freeze until firm – about 30-45 minutes.
• Cover with foil (NOT PLASTIC WRAP!!!) Plastic wrap will adhere to the frozen surface and take off the beautiful finish.
• Refrigerate overnight before serving.
• If desired, serve with remaining cool whip—either spread over the strawberry layer or dollop on individual servings.

Notes

NOTE: May substitute cans of pie filling for strawberry mixture, although this mixture is really good. I have used raspberry and blueberry pie filling as a substitute for the strawberry-Jello mixture. But I bet you could use fresh blueberries or blackberries and Jello to match and it would be fantastic, too.

 

NOTE: The original name for this recipe calls it a salad. This is really a dessert, NOT a salad!

 

NOTE: Don’t use plastic wrap to cover this salad/dessert. It will adhere to the strawberry topping and make a mess. Cover with lid or foil instead.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 317mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 1gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 1mg

Keyword dessert, pretzels, strawberries, strawberry dessert, strawberry salad

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!