Jello Pretzel Salad Recipe

My grandma has the very best recipes! Earlier this week I shared her Frozen Pink Lemonade pie recipe that is my very favorite pie recipe – ever! I’ve also shared her soft sugar cookie recipe which is another hands down favorite, and a recipe I make every Christmas. Today, I have another of my grandma’s classics to share. This recipe is one she like to bring to 4th of July potlucks and is always a part of our Thanksgiving feast! Jello Pretzel Salad combines sweet and salty for a delicious desert perfect as a side dish to bring to a gathering.

This recipe is made in three different layers – a pretzel crust, a whip cream and cream cheese layer, and then topped with a jello and strawberries layer. The layers help blend the sweet and salty aspects of this dessert and make it easy to serve. Plus, it just looks fun!

Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 (8 oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 oz) package strawberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
1 (20 oz) package frozen strawberries

Pretzel Crust:

I always use the stick pretzels as they are easier to crush and look great as the bottom crust. Mashing up the pretzels is a great job for the kids that want to help. Pour pretzels into a ziploc bag and seal and then let them smash up the pretzels with a cup or their hands until the pieces are smaller than 1″. You’ll then mix the crushed pretzel sticks with butter and sugar to form a crust. Press the crust into your baking dish and pop it into the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Layer:

For the middle creamy layer you’ll combine soft cream cheese with sugar to make a smooth mixture. Then, mix in your thawed, soft whipped topping to make a creamy and smooth layer. This gets added on top of your cooled crust.

Jello Layer:

Dissolve your strawberry Jello into boiling water and then mix in a package of frozen strawberries. I always look for sliced or crushed berries, rather than whole berries for this recipe. Allow this mixture to thicken a bit before you add it as the top layer so it doesn’t seep through to the lower layers. When slightly thickened, pour on top of your cream cheese layer and then refrigerator your Jello Pretzel Salad overnight or until set.

Enjoy a slice for me!

Jello Pretzel Salad