If this is a salad, count us in!
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!
Serves 8-10
45 minutes active
3 hours inactive
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!
