Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Sweet strawberries wrapped in a glistening red gelatin, resting on a cloudlike layer of whipped cream and cream cheese - and underneath it all is a crust of buttery crushed pretzels tossed with a touch of sugar. It’s a beloved vintage dish and oh, so popular in the South!
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
- 2 cups crushed pretzels, approximately 3 to 4 cups of pretzel sticks
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 3 tablespoons 3 tablespoons sugar, plus ¾ cup sugar, divided
- 1 package cream cheese, 8- ounces, at room temperature
- 2 cups whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large package strawberry gelatin, 6-ounces
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 packages frozen strawberries, 10-ounces each, thawed, drained and cut into pieces
To make the crust:
Crush the pretzels using a food processor or drop the them into a plastic storage bag and pound lightly with a rolling pin. You’ll have large and small pieces adding to the texture of the crust. Mix the crushed pretzels, the melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar together.
Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of a lightly buttered baking dish, 9” x 13” and bake at 400-degrees for 7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
To make the layers:
In a medium mixing bowl, whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. In a separate mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and the remaining ¾ cup of sugar until smooth and creamy. Fold into the whipped cream and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.
In a large, heatproof measuring cup, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries to the gelatin and let it cool completely.
Ladle the strawberries and gelatin over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, or overnight to allow the gelatin to fully set.