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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

A delightful dessert combining sweet, salty, and creamy flavors with a crunchy pretzel crust and fresh strawberries.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pretzel Crust
  • 2 cups small salted pretzels (crushed)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup salted butter (melted)
Cream Cheese Layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Strawberry Layer
  • 6 oz strawberry flavored gelatin
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 lb fresh strawberries (sliced)

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels and brown sugar until combined but still chunky.
  3. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened.
  4. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a parchment-lined 8×8 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool completely.
Cream Cheese Layer
  1. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  2. Pour the heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture and beat until fully combined.
  3. Spread this over the cooled pretzel crust and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Strawberry Layer
  1. Stir the gelatin powder into boiling water until dissolved, then refrigerate for 30 minutes until thick.
  2. Fold in the sliced strawberries and pour over the chilled cream cheese layer.
  3. Chill for another 2 to 4 hours until set.
  4. Slice and serve chilled.

Notes

Be sure to let the pretzel crust cool completely before adding the cream cheese layer to prevent melting. For best flavor, use fresh strawberries; frozen strawberries may be too watery. Adjust sweetness by adding more or less powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture as desired. For variations, other fruits like blueberries or raspberries can be used, or different gelatin flavors such as raspberry or peach can be experimented with.