Planning a shower? Bridal or baby showers, graduations or birthdays…all are perfect venues for this decorative dish. Served as a side or a dessert, you won’t have leftovers–that’s for sure. Soon as the guests arrive you’ll hear it: “Pretzel Salad! I love this!” and there it will go!
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Tip: when serving it at a picnic or outdoor event, make sure that refrigeration is available until time of serving. When left out for long periods of time, it will lose its consistency.
Strawberry Jell-O Pretzel Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups pretzel sticks, crushed into small pieces
- 2/3 cup butter (salted), melted
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 8 oz. package Cream Cheese, softened
- 8 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed in refrigerator
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 small boxes or 1 large box Strawberry Jello
- 2 cups water, boiling
- 14 – 20 oz. Sliced Strawberries, frozen
Directions
- Crush the pretzels by hand or in their cellophane bag.
- Melt the butter and combine with the crushed pretzels and 3 T. sugar.
- Spread pretzel mixture in a 13″ X 9″ baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.
- Whip the softened cream cheese, Cool Whip and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Spread white layer on the cooled pretzel layer using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Make sure that all the edges are sealed and there are no holes.
- Combine the two Jell-O mixes with boiling water and frozen strawberries. Refrigerate and check it every 15 to 20 minutes. When the Jell-O mixture is starting to set–it thickens a bit but is not firm yet–it is time to add it to the salad
- Spoon the strawberry slices in place on top of the white layer, first. Now pour the Jell-O evenly on top, spreading it with the back of a spoon if it has thickened beyond pouring.
Tips
- Sealing the white layer around the edges protects the pretzels from the Jell-o® layer. If it seeps through some holes to the pretzel layer, your crust will be soggy.
- To save time, make the final Jell-O® layer first. It can be thickening in the refrigerator while you make the other parts.
- If you make the Jell-O® first, keep a separate timer going to track the thickening of the Jell-O®. You will need another timer for the pretzel crust when it is baking.
Enjoy!
