No-Bake Strawberry Pretzel Jello
Indulge in the delightful flavors of a no-bake strawberry pretzel jello dessert. This creamy and refreshing treat features a crunchy pretzel crust, layered with luscious strawberry jello and topped with a velvety whipped cream. Perfect for summer gatherings or any occasion, this easy-to-make dessert is sure to satisfy your sweet cravings. Try this no-fuss recipe today and enjoy a delicious combination of sweet, salty, and fruity goodness.
Growing up we spent most of our spare time with my dad’s best friend’s family. They are Italian and always had large family gatherings which I always loved to go to! I always looked forward to my “Auntie Karen’s” Strawberry Pretzel Jello. It was my most favorite thing to eat at her house!! She always served it as a side dish rather than a dessert…which was the best because that always became the main dish on my plate! haha!
For Easter, I wanted to make her Strawberry Pretzel Jello to go along with my ham dinner so I pulled out my old cookbook that I had written down all of my mom’s recipes in before I left for college (I have apparently always just wanted to be a homemaker!) When I started to skim over the recipe, I realized I had not copied it down correctly, so I had to call Auntie Karen’s daughter, Carolyn, my very first friend in life and have her walk me through it! I’m so thankful I did because there is a trick that all these ladies do when making their strawberry pretzel jello that makes it taste AMAZING and not mushy or gooey like so so so many pretzel jellos I’ve had in the past. In fact, in all honestly, this is the only strawberry pretzel jello recipe I have ever liked! It’s that good guys!
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I am a total sucker for savory and sweet desserts! If you are too, then you will also like my mom’s tried and true mini cheesecake bites!
Lets Make It Together!
Step 1:
I begin by placing enough pretzels in the bottom of my 9×13 Pyrex dish and break them slightly (you are only cutting them in half basically. Do NOT crush them so it is a powder) using a potato masher.
Melt 1 stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl and then pour over the broken pretzels.
Using a spatula, spread the butter over all of the pretzels, making sure to evenly coat them. Spread pretzels evenly throughout the dish bake for 10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F. Once you remove from the oven, set aside and let completely cool.
Step 2:
While the pretzels are in the oven, it’s time to start your strawberry Jello mix (the large box). Boil water and add in the Jello mix.
Once the Jello mix is incorporated into the water, turn off the heat and add in the frozen strawberries – I like to dice mine up into bite sized pieces before adding them to the Jello mix. Once the strawberries are no longer frozen and a bit mushy, pour into a large container and place in the refrigerator.
How To Avoid Mushy Pretzels
This is the most important part of the recipe! I cannot stress this enough, you HAVE to do this in order to avoid having mushy pretzels that make the overall Strawberry Pretzel Jello from tasting gross. Place your strawberry Jello mixture in the refrigerator and when it is half way solidified pour it over the cream cheese mixture (coming up in the steps below) —> just promise me not to skip this part!
Step 3:
While the Jello is setting up, grab a bowl and cream together sugar and cream cheese with a hand held electric mixer (try reallllly hard not to eat all of this! It’s divine!!)
Once the sugar and cream cheese is incorporated, mix in Cool-Whip
Using your spatula, layer the cream cheese, Cool-Whip blend over the pretzels.
Pour the Jello over top of this and then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
No-bake strawberry pretzel jello dessert!
I hope you love this strawberry pretzel jellos as much as I do and make many wonderful family memories with it…just like I have!
- 2 c broken pretzels
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1- 8oz cream cheese, softened (I only use Philadelphia, as it’s my favorite!)
- 1c sugar
- 2 c Cool-Whip
- 1 large box Strawberry Jello
- 2 c water, bring to a boil
- 2 c frozen strawberries, chopped into bite sized pieces
- Step 1:
- Mix butter into the pretzels and bake for 10 minutes at 350 F. Set aside and let cool.
- Step 2:
- Dissolve strawberry Jello mix in water and then add frozen strawberries. Cook until slightly mushy. Put in refrigerator and let set up (harden) until it is half way to a set up Jello consistency.
- Step 3:
- Blend cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add in Cool-Whip.
- Add cream cheese mixture over top the pretzels.
- Pour on the partially set up strawberry jello mixture over the cream cheese mixture and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remember, check out these mini cheesecake bites! You’ll love them as much as I do!
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Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).
