This Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad may have the word “salad” in its name, but it definitely tastes more like a dessert. Although the combination of crushed pretzels, a strawberry Jell-o topping, cream cheese, and whipped topping may seem pretty strange, once you try it, you’ll be hooked. Every bite holds crunchy, salty, sweet, and creamy flavors which complement each other so well! Additionally, this dessert is versatile enough to serve during the warm summer months on the patio after a cook-out, or as a holiday dessert for a Christmas buffet. Also, I love eating a big bowl of it the next day when the pretzels have softened a bit.

Ingredients for Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad will satisfy all your cravings: it has sweet, salty, and fruity flavors all rolled into one. Here’s what you need:

PRETZEL LAYER

2 cups pretzels – you can use pretzel sticks or twists, and crush them in a food processor. Or, use a rolling pin to crush them in a baggie.Melted butter – about a stick and half. Microwave until melted but not too hot.Sugar – three tablespoons.

CREAM CHEESE LAYER

Cream cheese – make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature before adding to the mixture.More sugar – this time you need one cup.Whipped topping – I like to use eight ounces of regular Cool Whip to make it easy on myself. Or, you can whip up your own homemade whipped topping using heavy cream too.

STRAWBERRY JELLO LAYER

Strawberry gelatin – six ounces. But, you can use sugar free jell-o for this part as well.Boiling water – two cups.Fresh strawberries – I love to top this salad with fresh strawberries when they’re in season. But, frozen berries will work as well.

Recipe Tips

To avoid soggy pretzels, make sure the cream cheese layer covers the pretzels completely before adding the strawberry jello mixture. That way, the cream cheese filling creates a buffer for the liquid before it sets up.Typically, I like to double the cream cheese layer, especially if I want to serve a crowd or serve it as more of a dessert than a salad.A sweet reader suggested to actually make this strawberry pretzel salad upside down, with the jello on the bottom, and the cream cheese layer and the pretzels on top to keep the pretzels nice and crunchy. Great suggestion!For extra texture and flavor, you could mix in a can of crushed pineapple with the jello.

Frequently Asked Questions about Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Read More: 30+ Best Strawberry Recipes

More Flavor Combinations to Try

One of the things that makes this strawberry pretzel jello really fun is all the opportunities for customization. We’ve made this dessert several different ways, as well as gotten some great suggestions from readers. Here are some delicious options to try!

My family loves making this using raspberry or blueberry jello with an assortment of fresh fruit on top. Also, this is a great way to use a leftover fruit salad.Give this dessert a tropical twist with tropical-flavored jello and crushed pineapple with mandarin oranges. Also, don’t forget the fresh whipped cream and some coconut shavings!Raspberry jello and fresh raspberries also make an excellent substitution for the strawberry pretzel jello.

More Delectable Dessert Salads

I love a good dessert salad, and we have some super delicious options! Try some of these amazing recipes:

Snickers Apple SaladFudge Stripe Cookie Salad with Mandarin OrangesBlueberry Jello SaladGrape Salad with Crunchy Coconut Topping

Snickers Salad

Blueberry Jello Salad

Creamy Grape Salad

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