Elevated Easy Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O Salad
Elevating that classic Jell-O pretzel salad and putting an upscale twist on it in the most delicious way. A pretzel tart crust, vanilla cheesecake creamy filling, and fresh strawberries in a Jell-O glaze.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16
- Category: no bake, sweet and salty, no bake cheesecake
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: no bake, sweet and salty, no bake cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed pretzels (maybe about 4 cups before you crush them)
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) melted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups hot fudge sauce, warmed
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 3/4 cup sugar (regular or confectioners) – I used confectioner’s
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
- 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip (or whipped cream).
Strawberry Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 1/2 tablespoon strawberry Jello mix
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl combine the pretzels, butter and brown sugar.
- Line a pan with foil if not using a springform pan.
- Press firmly into a 10 inch tart pan or 8×8″ glass pan lined with buttered foil (with a 1″ overhang)
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and spread the hot fudge on the bottom.
- Cool completely ~30-45 minutes.
Make the cream cheese filling
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add vanilla.
- Fold in the Cool Whip and spread into completely cooled crust.
Make the strawberry topping
- Combine the sugar, water, and corn starch and bring to a full, rolling boil on the stove. Boil for two minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Add the Jell-o and whisk until combined. Allow to cool slightly.
Finishing Touches
- Arrange the berries on top of the cream cheese layer and then drizzle the Jello mixture over the berries, trying to cover each berry.
- Refrigerate uncovered at least 3 hours or until the Strawberry Topping jello layer is firm.