Strawberry Pretzel Salad – Sugar Spun Run

My (largely) from-scratch strawberry pretzel salad is made with out gelatin or cool whip. It tastes even higher than the traditional model you’re used to! Recipe features a how-to video!

Slice of strawberry pretzel salad made completely from-scratch.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad From Scratch

These of you who’ve by no means had strawberry pretzel salad could also be shocked to find that it’s really not fairly a salad in any respect. As a substitute, it’s an old style layered dessert with a crumbly-crisp pretzel base, fluffy cream cheese/whipped cream filling, and a contemporary strawberry topping. All are straightforward to make–the toughest half is ready for it to relax earlier than serving!

I’ve gotten lots (a LOT) of requests to share my very own model of strawberry pretzel salad over time, however personally, I’ve by no means been a fan of the “conventional” model (to not point out we simply don’t actually “do” Cool Whip or Jell-O right here). You could find these variations anyplace, so I knew that I needed my model to be no less than largely from scratch (the pretzels aren’t, that’s it!).

It’s a tiny bit extra work than its traditional, extra jiggly counterpart, however value each second of the trouble. I like this model and I believe you’ll, too!

Bite missing from a layered strawberry, pretzel, and cream cheese dessert.Bite missing from a layered strawberry, pretzel, and cream cheese dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • No gelatin or Cool Whip! By making the highest and center layer from scratch we keep away from the factitious components and preservatives and simply make for a significantly better, fresher-tasting dessert.
  • Candy, salty, creamy, and contemporary. This dessert has all the flavors and textures.
  • Nice for events and holidays. It simply feeds a crowd and is ideal for making upfront! We take pleasure in this simply as a lot at Christmas as we do on the Fourth of July.
  • May be made with contemporary or frozen berries, so use no matter you’ve gotten readily available or what’s in season.

Substances

Regardless of being nearly completely from scratch, my recipe doesn’t require a bunch of additional substances. You’ll actually solely want 10, except you choose to make use of brown sugar to the crust (then you definately’ll want 11!).

Overhead view of ingredients including strawberries, pretzels, cream cheese, and more.Overhead view of ingredients including strawberries, pretzels, cream cheese, and more.
  • Strawberries. You need to use contemporary or frozen sliced strawberries. I often suggest utilizing contemporary when they’re in season (and check out my strawberry cake too, whilst you’re at it!). When you use frozen, there isn’t a have to thaw them first.
  • Pretzels. Similar to when making my pretzel crusted rooster, I like to recommend mini twist pretzels for right this moment’s recipe. Crush them finely to allow them to compact properly into your baking dish; I exploit a meals processor to do that, however you may alternatively use a rolling pin and ziplock bag.
  • Cream cheese. Use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese such as you would for cheesecake (or my strawberry cheesecake). Be sure to let this soften to room temperature for the smoothest and creamiest filling (if blended chilly it might make the filling lumpy).
  • Cornstarch. This helps thicken our strawberry topping and encourages it to set right into a agency consistency. It gained’t be fairly as agency and jiggly as gelatin, however it would nonetheless have a beautiful, jammy consistency.
  • Sugar. Utilizing a mix of white and brown sugar within the crust provides a pleasant depth of taste. I do that in my graham cracker crust too! Alternatively, you could possibly use all of 1 or the opposite–within the photograph above, I solely present granulated.

SAM’S TIP: I at all times suggest contemporary lemon juice for the perfect taste, however since we’re utilizing such a small quantity, bottled will work simply fantastic right here. Don’t you dare use bottled for my strawberry lemonade although!

That is simply an outline of the substances I used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the put up!

How one can Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Earlier than we get into the nitty gritty, I simply need to observe that the images and directions beneath are simply meant to be useful, visible pointers to accompany the recipe card (on the backside of the put up) and aren’t meant so that you can attempt to bake from. I present these images and particulars as a result of I believe they’re useful, however for the complete recipe in its entirety scroll right down to the recipe card.

