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Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Strawberry pretzel jello salad is a layered, sweet-salty dessert with a golden pretzel crust, a fluffy cream cheese middle, and a red strawberry Jell-O top. This easy potluck dessert bakes the pretzel base, then chills for hours so each slice holds crisp, iconic layers.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pretzel crust
  • 2 cup pretzel twists coarsely crushed
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
For the cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip) thawed
For the Jell-O layer
  • 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cup boiling water
  • 2 cup cold water or ice
  • 2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries sliced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 oven

Method
 

Bake the pretzel crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and combine crushed pretzels with melted butter and granulated sugar until evenly coated.
  2. Press the mixture firmly into a 9x13 baking dish, then bake for 8–10 minutes until set and lightly golden.
  3. Cool completely in the pan before adding the cream cheese layer.
Make and layer the cream cheese filling
  1. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
  2. Fold in thawed whipped topping and spread evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, sealing to the edges so Jell-O doesn’t seep through.
  3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the cream cheese layer while you make the Jell-O.
Assemble and chill
  1. Dissolve strawberry Jell-O in 2 cups boiling water, then stir in 2 cups cold water or ice.
  2. Let the Jell-O mixture cool to room temperature but do not let it set.
  3. Stir in sliced strawberries, then gently pour over the cream cheese layer.
  4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours until the Jell-O is completely set, then slice into rectangles and serve cold.

Notes

For the cleanest layers, make sure the pretzel crust is fully cooled and keep the Jell-O at room temperature before pouring. Refrigerate covered up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the Jell-O texture can break down. If you want a lighter version, use low-fat cream cheese and a lighter whipped topping for the cream cheese middle.