Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe with fresh berries - Crazy for Crust (2024)

Why we love Pretzel Salad:

• The crunchy salty pretzels make a fantastic pretzel crust
• The no-bake cheesecake filling is so creamy
• Fresh strawberries make the topping perfect for summer

Ingredients in dessert salad casserole

There’s basically three parts to this recipe: the crust, the strawberry jello with fresh strawberries, and the cheesecake filling. All of it’s easy to do and, once it’s set, you just slice and serve it.

• A box of strawberry jello (be sure to get the correct size)
• Boiling water
• Crushed pretzels – For this recipe, you will need about 5 cups of mini twist pretzels. That amount will yield two cups of crushed pretzels.
• Granulated sugar
• Melted unsalted butter
• Cream cheese
• Cool Whip (use any kind of whipped topping, not fresh whipped cream)
• Sliced fresh strawberries (you can also use frozen)

How to make Strawberry Jello Salad

1. Make the jello:Pour the jello mix into a bowl and pour the boiling water over the top. Stir until the powder is dissolved and then leave it to sit at room temperature until it’s cooled. I like to do this step first because it has to cool.
2. Make the crust:Combine the crushed pretzels with sugar and butter. Press the mixture into a 9×13” baking dish. Chill the crust for at least 30 minutes.
3. Make the cheesecake:Beat the cream cheese with the sugar and then fold in the Cool Whip. Spread the mixture over the top of the chilled crust.
4. Make sure you spread it all the way to the edges and into the corners. You don’t want any spaces or holes in this layer otherwise the jello will seep through when you add it.
5. Chill the cheesecake filling for one hour.
6. Assemble the dish:Place the sliced strawberries in an even layer on top of the cheesecake. Pour the cooled jello mixture over the top of the strawberries. Carefully transfer the baking dish back to the refrigerator and chill it until the jello is set, about three hours.

Fresh vs Frozen Berries

You can substitute frozen ones for fresh strawberries! I use two 32-ounce bags of frozen strawberries when fresh strawberries aren’t available. Just be sure to thaw the strawberries before you add them to the dish.

Can you make it ahead of time?

This is actually a requirement of this dish. Because there are several steps with waiting time in between I usually make it up to 24 hours ahead of time. That way, I know it will be perfectly set and ready to serve when I need it.

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

• I like to use my food processor to crush the pretzels because it’s really easy. Plus, it chops them evenly. You don’t want a lot of big pretzel pieces otherwise your crust won’t hold together well when you slice it. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the pretzels in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin. It will take longer to break them down, but it will work.
• Make sure to cool the jello to room temperature so that it doesn’t melt the cheesecake or cause the strawberries to weep.
• Make sure to chill the crust, then the cheesecake as noted in the recipe. This is to ensure it sets up properly.
• Make sure to spread the cheesecake layer all the way to the edges of the pan and seal it with the pan, so the jello doesn’t soak through.
• You should make strawberry pretzel salad the night before, as it needs time to set.
• Use fresh or frozen berries! To use frozen strawberries, let them thaw then drain them very well.
• Store leftovers covered with plastic in the refrigerator.
• You can use any fruit/jello combo. I’ve seen this done with mandarin oranges and orange jello too!

FAQ