2 cupspretzels, crushed (small pretzel sticks or mini twists work best)
3tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
For the Filling:
12ounces cream cheese, softened
12ouncetub of whipped topping, such as Cool Whip®, thawed
1 cupwhite granulated sugar
For the Topping:
2 3ouncepackages of strawberry gelatin dessert
2 cups water, boiling
2 cupssliced strawberries, fresh (in summer) or frozen (in winter, no sugar added)
Instructions
Crust
Place the pretzels in a resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Make sure to crush the pretzels until they’re still a little bit coarse. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar to coat the pretzels and then pour the melted butter over the top, making sure to mix well.
Press the crust mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 baking pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is lightly toasted and firm. Cool completely before adding the filling. This is very important!
Filling
Beat the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped topping and spread the mixture over the cooled crust, ensuring to cover the pretzel crust completely to seal out the gelatin layer. Allow cream cheese mixture to chill and set up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before adding the topping.
As the crust and filling are chilling, slice strawberries (if you’re using pre-sliced frozen strawberries, simply add them directly to the dissolved gelatin. Just be sure they are not in sweetened liquid).
Topping
Dissolve the strawberry gelatin in the boiling water. When dissolved and it has reached room temperature, add the strawberries and coat completely in the liquid (note: if using frozen strawberries, reduce boiling water by 1/4 cup). Chill briefly for about 10 minutes until partially set but still runny.
Assembly
Once the crust and filling are chilled, pour the strawberry topping over the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until completely set, about 2 hours, or overnight. Slice into squares, garnish with sliced strawberries and mint sprigs, if desired and serve! Makes 12 servings.
Keyword strawberry pretzel salad in a bowl, strawberry pretzel salad recipe