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.
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
2cupscrushed pretzelsabout 10 ounces (measure after crushing)
3/4cupunsalted buttermelted
3tbsp.light brown sugarpacked
8oz. pkg.cream cheesesoftened
16oz. containercool whipor other non-dairy whipped topping, divided use
3/4cupgranulated sugar
6oz. pkg.strawberry gelatinor two small pkgs.
2cupsboiling water
3cupsfrozen strawberriesthawed
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.