Make the Crust

Four photos showing a pretzel crust being prepared.Four photos showing a pretzel crust being prepared.
  1. Crush your pretzels into fantastic items utilizing a meals processor or rolling pin.
  2. Toss with butter and sugars till all the pieces is mixed and the pretzels are moist.
  3. Firmly press into the underside of your pan. I like to make use of the (clear!) backside of a 1-cup measuring cup or kitchen glass.
  4. Bake for 12 minutes and let cool fully earlier than including your filling.

Make the Strawberry Topping

Four photos showing a strawberry topping being prepared on the stovetop.Four photos showing a strawberry topping being prepared on the stovetop.
  1. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch collectively in a saucepan, then stir in half of the strawberries and lemon juice.
  2. Cook dinner over medium low till the berries are juicy. This may take a couple of minutes, particularly if you’re utilizing frozen berries.
  3. Improve the warmth to medium and stir consistently because the combination boils. As soon as it thickens, take away from the warmth. You possibly can take a look at this by dipping a spoon into the combination; if it coats the again of the spoon, it’s prepared! You may also run your spatula by the center–it ought to go away a transparent path. I show this within the video beneath when you want a visible.
  4. Stir within the remaining strawberries and the butter (the butter provides a shiny shade and richer mouthfeel), then pour right into a heatproof bowl and let cool fully earlier than continuing. You possibly can pop it within the fridge whilst you make the filling to hurry up the method!

Make the Filling and Assemble

Four photos showing a whipped cream and cream cheese filling being prepared before spreading over a pretzel crust and topping with strawberry topping.Four photos showing a whipped cream and cream cheese filling being prepared before spreading over a pretzel crust and topping with strawberry topping.
  1. Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff, fluffy peaks, then put aside. In case you have struggled with whipping cream up to now, try my put up on the best way to make selfmade whipped cream for plenty of ideas!
  2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar collectively in a separate bowl, then fold within the whipped cream till all the pieces is properly mixed.
  3. Assemble: unfold the filling over your (fully cooled, if it’s heat the filling can begin to soften) pretzel crust, ensuring it goes all the best way to the sides. If there are any gaps, the strawberry topping can leak by and make your crust soggy.
  4. Add the (cooled!) strawberry topping evenly over high, then cowl and place within the fridge to relax for a number of hours or in a single day.

SAM’S TIP: I like to recommend freezing your “salad” for 10-Half-hour earlier than slicing; this makes for the cleanest, neatest slices. In any other case it may be a bit messy to chop and serve (however no much less scrumptious!).

Slices missing from a layered strawberry, pretzel, and cream cheese dessert.Slices missing from a layered strawberry, pretzel, and cream cheese dessert.

Regularly Requested Questions

How do you get neat slices?

One factor about my recipe is it doesn’t lower as neatly because the traditional model. You possibly can simply scoop it onto a plate with a big serving spoon and it’s simply pretty much as good (I imply salads have been by no means meant to be neatly sliced, anyway, proper?), however when you really need tidier slices simply pop the dish within the freezer for as much as Half-hour earlier than chopping.
I’ll gladly take the trade-off of getting a messier-to-slice model for higher style although!

Can I exploit a distinct fruit?

I haven’t tried this recipe with different fruits, however I’d suspect it will work fantastic with different berries or peaches with out alteration. When you do do that recipe with a distinct fruit, I’d love to listen to the way it seems!

Why is my crust so crumbly?

That is really commonplace for ANY strawberry pretzel salad, not simply my selfmade model! The crust shall be fairly crumbly, but it surely ought to nonetheless be crisp. Crushing the pretzels into finer items helps make it much less crumbly and extra like a graham cracker crust.

For taking a bite from a layered strawberry, pretzel, and cream cheese dessert.For taking a bite from a layered strawberry, pretzel, and cream cheese dessert.

