This strawberry pretzel salad is crowd-pleasing and contains NO Jello! Featuring a buttery pretzel crust, creamy middle layer and delicious strawberry topping. The combination of sweet and salty is simply irresistible!
Bring this strawberry pretzel salad to your next potluck and watch it disappear! It’s one of my favorite desserts for summertime family gatherings.
Just like my strawberry pie, this dessert is made without Jello, unlike most recipes. Plan ahead because it needs time to chill in the refrigerator before serving. The good news? It’s a really easy dessert to make!
It calls for plenty of fresh strawberries, so make it during strawberry season if possible. You can also substitute another fruit, like raspberries or peaches.
What is strawberry pretzel salad?
It’s actually not a salad at all, but instead a delicious old fashioned layered dessert with a salty pretzel crust, cheesecake-like filling with cream cheese and cool whip, and strawberry topping (usually with Jello).
It’s still a staple potluck dessert in the South and for good reason: it’s pretty, incredible tasting, serves a crowd and can be made ahead of time.
How to make strawberry pretzel salad
Find the complete recipe with measurements and directions below.
- Crush the pretzels using a food processor, or place in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Mix with melted butter and sugar, then press evenly in a 9×13 inch casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and frozen whipped topping together, then spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Place in the freezer for an hour.
- Make the strawberry sauce which consists of strawberries, sugar, water, cornstarch and lemon juice. Let it cool, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
Pour the strawberry sauce over the cheesecake-like mixture and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or overnight, until it’s set.
Can you make strawberry pretzel dessert ahead of time?
Yes, this is the perfect make-ahead dessert. It’s best when it’s had several hours in the refrigerator, so make it the night before if you’d like.
Can you freeze strawberry pretzel salad?
No, unfortunately it does not freeze very well so I would not recommend it.
How long does it last?
It will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Want more strawberry desserts?
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the pretzels. You can either pulse several times in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin.
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until combined, then mix in the crushed pretzels. Press the pretzel crust evenly into a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.
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In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with the whisk attachment), beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add the whipped topping last and beat until smooth.
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Once the crust is completely cool, spread the creamy mixture over it, all the way to the edges, and place in the freezer for an hour.
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Slice the strawberries. Place 3/4 cup of the strawberries into a medium saucepan. then stir in the sugar, water, cornstarch and lemon juice. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir well.
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Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened a bit. Remove from heat. Let it cool to nearly room temperature, stirring every 10 minutes or so and slightly mashing the strawberries in it. This will take 20-30 minutes.
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Stir the rest of the strawberries into the mixture, then pour and spread the mixture over the creamy layer. Chill in the refrigerator until the top layer is set, about 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!
- Gluten free – Use gluten free salted pretzels for the pretzel layer.
- It will keep for up tp 3 days in the refrigerator. It does not freeze well, unfortunately.
Serving: 1of 12 servings, Calories: 347kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 357mg, Potassium: 184mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 403IU, Vitamin C: 47mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1mg
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