Strawberry pretzel salad is a summer staple. It has layers of salty pretzel crust, a creamy cheesecake like center and yummy strawberry topping. It is perfect for BBQs and family reunions.

slices of strawberry jello pretzel salad ready to eat.

This yummy recipe is a classic for good reason. It is such a perfect combination of flavors and textures.

I just love that dishes like this are called salad. It makes it feel okay to serve it as a side dish instead of a dessert.

Though we did actually enjoy this one as a dessert as that is truly what it is whether we want to admit that or not. I won’t judge you no matter how or when you serve it.

Recently my dad mentioned how he was craving strawberry pretzel dessert. I knew I could make that happen for him.

We have had a recipe for an orange creamsicle pretzel salad here for quite a while. There is also a delicious recipe for cherry cheesecake pretzel salad, but somehow I hadn’t posted a recipe for the classic strawberry version.

So I had to share it with you. It will ne a perfect addition to your picnic, bbq, potluck or bbq menu.

Ingredients including pretzels, sugar, butter, strawberry jello, frozen sliced strawberries, and whipped topping ready to be made into strawberry pretzel dessert.

Piece of layered strawberry jello salad with pretzel crust, cream cheese filling and strawberry jello top.

Making the Layers

This yummy dish is built on a base layer of crushed pretzels. The salty crunchy pretzel bits are mixed with sugar and butter to make a crust just like you would a graham cracker crust.

The middle layer is simply made with cream cheese, sugar, and whipped topping. You can use whipping cream if you prefer, but using Cool Whip makes it extra easy. We have made it both ways and enjoy them equally.

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The top layer is made from strawberry Jello and water. A lot of people use frozen sweetened strawberry slices, but this time I used plain frozen sliced strawberries.

Sliced fresh strawberries work as well. You can even use a can of strawberry pie filling if you want.

pretzel crust in pan waiting for filling

Cream cheese filling spread over pretzel crust with bowl of strawberry jello in background.

Carlee’s Tips and Tricks

This recipe is pretty forgiving. Just make sure you give the gelatin plenty of time to cool before you pour it over the creamy filling.

You want it to be slightly thickened before you add it to the pan. That will keep it from seeping through and making a mess of the layers.

The other trick to nice layers is to make sure the cream cheese mixture is spread all the way out to touch the pan all the way around. That keeps the liquid jello mixture from seeping below it.

Once it is all layered, it needs to chill for a few hours. That allows it to set up and become perfect for cutting and serving.

piece of pretzel salad with pretzel crust, creamy cheesecake center and strawberry jello topping.

pieces of strawberry jello pretzel salad with creamy white filling in the center.

5 from 12 ratings

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings

Strawberry pretzel salad is a summer staple. It has layers of salty pretzel crust, a creamy cheesecake like center and yummy strawberry topping. It is perfect for BBQs and family reunions.

Prep: 15

Cook: 15

Additional Time 2

Total: 2 30

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust

▢ 2 cups crushed pretzels
▢ 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
▢ ½ cup butter

Strawberry Jello

▢ 6 oz strawberry Jello
▢ 2 cups boiling water
▢ 16 oz. frozen sliced strawberries

Creamy Filling

▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened
▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
▢ 8 oz. Cool Whip or similar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together 2 cups crushed pretzels and 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar in a 9×13-inch pan. Drizzle ½ cup butter over mixture, stirring to coat. Press into bottom of the pan to form a crust.
Bake 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, dissolve 6 oz strawberry Jello in 2 cups boiling water.
When the powder is dissolved, stir in the 16 oz. frozen sliced strawberries. Set aside to cool.
When the pan with the pretzel crust is cooled to room temperature, beat 8 oz cream cheese and ½ cup granulated sugar together until the mixture is smooth.
Fold in the 8 oz. Cool Whip.
Spread cream cheese mixture over the pretzel crust, make sure the filling touches the edge of the pan everywhere. Put in the refrigerator to chill until the jello mixture is completely cooled and is starting to thicken up a bit.
Gently pour cooled jello mixture over the filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.
Serve cold and refrigerate leftovers.

Notes

For the strawberries in this recipe you can use pretty much anything you’d like. It works well with frozen unsweetened strawberries, frozen sweetened strawberries, sliced fresh strawberries or even a can of strawberry pie filling.
If you would rather use fresh whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, that works too. I like to use 16 ounces of cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Beat everything but the cream together until it is smooth. Stir in the cream and then beat until fluffy.