Strawberry Pretzel Salad From Scratch
Those of you who have never had strawberry pretzel salad may be surprised to discover that it’s actually not quite a salad at all. Instead, it’s an old-fashioned layered dessert with a crumbly-crisp pretzel base, fluffy cream cheese/whipped cream filling, and a fresh strawberry topping. All are easy to make–the hardest part is waiting for it to chill before serving! I’ve gotten a lot (a LOT) of requests to share my own version of strawberry pretzel salad over the years, but personally, I’ve never been a fan of the “traditional” version (not to mention we just don’t really “do” artificial whipped topping or jello here). You can find those versions anywhere, so I knew that I wanted my version to be at least mostly from scratch (the pretzels aren’t, that’s it!). It’s a tiny bit more work than its classic, more jiggly counterpart, but worth every second of the effort. I love this version and I think you will, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No gelatin or Cool Whip! By making the top and middle layer from scratch we avoid the artificial additives and preservatives and just make for a much better, fresher-tasting dessert. Sweet, salty, creamy, and fresh. This dessert has all the flavors and textures. Great for parties and holidays. It easily feeds a crowd and is perfect for making in advance! We enjoy this just as much at Christmas as we do on the Fourth of July. Can be made with fresh or frozen berries, so use whatever you have on hand or what’s in season.
Ingredients
Despite being almost entirely from scratch, my recipe doesn’t require a bunch of extra ingredients. You’ll really only need 10, unless you opt to use brown sugar to the crust (then you’ll need 11!).
Strawberries. You can use fresh or frozen sliced strawberries. I usually recommend using fresh when they are in season (and try my strawberry cake too, while you’re at it!). If you use frozen, there is no need to thaw them first. Pretzels. Just like when making my pretzel crusted chicken, I recommend mini twist pretzels for today’s recipe. Crush them finely so they can compact nicely into your baking dish; I use a food processor to do this, but you can alternatively use a rolling pin and ziplock bag. Cream cheese. Use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese like you would for cheesecake (or my strawberry cheesecake). Make sure you let this soften to room temperature for the smoothest and creamiest filling (if mixed cold it could make the filling lumpy). Cornstarch. This helps thicken our strawberry topping and encourages it to set into a firm consistency. It won’t be quite as firm and jiggly as gelatin, but it will still have a lovely, jammy consistency. Sugar. Using a blend of white and brown sugar in the crust adds a nice depth of flavor. I do this in my graham cracker crust too! Alternatively, you could use all of one or the other–in the photo above, I only show granulated.
SAM’S TIP: I always recommend fresh lemon juice for the best flavor, but since we are using such a small amount, bottled will work just fine here. Don’t you dare use bottled for my strawberry lemonade though! This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Before we get into the nitty gritty, I just want to note that the photos and instructions below are just meant to be helpful, visual guidelines to accompany the recipe card (at the bottom of the post) and aren’t intended for you to try and bake from. I provide these photos and details because I think they’re helpful, but for the full recipe in its entirety scroll down to the recipe card.
Make the Crust
Make the Strawberry Topping
Make the Filling and Assemble
SAM’S TIP: I recommend freezing your “salad” for 10-30 minutes before slicing; this makes for the cleanest, neatest slices. Otherwise it can be a bit messy to cut and serve (but no less delicious!). I’m so excited to hear how you like my homemade take on this classic dessert! Please leave me a comment below if you try it 😊 Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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