Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- Cream Cheese Layer:
- 1 8 oz block plain cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 16 oz frozen whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip) thawed, divided use
- Strawberry Jell-O Layer:
- 2 3 oz packages strawberry Jell-O mix
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 10 oz packages frozen strawberries in light syrup partially thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a medium size mixing bowl toss together pretzels, ¼ cup pecans and sugar with melted butter. Mix until fully moistened. Press firmly onto bottom of dish. Bake for 12 minutes or just until set. Cool completely.
- In a medium size mixing bowl using an electric mixer, whip together cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Add half and half and vanilla, whipping until smooth. Fold in 1/2 (8 ounces) whipped topping by hand. Spread over cooled crust. Chill while making Jell-O topping.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together Jell-O mix and boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved. Add frozen strawberries to jello mixture. Stir until combined then chill just until barely warm.
- Pour strawberry Jell-O topping evenly over cream cheese. Use a spoon to gently arrange berries evenly on top before it sets. Chill for 8 hours or overnight.
- Serve a dollop of whipped cream on each piece using the remaining whipped topping and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
- Store leftovers chilled for up to 4 days.