Strawberry Crinkle Salad (Printable)

Refreshing layers of strawberries, cream, and crispy pretzel crust

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pretzel Crust

01 - 2 cups salted pretzels, crushed
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - ¼ cup granulated sugar

→ Creamy Layer

04 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar
06 - 8 oz container whipped topping, thawed

→ Strawberry Layer

07 - 6 oz package strawberry gelatin
08 - 2 cups boiling water
09 - 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, melted butter, and ¼ cup sugar. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool completely.
02 - In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Spread this creamy layer evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, making sure to seal the edges to prevent the jelly from seeping through. Refrigerate while preparing the next layer.
03 - Dissolve the strawberry gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Allow to cool to room temperature but do not let it set.
04 - Arrange sliced strawberries evenly over the creamy layer. Pour the cooled gelatin carefully over the strawberries. Refrigerate the salad until the gelatin is fully set, at least 2 hours. Slice and serve chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The pretzel crust stays surprisingly crunchy even after sitting in the fridge for days which I learned completely by accident when I hid leftovers from myself
  • It hits every single texture and flavor note you could want in one bite and looks like you put way more effort into it than you actually did
02 -
  • If your cream cheese layer is not completely sealed at the edges the gelatin will seep through and make your pretzel crust soggy which is just tragic
  • You have to let that gelatin cool enough but not too much warm gelatin will melt your cream cheese layer and cold gelatin will not pour evenly
03 -
  • Crush pretzels in a food processor for the most even texture or put them in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin if you need to take out some frustration
  • If you are making this for someone who is gluten free just use certified GF pretzels and nobody will be able to tell the difference

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