Raspberry Pretzel Salad

A slice of raspberry pretzel jello salad on a white plate.

Passing as a salad rather than a dessert in the Midwest, Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad is sweet, salty, made with Jell-O, and topped with cool whip. It's a great make-ahead recipe that everyone will love!

Course Dessert, Salad

Cuisine American

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3

Servings servings

Calories 297kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the pretzel crust:

2 cups pretzels crushed (about 8 ounces, see note 1)
3/4 cup butter melted (1 1/2 sticks)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the filling:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whipped topping thawed (from one 8-ounce container, see note 2)
2 (3 ounce) packages raspberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
32 ounces frozen raspberries
whipped topping for garnish, optional
Pretzels uncrushed, for garnish, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the pretzel crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, add crushed pretzels, butter, and sugar. Toss well to combine.
Press into an un-greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

To make the filling:

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in whipped topping until combined. Spread over pretzel crust and refrigerate until chilled (at least 30 minutes).
In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in frozen raspberries and chill until partially set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour or spoon over cream cheese filling.
Chill until firm, about 4 to 6 hours. Garnish with additional whipped topping and pretzels if desired.

Video

Notes

Pretzels: To crush pretzels, place in a zipper-top plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or mallet. Or, place in a food processor and pulse until crushed.
Whipped topping: One 8-ounce container of whipped topping contains about 3 cups. This recipe calls for 2 cups whipped topping. You can use the last cup for garnish, if desired. Whipped topping is a little more stable than fresh whipped cream (it sets better and lasts longer in the refrigerator).
Yield: This recipe will make 12 or 16 slices of salad depending on how you slice it.
Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Make ahead: Raspberry Pretzel Salad is best when made at least 8 hours in advance so the layers have a chance to really set and chill.

Nutrition