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Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Strawberry pretzel jello salad layers a salty-sweet golden pretzel crust, a fluffy cream cheese middle, and a shimmering strawberry Jell-O top with visible berry slices. This layered pretzel dessert bakes the crust, then chills until the red Jell-O is fully set for clean rectangle slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pretzel crust
  • 2 cups pretzel twists coarsely crushed
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
For the cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz whipped topping Cool Whip, thawed
For the Jell-O layer
  • 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 cups cold water or ice
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries sliced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Bake the pretzel crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then mix crushed pretzels with melted butter and sugar until evenly coated.
  2. Press the pretzel mixture firmly into a 9x13 baking dish, then bake for 8–10 minutes until set.
  3. Cool the crust completely before adding any toppings.
Make and chill the cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the thawed whipped topping.
  2. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the completely cooled pretzel crust, sealing to the edges to prevent Jell-O seepage.
  3. Refrigerate the cream cheese layer for 30 minutes while you prepare the Jell-O.
Assemble the strawberry Jell-O layer and set
  1. Dissolve the strawberry Jell-O in 2 cups boiling water, stirring until fully dissolved.
  2. Stir in the 2 cups cold water or ice, then let the mixture cool to room temperature but do not let it set.
  3. Stir the sliced strawberries into the cooled Jell-O, then gently pour over the cream cheese layer.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the Jell-O is completely set, then slice into rectangles and serve cold.

Notes

For the cleanest rectangle slices, make sure the pretzel crust is fully cooled and the cream cheese layer is sealed to the edges before pouring the Jell-O. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; freezer: no. Dietary swap: use light whipped topping if you want a lower-fat option.