This Strawberry Pretzel Dessert is one of the most requested desserts to make with three layers of sweet, creamy and crunch that everyone loves and will disappear before you know it!

This classic dessert that never gets old and is perfect for potlucks, summer cookouts and get togethers! It’s so easy to make with just a few ingredients and can be made ahead of time. Some people call it strawberry pretzel salad, I call it strawberry pretzel dessert. However you call it, you will find that it will be the most requested for either a dessert or side dish.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Try this recipe with a different flavors of gelatin and fruits such as cherry gelatin with cherries, raspberries with raspberry gelatin or mixed berries with strawberry gelatin.
- If you’re not a fan of pretzels, substitute the pretzel crust with Graham, Ritz or Saltine crackers.
- Seal the edges of the pretzel crust with the cream cheese layer to prevent the pretzels from getting soggy.
- Follow the recipe directions for dissolving the gelatin and not the package instructions for best results.
Can I Use Fresh Strawberries in Pretzel Salad?
Yes, you can use fresh strawberries if you don’t have frozen on hand. Make sure they are ripe and washed before using in the recipe.
Can you Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes, this is a great recipe to make ahead of time and perfect for when you don’t have a lot of time but need to bring something to your gathering. It needs to set for at least 4 hours so you can make this the night before and it will be ready the next day.
More Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Strawberry Lemon Dream Dessert
- Layered Strawberry Shortcake
- No Bake Twinkie Strawberry Dessert
Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Ingredients
For the Crust:
2 cups pretzels, crushed
2 tablespoon sugar
1 stick butter, melted
For the filling:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 8oz Cool Whip, thawed
For the topping:
2 packages strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 small packages frozen strawberries (unthawed)
How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place pretzels in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. In a bowl, mix crushed pretzels, sugar and butter. Press the crust into a 13X9 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add Cool Whip to the bowl and mix together. Spread the filling onto the cooled pretzel crust.
In a bowl, mix gelatin and boiling water until gelatin dissolves. Stir in frozen strawberries until mixture begins to thicken. Pour on top of cream cheese layer and chill in fridge for about 4 hours.
Slice and serve alone or with a dollop of whipped cream.
If you have any leftovers, make sure to cover it and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe
Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups pretzels crushed
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 stick butter melted
For the filling:
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
For the topping:
- 2 packages strawberry gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 small packages frozen strawberries unthawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place pretzels in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. In a bowl, mix crushed pretzels, sugar and butter. Press the crust into a 13X9 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add Cool Whip to the bowl and mix together. Spread the filling onto the cooled pretzel crust.
- In a bowl, mix gelatin and boiling water until gelatin dissolves. Stir in frozen strawberries until mixture begins to thicken. Pour on top of cream cheese layer and chill in fridge for about 4 hours.
- Slice and serve alone or with a dollop of whipped cream.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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