Strawberry Pretzel Salad is an easy, delicious dessert with a buttery pretzel crust, a cheesecake-like layer, and a sweet strawberry topping. It is an old-fashioned recipe that is great for holidays and potlucks.
It’s the perfect combination of creamy, crunchy, sweet, and salty and a Southern dessert favorite!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is such a loved recipe, especially throughout the warmer months. It’s cool and delicious, simple to make, and even better made a bit ahead of time.
We enjoy this delicious pretzel salad for Easter, family reunions, Fourth of July celebrations, and any gathering throughout the spring and summer. It can be enjoyed as a side dish, but most love it as a creamy, sweet, salty fruit dessert. You’ll love how easy it is to make — just a few simple steps!
How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is easy to make. Here’s an overview of the dish’s preparation, but follow the recipe instructions for more details.
Make the Pretzel Crust
Mix the ingredients for the pretzel crust, then press into the bottom of the dish. Bake until it has set. Then allow it to cool completely.
Create the Strawberry Topping
While the pretzel crust is cooling, dissolve the Jello in boiling water, then mix in the frozen strawberries. Allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
Make the Cream Cheese Layer
Mix together the ingredients for the cream cheese layer until smooth. Spread this mixture over the cooled pretzel crust, making sure to spread it completely to the edges of the crust to form a seal before adding the strawberry layer.
Add the Strawberry Layer
Then pour the cool to room-temperature strawberry Jello mixture over the cream cheese layer and spread evenly. Refrigerate until firm.
Slice, Serve and Garnish
After the recipe is set in the refrigerator, slice it with a sharp knife. Serve and enjoy! If you wish, garnish with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
- Use small salted pretzels and don’t crush them into dust – just small pieces.
- Whipped topping will not soften the pretzel layer as much as whipped cream could. And it will hold up to storage overnight in the fridge.
- Use frozen strawberries in the Jello mixture. They work better.
Storage Tips
To store: Wrap the dish well or cover it with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing is not recommended.
How to Serve Strawberry Pretzel Salad
You can certainly serve this dish however you wish. It can be served during the meal or later as a dessert. And it is great for making ahead.
Whether you serve it alongside your chicken salad or hamburgers as a side dish or as part of the dessert buffet for a holiday or family gathering, it is always a hit. I think you are going to love it!
And to address the name “salad,” for so many years here in the South, some version of this recipe has been served at gatherings – and was named “salad” sometime far in the past. So serve it when and however you wish – you can’t go wrong with this Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
More Favorite Sweet Salads and Fruit Desserts
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
Here’s how I make my family’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I hope you enjoy it!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups pretzels, crushed
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 (8-ounce package) cream cheese
- 1 8-ounce package frozen whipped topping
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry Jell-O
- 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400Ëš.
- Mix crushed pretzels with melted butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. Press pretzel mixture into the bottom of 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and bake until set, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Mix cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and whipped topping in a large bowl until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust, making sure to spread completely to the edges. (Spreading to the edges of the crust makes a seal before the strawberry layer is added.)
- Dissolve the Jell-O in boiling water and mix in frozen strawberries. Allow to set until the jello and strawberry mixture has slightly thickened and set and then pour over the cream cheese mixture. Chill until firm and serve.
Notes
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- Pretzel Crust – I like to use small whole, salted pretzels and crush them with a rolling pin or in a zip-lock storage bag. Don’t pulverize them; crush them into small pieces.
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- Cream Cheese Layer – This cheesecake-like layer is made with softened cream cheese and whipped topping. The whipped topping works best in this recipe because it doesn’t make the pretzel crust soft, and it keeps better overnight.
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- Strawberry Topping: Frozen strawberries are stirred into Jello for this topping. You can also substitute raspberries, blackberries, and peaches. I find the frozen berries work best with the Jello. When ready to serve, I sometimes garnish it with fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2010.
I grew up in MN and the women there, my mother included, can make about anything from Jello and CoolWhip! This looks like something she’d love to whip up!
Thanks Averie. Jello and CoolWhip have always been a magical fascination.
Hi Robyn! This is one of our favorites, and for some reason haven’t made it in a while. Love the info about your Grandmother and green beans – will have to try that with my granddaughter!!!! lol!! Thanks for (once again) reminding me to fix a certain recipe! Have a great week!
Oh yes, it’s a definite way to get the green beans eaten. It even works with my son now. 🙂 You’ll have to let me know how it works with your granddaughter!
It’s not just a southern thing, Y’all! It’s everywhere up north, too! We prefer strawberry, but have made orange jell-o w/ well drained mandarins; pineapple jell-o w/ well drained pineapple in syrup (DON’T use fresh or frozen, it won’t jell!); peach jell-o with well drained peaches in syrup (Same note as pineapple). Wish I could figure a good way to try it with lime jell-o, I love lime!
Look in your local stores for strawberry cool whip, last summer I had 1 tub regular & 1 tub strawberry, didn’t know what I was gonna do with the strawberry one. So I made the salad the regular way & then “frosted” the top with the strawberry cool whip, well you woulda thought it was the second comming or something, the way everyone clammered after me – what IS this on top, why didn’t you make it like that every time, gimme THIS recipe! For crying out loud it was the same salad I’d made them for the last 30+ years, just a little extra cool whip! I can’t seem to find the strawberry here locally now, maybe it’s just a summer thing for cool whip.
Thanks for sharing your lovely recipes with us!
Thanks so much for sharing all of your different ways of making this recipe, Are. The strawberry cool whip on top does sound delicious!
I bet strawberry flavored cream cheese would be great
This reminds me of my mom. Except she always uses orange jello. I much prefer the strawberry, it looks amazing!
Thanks, Cassie! I love it with the strawberry, too but I bet that orange tastes yummy.
I can almost taste this right now! YUM!
Thanks, Amy!
I love seeing your food and picturing old-fashioned gatherings. You stay true to your Southern roots, and I love that about you and your blog. Have a great week!
Thanks so much, Natalie! I hope you have a great week as well.
I love the use of pretzels!
It is absolutely perfection in this recipe!
Do you have any suggestions on long the jello mix needs to be refrigerated before it’s put on top?
I’ve always secretly wished I had been born a Southerner. This recipe is an example of why. LOVE these kind of old~fashioned favorites. I’m adding this to a Sunday Supper menu soon.
Thanks, Kim! This is definitely one of those old-fashioned favorites my family has been making as long as I can remember. It was how my Grandmother would get me to eat the green beans at Easter. 🙂
This is one of my favorite summer salads! A local tea room serves it too and it’s always something I order!
Isn’t it amazing? My mouth waters just thinking about it!
A unique recipe for sure! 😉
And definitely memorable!
I have one box cherry jello. How much water do I use for strawberry salad. Â
Hi Jeanne,
You would need to cut all the ingredients in half with only one box of jello. Hope this helps.
Yes thank you, I did use 3/4 cup water.  Also a  very full 2 cups crushed pretzels, 1 stick of butter and only 15 1/2 oz Walmart frozen strawberries which are the best.  Next time I will go by the recipe.  My husband and I LOVE it. Â
I also put large tbsp. cream cheese mixture over all the crust then just smoothed  out the top. Â