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.
Using a bag of frozen sliced strawberries, do I have to defrost the strawberries?
Gloria, you don’t thaw the strawberries. Just follow the directions in Step 4: 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. The frozen strawberries help the Jello to thicken. I hope you enjoy!
Do you want us to use bagged, whole frozen strawberries or the frozen sliced strawberries in juice? They come in a tub here, though I can remember them in a frozen cardboard package years ago.
You can use either one you want. I usually make it with the sliced strawberries in juice in a tub. I used the ones in the cardboard package until they quit making them. I hope you enjoy, Laura.
Made it today using fish gelatin in place of the jello box. Also added maple syrup to cream and cream cheese. I should have mixed the cream cheese first. It was a little lumpy. I shipped the cream then added the cream cheese. Nevertheless, it turned out delicious! Everyone had seconds! I also used honey with the strawberry gelatin mix.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this, Shannon!
I have been making this for many years and LOVE it. Two changes. Disollve the jello in pineapple juice and use graham cracker crust instead of pretzels. Wonderful!
I haven’t tried it with pineapple juice and graham cracker crust, Dee.
Dessert was fabulous, but I had one problem. The crust stuck to the dish. I could not find one version of this recipe that said to spray the dish before putting in the pretzel crust. Every time I have made it since that first time, the dish is sprayed!
Thanks for the tip, D. I’ve never sprayed my dish and haven’t had the crust stick. But it sounds like it works for you.
Good Evening
I made the recipe but I ran into a problem with the strawberry jello and frozen strawberries. I mix the jello with the water and added the frozen strawberries, but it did not gel together. I even brought another pkg of jello and mixed it in and it still did not gel together. Do you want could have happened or is there something that I did wrong?
Please let me know when you get a chance.
Hi Teresa,
I’m sorry your Jello didn’t gel, or thicken. I’ve not had this happen before. Did you use boiling water and allow the Jello mixture the time it needed to thicken? It takes a bit of time for this to happen. Step 4 of the recipe instructions where you allow the mixture to thicken should help. I hope this helps and you enjoy it if you make it again. Thanks!
I first made this salad/dessert for my little boy who has a peanut allergy. Â The crust tasted so good to him. Â 20 years later, he still loves this salad. Â I first got the recipe from my MIL who had gotten it from a Belk’s Department Store where they had a little cafe in the store. Â It’s been something that my son looks forward to since there are so many desserts made with nuts. Â
this is awesome. when we have a team function at work, a coworker makes this and wow!
have made it many times… Love it!
Can this salad be frozen?