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
Scale
Pretzel Layer
- 2 Cups Pretzels - crushed
- 4 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Butter - melted
Whipped Topping Layer
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese - softened
- 1/2 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
