Strawberry pretzel salad is the perfect sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy, bright and flavorful dish to serve at your next meal!
We absolutely love this strawberry pretzel salad recipe. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it is so nostalgic in flavor and super versatile too. Serve it alongside other BBQ favorites like smoked chicken legs, homemade potato salad and banana pudding!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
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Strawberry Pretzel Salad Ingredients
- Pretzels – Crushed (not into crumbs though, make sure to leave some big enough that they will provide texture and crunch).
- Butter – Melted butter. I prefer salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Sugar – White, granulated.
- Cream cheese – Softened.
- Whipped topping – Like Cool Whip.
- Jello – Strawberry of course! (But truly you can use whatever flavor you love).
- Strawberries – Frozen strawberries (sliced), thawed.
Strawberries, sugar, butter, cream cheese, cool whip, pretzels!
How do you make strawberry pretzel salad? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, mix together pretzels, sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a baking dish. Bake then allow to cool completely.
⭐ Next, mix together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the pretzel crumbs. Chill.
⭐ Then, in a large bowl, mix the jello with boiling water. Stir in the sliced strawberries chill until it has partially set (cool and thick but still pourable).
⭐ Finally, spread chilled jello mixture over cream cheese and refrigerate until fully set.
Make sure you get the cream cheese mixture all the way to the edges of the casserole dish.
Preparation
Can you make a strawberry pretzel salad recipe ahead of time?
Yes! This can be made up to a day in advance. Perfect for party or potluck prepping in ahead.
Can I substitute Cool Whip for homemade whipped cream?
Whipped topping (like Cool Whip) is really the best choice for this recipe as it holds very stable. If you use homemade whipped cream or canned whip cream it will likely get runny and make the pretzels soggy.
What kind of pretzels for strawberry pretzel salad?
Small salted pretzels. You can pretzels small enough that there will be a high salt to pretzel ratio. Yum!
What flavor jello for strawberry pretzel salad?
This sounds like a silly question, but honestly we’ll often use raspberry or cherry jello with the strawberries and it’s totally delicious too. Or if you really want to mix it up, scroll down to see all the fun different flavor combinations you can make!
Can I use fresh strawberries?
Absolutely! If you use fresh strawberries I suggest slicing them thin or dicing them very small as they will be a lot more firm than the frozen/thawed strawberries.
It’s super important to let each layer chill before adding the next.
Leftovers and storage
How long does strawberry pretzel salad last?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days. Make sure to store it tightly covered for best results.
Can you freeze strawberry pretzel salad?
We do not suggest freezing this recipe. The cream layer will likely separate and when it thaws will weep into the pretzel layer.
Chill the whole thing completely at the end to get clean slices when you serve.
Flavor variations
- Raspberries + raspberry jello
- Maraschino or frozen cherries + cherry jello
- Mandarin oranges + orange jello
- Crushed pineapple + pineapple jello
- Lemon jello + fruit cocktail (or just plain lemon jello!)
- Instant chocolate pudding + mini marshmallows
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
✅ Make sure to cool crust completely before adding the cream cheese layer.
✅ Spread the cream cheese mix all the way to edges so there’s no way for the jello layer to hit the pretzel layer.
✅ Allow the cream cheese later to chill completely before adding the jello layer.
✅ Don’t skip chilling the strawberry layer before pouring it over the cream cheese layer!
Don’t pulverize the pretzels, we want them to have some crunch!
Why is it called salad?
Oh my. This is a great question and one that has about as many answers as people have opinions. It’s clearly not a salad in the way that we typically think of salads, but it’s definitely delicious and often served as a side dish.
Tell me in the comments, do you consider this a side or a dessert? Should it be called a salad?
What to eat with strawberry pretzel salad (serving suggestions)
This is a total classic recipe and we love it with other childhood favorites like dorito casserole, grape jelly meatballs, or chicken spaghetti!
Try using other flavors of jello or other fruits!
More delicious strawberry recipes
- Strawberry pie
- Strawberry daiquiri
- Strawberry poke cake
- Strawberry shortcake waffles
- See all our strawberry recipes!
Other dessert salads you’ll love
Top slices with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and a whole mini pretzel to be fancy!
Other potluck favorites to try
We love to serve this at family gatherings.
Tools we love
- Casserole dish with lid – I love this dish because it can go from freezer to oven.
- Large spatula – No one wants a small portion of cheesy potatoes.
😍😍😍
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How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- ¾ cups butter melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 ounces whipped topping thawed
- 6 ounces Strawberry Jell-O
- 2 cups boiling water
- 23 ounces frozen sliced strawberries thawed (about 3 cups)
Instructions
- Mix together the pretzels, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Mix together the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread evenly over the pretzel crumbs. Chill in the fridge.
- In a large bowl, mix the strawberry jello with the boiling water until it has dissolved. Stir in the sliced strawberries and let chill in the fridge until it has partially set, about 2 to 3 hours.
- Once the strawberry jello mixture has set, spread evenly over the cream cheese mixture, then refrigerate until it has fully set.
Notes
Nutrition
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
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Natalie says
We make this all the time!! It’s always the first thing to go. You can’t have a picnic without it!
Kara says
My kids would be thrilled if I let them count this as salad, but I serve it for dessert. I use fresh whipped cream instead of the Cool Whip, and it is AMAZING! I would rather have this than cake for my birthday. 🙂
Cheryl says
My teenage son asks for this instead of cake so that’s what we have on his birthday too!
Kristyn says
When in doubt, make this!! It’s one of our family’s favorite!! It’s cool & tasty!
Aleisha says
What size of pan is recommended for this recipe?
April Woods says
9×13″
Jay says
Do you add the juice from the frozen strawberries or drain them?
Becky says
frozen strawberries don’t have juice
Mary says
Great dessert salad to however, my pretzel crust was too thin even though I followed the recipe. I put my jello layer in the fridge per the recipe and, thankfully I checked on it in 1/2 your as it had already jelled. My top layer was a bit uneven (bumpy – messy) instead of the usual smooth top I’ve had with other attempts. Those things aside, it tastes AMAZING!!!!