This Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe is the perfect sweet and salty combination! A light cream cheese filling, crunchy pretzel crust and fresh strawberry JELLO topping make these bars totally irresistible.
Save some strawberries to make this Strawberry Eclair Cake Recipe next! Or give our no bake strawberry cheesecake recipe a try soon.
Why This Dessert is Best
You’ll love the combination of salty pretzels, sweet creamy cheesecake filling and tangy-sweet strawberries in this easy dessert!
No potluck is complete without my aunts famous strawberry pretzel salad (or sometimes we call it strawberry pretzel jello).
Originally, my aunt always made these bars with JELL-O spread on top. But when strawberries are in season, you can swap the JELL-O for the ripest, juiciest berries.
- Layers of sweet, salty and creamy flavor.
- Make it with strawberry JELL-O or fresh strawberries!
- Tastes like no bake cheesecake with a pretzel twist.
- A refreshing chilled dessert perfect for summer!
Whoever knows the grandma that invented the “sweet salads” is the true hero of summer. Our Lemon Jello Salad is a new potluck sensation! And don’t forget to add a batch of broken glass jello to your next potluck menu!
Ingredient Notes
- Pretzel crust – Crushed pretzels are combined with sugar and melted butter.
- Strawberries – You can slice them and arrange them right on top of the bars, or mix them into the JELL-O.
- Strawberry Gelatin – You’ll use this if you want to make the JELLO topping.
- Cool whip – Makes the cheesecake filling light and fluffy. Or use my homemade stabilized whipped cream instead!
- Cream cheese – It’s beaten with the cool whip and powdered sugar to make a simple no-bake cheesecake filling.
Tips and Tricks
- Plan ahead. You’ll want to get a head start on making the gelatin so that it’s slightly thickened as you add it to the bars.
- Measure the pretzels before crushing them. This gives you an accurate measurement.
- Bake and cool crust completely. While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling and topping.
- Chill before serving. Strawberry Pretzel JELLO is best served cold! I let mine chill for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
- On the go. Try our strawberry pretzel walking dessert recipe next!
Recipe FAQs
Fresh whipped cream won’t give you the same results as stabilized whipped cream (Cool Whip). The “stabilizers” give the cheesecake filling a light, fluffy consistency while holding its shape. Regular whipped cream loses air as its sets, so the filling will end up runny.
Yes, you can swap the strawberries for blueberries, raspberries or other sliced fresh fruit. Feel free to change up the JELL-O flavor too.
I used salted pretzels for the strawberry pretzel salad crust. The saltiness complements the sweetness of the filling and topping for a super satisfying dessert. If you don’t like salty-sweet desserts, you can use unsalted pretzels instead.
Yes, strawberry pretzel jello is a great make-ahead dessert idea. Assemble the bars and keep them covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy within 3 days for best taste.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Skinny No Bake cookies: sweet yet guilt free!
- 75+ No Bake Treats: a huge collection of ideas, just for you!
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
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Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
For the Gelatin:
- 2 packages strawberry JELL-O small 3 ounce boxes
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries about a 1 pound package)
For the Crust:
- 2 ½ cups pretzels measure before crushing
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Filling:
- 1 package cream cheese, softened 8 ounce
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 container Cool Whip, thawed 8 ounce
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, dissolive JELL-O with boiling water by stirring with a spoon for several minutes. Stir in strawberries. Refrigerate until partially set, about an hour and a half.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine crushed pretzels with sugar. Using a fork, add in melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Fold in thawed Cool Whip until fully blended. Spread over cooled crust.
- Refrigerate crust with filling until gelatin topping is partially set.
- Using a spoon, carefully add the gelatin and strawberry mixture over the top of the chilled cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight until set.
Notes
- Plan ahead. You'll want to get a head start on making the gelatin so that it's slightly thickened as you add it to the bars.
- Measure the pretzels before crushing them. This gives you an accurate measurement.
- Bake and cool crust completely. While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling and topping.
- Chill before serving. Strawberry Pretzel JELLO is best served cold! I let mine chill for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
- Use fresh sliced strawberries if you don't want to use the JELLO.
Hi Aimee, I have tried several of your recipes and have not been disappointed. This is so yummy 😋. Another great recipe for my recipe box.
Thank you for all those great recipes.
hi! when you make the jell-o do you use the 2 cups of cold water also, or just the 2 cups of boiling water?
I’m not a fan of pretzel crust but would love to give this recipe a try, can you suggest another crust for this dessert? Dar
I’m seeing comments about pecans in the crust. I don’t see pecans listed as an ingredient. Sounds like an interesting addition, but how much to add? I don’t want to add too much.
Yes, that was part of the original recipe, which has been updated. I still occasionally add pecans (swap out as much of the pretzel crumbs for pecan crumbs as you like). I usually do 2 part pretzel, 1 part pecan.
I have tried several of your desserts and like everyone I have tried,thanks.
Hello I would like to see a compilations of your recipes so that I don’t have to keep all the emails but only the recipes.
I loved all your recipes but I want an easier manner to search or go to the recipes that I need.
Thank you for sharing.
Warm regards,
Bernadette
Hi Aimee,
Those fresh strawberries look amazing! My first thought when I saw the picture is that it reminded me of delicious church potlucks from growing up! Can’t wait to try an updated version.
Totally a church potluck type of recipe 🙂
Would this work if I folded in fresh whipped cream instead of cool whip?