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Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Strawberry pretzel jello salad is a layered pretzel dessert with a golden, salty crust, a fluffy cream cheese middle, and a shimmering strawberry Jell-O top studded with berry slices. Bake the pretzel base, cool completely, then assemble and chill until the top is fully set for clean, rectangle slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pretzel crust
  • 2 cup pretzel twists
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
For the cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz whipped topping Cool Whip, thawed
For the Jell-O layer
  • 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cup boiling water
  • 2 cup cold water or ice
  • 2 cup strawberries fresh or frozen, sliced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake and cool the pretzel crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then mix crushed pretzels with melted butter and granulated sugar until evenly coated.
  2. Press the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, then bake for 8–10 minutes until set and lightly golden.
  3. Cool the pretzel crust completely before assembling the layers.
Make and spread the cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
  2. Fold in the thawed whipped topping and spread evenly over the completely cooled pretzel crust, sealing all the way to the edges.
  3. Refrigerate the cream cheese layer for 30 minutes while you prepare the Jell-O.
Prepare and pour the strawberry Jell-O layer
  1. Dissolve the strawberry Jell-O in 2 cups boiling water, then stir in 2 cups cold water or ice.
  2. Let the Jell-O mixture cool to room temperature but do not let it set, so it stays pourable.
  3. Stir the sliced strawberries into the cooled Jell-O.
  4. Gently pour the strawberry Jell-O over the cream cheese layer without disturbing the crust.
Chill and slice
  1. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the Jell-O is completely set.
  2. Slice into rectangles and serve cold.

Notes

For the cleanest rectangle slices and the sharpest three-layer look, cool the pretzel crust completely and let the Jell-O reach room temperature before pouring. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the Jell-O layer. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-sugar whipped topping if available (texture may be slightly less firm).