Old-School Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups pretzels
• 6 ounces strawberry Jell-O powder
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 pound hulled and sliced strawberries

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. 2

   Add the pretzels to a food processor and pulse into small, coarse pieces (not into a powder). Alternatively, place the pretzels in a large zip-top bag and crush using a rolling pin.

3. 3

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

4. 4

   Add ¼ cup sugar and dissolve, then add the crushed pretzels and stir to coat.

5. 5

   Pour the pretzel mixture into a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish and press down to create an even crust.

6. 6

   Bake for 10 minutes, until the pretzels are toasted and the layer is set. Set aside to cool completely.

7. 7

   In the meantime, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and ½ cup sugar together until fluffy and smooth.

8. 8

   Add the Cool Whip and beat until fully incorporated.

9. 9

   Spread the Cool Whip mixture over the cooled pretzels and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

10. 10

    Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then remove from the heat.

11. 11

    Add the Jell-O and stir to dissolve. Let cool at room temperature.

12. 12

    Once the Jell-O has slightly cooled (but has not yet solidified), stir in the strawberries.

13. 13

    Pour the strawberry Jell-O over the Cool Whip layer. Return to the refrigerator to set for 2 to 4 hours.

14. 14

    Slice and serve the strawberry pretzel salad.