I’m so excited to listen to how you want my selfmade tackle this traditional dessert! Please go away me a remark beneath when you strive it 😊

Take pleasure in!

Let’s bake collectively! Subscribe to my publication to be notified of all the latest recipes, and discover my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

Slice of strawberry pretzel salad made completely from-scratch.Slice of strawberry pretzel salad made completely from-scratch.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (no Cool Whip or Jell-O)

This from-scratch strawberry pretzel salad is made with out gelatin or cool whip. It tastes even higher than the traditional model you are used to! Recipe features a how-to video!

Print
Pin
Fee

Course: Dessert

Delicacies: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook dinner Time: 20 minutes

Chilling Time: 4 hours

Complete Time: 4 hours 35 minutes

Servings: 15 servings

Energy: 358kcal

Stop your display screen from going darkish

Directions

Crust

  • Preheat oven to 375F (190C).

  • In a medium-sized bowl mix crushed pretzels, butter, and sugars and blend collectively till properly mixed and pretzels are completely moistened.

    2 ¼ cups (230 g) finely crushed pretzels, ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, 2 Tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar

  • Press pretzel combine firmly and evenly into the underside of 13”x9” pan.

  • Switch to middle rack of 375F (190C) oven and bake for 12 minutes. Take away and permit crust to chill fully earlier than including the filling, however within the meantime you may put together the strawberry topping.

Strawberry Topping

  • In a small saucepan, whisk collectively sugar and cornstarch. Add half of the strawberries and the lemon juice, stir to mix.

    ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 2 lbs (908 g) strawberries, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

  • Cook dinner combination on stovetop over medium/low warmth till berries launch their juices. Improve warmth to medium and prepare dinner/boil, stirring consistently, till combination is thickened (spatula will go away a short path by the combination, it would coat the again of a spoon, see video for visible reference).

  • Take away from warmth and add remaining strawberries and butter, stir till butter has melted and strawberries are evenly blended all through. Put aside and permit to chill fully earlier than making the filling and assembling the “salad”.

    ½ Tablespoon butter

Filling

  • Mix heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a big mixing bowl and use an electrical mixer to beat till thick, fluffy, and stiff peaks type. Put aside.

    1 ½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream, ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • In a separate, medium-sized bowl, use an electrical mixer (you need to use the identical “soiled” beaters from the whipped cream!) to beat collectively cream cheese and granulated sugar till clean and creamy.

    8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

  • Add whipped cream to the cream cheese combination and fold collectively till combination is mixed, clean, and creamy.

  • Unfold combination evenly over cooled pretzel crust. Be sure you unfold all the best way to the sides of the pan (so the following layer can’t soak into the pretzel layer and make it soggy). Put aside.

  • Unfold ready, barely cooled strawberry combination evenly over the filling. Cowl with plastic wrap and set in fridge to relax for no less than 3-4 hours (or in a single day) earlier than serving. Serving tip! This strawberry pretzel salad doesn’t lower as neatly as its Jell-o counterpart so slicing could be a bit messy. For neater slices, chill the pretzel salad within the freezer for 10-Half-hour earlier than slicing.

Notes

Pretzels for crust

You’ll want between 5 and 6 cups of the “tiny twists” pretzels. I pulverize mine in a meals processor, 15 1-second pulses often does the trick. You possibly can place the pretzels in a big Ziploc bag and smack with a rolling pin, simply be sure you have finely damaged the pretzels.

Strawberries

Contemporary or frozen strawberries will work. No have to thaw the frozen strawberries, simply begin the saucepan on a decrease warmth to assist them gently thaw whereas cooking they usually’ll simply probably have to prepare dinner longer to prepare dinner out the surplus water.

Diet

Serving: 1serving | Energy: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 24g | Saturated Fats: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Trans Fats: 0.4g | Ldl cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 856IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

Dietary info relies on third-party calculations and ought to be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *