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I couldn’t tell you why this Jello pretzel salad is called a salad. There’s no lettuce in sight! However, this classic dessert is a super easy make-ahead treat that’s perfect for summer potlucks. It feels a little bit retro and a lot delicious.

(Strawberry lovers will also enjoy this Strawberry Delight recipe!)

An Old-Fashioned Potluck Favorite!

Quick Tip

Allow your cream cheese to sit out and come to room temperature before making the filling. This will make it easier to mix and prevent any lumps from forming!

A square of strawberry pretzel salad on a plate.

Jello Pretzel Salad

Jello Pretzel Salad is a classic potluck recipe that layers a creamy cheesecake filling and strawberry topping over a pretzel crust. So good!

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Kasey Schwartz

Servings: servings

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Cooling time: 4 30

Total Time: 4 55

Equipment

3 Mixing bowls
1 food processor
1 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

▢ 2 (3-ounce packages) strawberry Jello
▢ 2 cups boiling water
▢ 3 cups small, salted pretzel twists
▢ ¾ cup sugar divided
▢ 8 tablespoons melted butter
▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
▢ 8 ounces Cool Whip
▢ 3 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 pound)

Instructions

Gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉.
Pour the two packets of strawberry jello into a large mixing bowl then add the boiling water. Whisk until the jello powder has dissolved. Set aside.
2 (3-ounce packages) strawberry Jello, 2 cups boiling water
Add the pretzels to a large food processor and pulse until the pretzels are large crumbs. I like to leave a few larger pieces to give the salad a little bit of a crunch.
3 cups small, salted pretzel twists
Pour the pretzel crumbs into a large bowl and add ¼ cup of the sugar and the melted butter. Stir everything together until all the pretzel crumbs are wet then pour the mix into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Press the crust into the bottom of the dish, making an even, compact layer.
¾ cup sugar, 8 tablespoons melted butter
Bake the pretzel crust in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the crust cool.
Add the cream cheese and remaining ½ cup of sugar to a large bowl and beat them together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Fold in the cool whip then spread the mix over the cooled pretzel crust.
8 ounces cream cheese, 8 ounces Cool Whip
Place the pan in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
Stir the sliced strawberries into the room-temperature strawberry jello mix and then slowly pour this into the pan, on top of the chilled Cool Whip layer.
3 cups sliced strawberries
Place the pan into the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours. Then slice and serve!

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe?Mention @kasey_allthingsmamma or tag #allthingsmamma!

Variations

Make it with raspberry Jello. Substitute the strawberry Jello for raspberry Jello and add fresh raspberries instead of sliced strawberries.
Use orange Jello. Swap the strawberry Jello with orange Jello. Then, fold in mandarin oranges in place of the strawberries.