The name may sound weird… but hear us out on this one, because this stuff is amazing! Pretzel jello salad is a bit of an homage to those iconic (and often bizarre) 1960s recipes involving various types of gelatin.
For this ‘salad’ we used strawberry jello and fresh strawberries, a thick layer of sweet cream cheese, and a pretzel crust, for just a little salty crunch that pairs perfectly with the creamy and fruity layers above.
This is a really easy dessert to whip up, and it travels well, making it one of our go-to dishes for potlucks and summer barbecues. Guests always rave about how retro it looks…. And how awesome it tastes!
INGREDIENTS
- Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Cake:
- 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, halved
- 2 cups water, boiling
- 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
- 1 (6 oz) package of strawberry Jello
- 1 8-oz tub of whipped topping
- 3/4 cup sugar
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 400ºF, and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine pretzels, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter, and mix thoroughly.
- Transfer pretzel mixture to baking dish, and gently press into an even layer. Bake crust for 8-10 minutes, then set aside to let cool.
- In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar, then gently fold in whipped topping.
- Spread mixture over cooled crust, then refrigerate 1 hour, or until set.
- In a large bowl, combine Jello packet with boiling water and stir thoroughly until completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
- Top the cream cheese layer of the cake with strawberry pieces, then gently pour gelatin over cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate until set, 2-3 hours
- Serve chilled, and enjoy!
