Recipe Box, Strawberries & Cream Pretzel Salad
The 70’s called and said they want this recipe back…
Only in the South,
where macaroni and cheese is considered a vegetable,
would this retro dish full of butter, sugar, whipped topping,
not to mention pretzels,
be considered a “salad!”
I will admit that I actually had it for breakfast one day,
thinking that it was basically like cereal,
full of fruit and dairy 😆
The first time I had this,
my MIL made it after securing the recipe from her bridge club luncheon…
you know, back it the days when “ladies” played cards and “lunched”
The bottom layer or crust is butter, sugar and pretzels and pecans
For best results use a food processor for the crumbs
I don’t have one at the beach house so I just broke the pretzels into smaller pieces
The middle layer is sugar, cream cheese and Cool Whip
The final layer is chopped frozen strawberries and strawberry jello
Originally I planned to make individual parfaits,
but I was too lazy time was short and it was easier to make it in a 9 x 13 dish
You can scoop it into individual glasses for serving if desired
or simply cut into squares
Add a dollop of whipped topping,
a big fat fresh strawberry and a couple of pretzel sticks for garnish
.
Strawberries & Cream Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely chopped combo of pretzels and pecans
- 1 1/3 cups sugar divided
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 8 oz container of Cool Whip thawed
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 16 oz package frozen strawberries
- 1 large 6 oz, package strawberry jello
- 2 cups boiling water
- whole strawberries for garnish
- whipped cream for garnish
- pretzels for garnish
Instructions
- Place butter in glass 9″ x 13″ baking dish
- place dish in the oven while it’s preheating to 350 until butter has melted.
- Combine crushed pretzels with 1/3 cup sugar and add to melted butter in dish.
- Stir pretzel mixture into butter and pat it down evenly over the bottom of the dish.
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool.
- Beat cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar, fold in whipped topping and spread evenly on cooled crust.
- Boil water in a 4 qt measuring cup.
- Add Jello and stir, then stir in berries.
- Carefully pour over cream cheese layer.
- Chill at least 4 hours before serving.
- Cut into squares to serve or carefully spoon into stemmed glasses or parfait dishes.
- Garnish with a dollop of whipping topping, fresh strawberries and pretzel sticks if desired.
For prettier layering, build the parfaits individually before chilling
Whether you call this a salad, dessert, or breakfast, ahem, it is a sweet creamy strawberry treat! 🍓
This is a great tote along dish for summer BBQs, picnics and potlucks 🍔
Enjoy!
for another printable version of Strawberries & Cream Pretzel Salad click here
🍓 🥨 🍓
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Ooo.. I remember this recipe. So yummy.
Sweet and salty is always good!
I absolutely love the strawberry pretzel salad and I see no reason why we can’t have it for breakfast! This recipe brings back so many memories of my Mother’s Sunday lunches. Happy Thursday, Jenna!
The old classics stick around because they are so good! Thanks Pam…
Oh one the “oldies” and definitely delicious. I love this recipe and it’s so good. I need to make this! It was a go to for church dinners and anywhere you needed to carry a dish. And, I love a pretzel crust.
I know, this recipe just makes me smile, it’s so retro!!
I have always loved this sweet and salty recipe!
You can’t beat some of the old classics!
Yum! Yum! Yum!
This would be served often in our LakeHouse kitchen when I was young. Thank you for the memories!
Happy Thursday!
Isn’t it funny how food can bring back memories! This one makes me think of simpler times for sure!
I love this dessert but seems like mine never turns out. I printed your recipe out and will try to make this over the weekend. We will be visiting our son so this would be a great dessert while we are there. Thanks…wish me luck mine turns out.
Be sure to use the large size box of Jello, and a reader just pointed out an error in the directions, it was missing the step about adding the Jello to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve and then add the berries. I fixed it, but wanted to let you know since you’d already printed it out. I hope you enjoy!
This one looks really tasty!
Yes, cool and creamy too with a nice salty crunch!
While I’ve made a lot of Jello for the blog, I still haven’t tried this ~yet~… It is on the list:@)
It is filled with goodies, thanks Lynn!
Funny, I think you are right many men consider macaroni and cheese a vegetable and they order mashed potatoes and meat to go with it.
They do not order anything green!
This recipe is delicious and pretty. I like it served in a parfait glass.
You can get in trouble with this recipe if your strawberries have too much liquid. Maybe my recipe didn’t call for a large package of jello. I should check. I just remember that happening to me a long time ago.
We need cold things to eat in this heat an this recipe is a treat.
Yes, the large size Jello might make the difference making this refreshing and cool treat, thanks Bonnie
Hey, I’m a southern gal and this is completely new to me. I like the combo of sweet and salty but I’m not sure I’d think of it as a salad.
Definitely not a salad, but whenever you eat it, it sure is tasty!
Love this salad! 😋
An oldie but goodie!
Jenna, I love this “breakfast” salad ( hehe, I can see me eating it for breakfast too!) Love the pecans and the pretzels as a crust. I always ask my sister to make this for family gatherings as she has a food processor and I don’t, but I guess I could crush the pretzels in a gallon size plastic bag and use a rolling pin to get them really fine, or just do like you did. Yup, going make this soon, probably this weekend! Lol Thank you! ♥️ (Just read it again and you forgot to say put the jello in the boiling water). 😉
Thanks for spotting the error Cyndi, it’s fixed now! I didn’t really crush the pecans and pretzels too much they don’t have to be really fine, just broken down into smaller pieces and a rolling pin and a zip lock bag will work fine.
Jenna, you made me think of my dear grandmother this morning. As a little girl, I can remember her getting the house ready for her bridge club and all the delicious food she would be preparing to serve. When we cleaned out her house, we found several bridge sets. I didn’t have the heart to let them go so they are tucked away in a drawer at my house. Your strawberry pretzel salad looks delicious, and I would love to have some this morning! Enjoy your day, sweet friend!
Thank you Shannon! My MIL loved to play bridge so bridge things always make me think of her…and isn’t it funny how some foods are so tied to certain memories? This is and oldie but goodie for sure 🙂
Yes, I remember the days when Jello was an essential ingredient in salads. This one looks delicious and certainly sounds more like a dessert. Yum!
I’m not a fan of Jello salads, but this one I do love, the salty pretzels and pecans play off the sweetness of the berries and cream. It is definitely in the dessert category!
This 🍓 salad is one of my favorites!!
A golden oldie for sure, thanks Kitty!
I remember this salad so well Jenna! It made the monthly rotation.I had to chuckle at ‘Only in the South,where macaroni and cheese is considered a vegetable’. Don’t forget the banana pudding on the ‘salad bar’!! I would if salad bars will ever make a comeback after this virus thing.
ha ha, of course, the ever present banana pudding! I think we’ve seen the end of salad bars though…
*wonder* 🙂