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!
Equipment
- 9" x 13" baking dish
- Electric mixer
- Large heatproof measuring cup
Ingredients
- 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, or fresh*
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
*You can also use fresh strawberries, about 2-1/2 cups cut into pieces.