There's no holiday meal that's complete in my family without a big scoop of strawberry jello pretzel salad on their plates. This sweet and salty Southern classic layers crunchy pretzels with a creamy whipped filling and a fresh strawberry and Jell-O topping. It's the perfect make-ahead dessert salad that you can't just have one serving of. I will show you a step-by-step guide for this longtime family favorite and holiday staple in my Kentucky kitchen. Serves 8-12.
When it comes to my family's Thanksgiving table, there are a couple staple southern casseroles that we actually make double of because we all love them so much. Broccoli cheese casserole with ritz cracker topping and this strawberry pretzel jello salad.
Also, side note, can we take a moment to appreciate the Southern dishes called "salads" that are actually just straight-up desserts? Gotta love it haha. 🙂
This dish is a personal favorite of mine that I actually can't get enough of. It's something about the salty and sweet - creamy and crunchy that just gets me!
Having grown up watching my mom make this, and now I have made this for years, it's a simple recipe, but actually quite easy to mess up, and boy, have I made ALL THE MISTAKES. Let me show you step by step how to make this so you avoid the disaster of a 3-layer recipe coming out in 1 layer. 😉
⭐️PRO TIP TO START⭐️ - give yourself plenty of time! Make this the day before serving so you have adequate time to chill between every single layer and let the jello fully set overnight. While this is not a complicated recipe, it does take some time and patience.
Layer 1 - Pretzel Crust
Layer 2 - whipped topping
⭐️IMPORTANT⭐️ - Let your cream cheese sit out at room temp to soften, and make sure you let your Cool Whip thaw. Either set it on the counter too, or just put it in the fridge overnight. I have made mistakes on both of these things, and the result is a frustratingly clumpy mixture that is impossible to make smooth and affects the layering process.
Layer 3 - jello and strawberries
⭐️PRO TIP⭐️ - You want to make sure to let the jello cool until room temperature-ish before you pour on top of the the cream cheese layer. If you pour it while it is still hot then it will melt the whipped topping and all thelayers will run together (yes, yes i have made this mistake before :/ ).
Once this has chilled overnight and the jello has completely firmed up, it's time to serve! In the South, this will be placed on the casserole dish table, NOT the dessert table. Scoop out a big serving next to your cheesy corn casserole and all your Thanksgiving favorites. While make-ahead strawberry pretzel jello salad takes a bit of time, spreading it out ensures it will turn out for you each time - sparing you frustration and a messed-up recipe. I know this will quickly become a staple on your holiday tables, too!
Recipe
Sweet and Salty Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
- Total Time: 25 Hors 6 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 1x
Description
There's no holiday meal that's complete in my family without a big scoop of strawberry jello pretzel salad on their plates. This sweet and salty Southern classic layers crunchy pretzels with a creamy whipped filling and a fresh strawberry and Jell-O topping. It's the perfect make-ahead dessert salad that you can't just have one serving of. I will show you a step-by-step guide for this longtime family favorite and holiday staple in my Kentucky kitchen.
Ingredients
Pretzel Layer
- 2 Cups Pretzels - crushed
- 4 Tablespoons Sugar
- ½ Cup Butter - melted
Whipped Topping Layer
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese - softened
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 8 Ounces Cool Whip - thawed
Strawberry Jello Layer
- 1 Large Box (6 ounces) of Strawberry Jello
- 2 Cup Boiling Water
- 2 Pounds of Fresh Strawberries - thinly sliced
Instructions
STEP ONE - Pretzel Layer
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Crush pretzels in a large zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
- Add to a 9x13' baking pan along with sugar and melted butter. Mix until everything is combined and press into the bottom of the pan evenly.
- Bake for 6 minutes.
- Remove, place in fridge, and let cool completely (at least 1 hour).
STEP TWO - Whipped Topping Layer
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy with no lumps remaining. Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until combined, light, and fluffy.
- Spread evenly over the completely cooled crust all the way to the edges (make sure to leave no holes to gaps on the sides of the pan).
- Place in fridge to chill and set completely (at least 1 hour).
STEP THREE - Strawberry Jello Layer
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add to a bowl and add the jello. Mix for 1-2 minutes until the jello is completely dissolved.
- Add in the sliced strawberries. Mix well.
- Set the bowl in the fridge to cool for 15-30 minutes. You do not want the jello to set, just to cool to where it is not boiling or hot enough to melt the whipped topping layer.
- Gently pour over the whipped topping layer. Gently spread out the sliced strawberries evenly over the top if needed.
- Place in the fridge and chill completely until set (at least 3-4 hours or ideally overnight).
Notes
- This is best made the day before serving to allow adequate chilling time between the layers and for the jello topping to completely set.
- Do not use frozen strawberries - fresh strawberries, thinly sliced, work the best.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 694.8 mg
- Fat: 21.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 72.8 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 47.8 mg
