Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad Recipe

strawberries layered with crust and filling on a plate.

4.91 from 40 votes

Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad Recipe

Classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad is perfect for potlucks, BBQs and other gatherings! The combination of the salty pretzel crust, sweet cheesecake filling and fresh strawberries with jello is perfection. It’s a cold and creamy treat that always gets rave reviews!

Prep Time30

Chilling Time6

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Dorothy Kern

Cost: $8

Ingredients

Strawberries:

1 6-ounce box strawberry Jell-o
2 cups boiling water

Crust:

2 cups crushed pretzels about 5 cups of twists, see note
3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake:

8 ounces (226g) cream cheese softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip
2 pounds fresh strawberries hulled and sliced

Instructions

Place Jello powder in a medium sized bowl. Carefully pour boiling water over the powder, stir until it’s all dissolved. Let sit at room temperature until it is completely cool.
While the Jello is cooling, make the crust. Stir together the crushed pretzels with sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, then mix in the whipped topping.
Spread cheesecake mixture on top of the crust. Make sure that the cheesecake completely touches all edges of the pan – leave no holes or areas where it’s open, otherwise the jello will soak through when you pour it on. Chill 1 hour.
Assemble the dessert: place the strawberries in a single layer on top of the cream cheese mixture. Carefully pour the cooled jello mixture evenly over the berries and cheesecake. Chill in the fridge until set, at least 3 hours.
Dessert can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Enjoy within 3 days.

Video

Notes

Approximately 5 cups mini pretzel twists = 2 cups crushed pretzels. It’s best to use a food processor to crush the pretzels so you don’t have large chunks.

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.

Nutrition