This Raspberry Pretzel Salad with a fun and flavorful mixed berry topping is the perfect sweet and salty combo! Featuring a salty pretzel crust, cream cheese middle, and fruity topping, this Jello pretzel dessert is a surefire crowd-pleaser!
Raspberry Pretzel Salad
This raspberry pretzel Jello salad makes an appearance at every family get-together on my side of the family. I don’t remember a single family function that didn’t include it!
It’s been made in many flavors, but this is my favorite. What’s not to love about the sweet and salty combo?? The crunchy salty crust pairs beautifully with the cream cheese middle and fruity raspberry Jello and mixed berry topping. It’s also pretty to look at.
I was inspired by my family’s original raspberry pretzel salad recipe, but I altered it ever so slightly. I added more cream cheese and replaced the whipped topping with freshly whipped cream. It makes the middle layer a little taller and more like a no-bake cheesecake!
This raspberry jello pretzel salad holds a lot of memories for me. It was one of my mom’s favorite salads, and it’s also one of my grandma’s. I remember when my husband and I were first dating and he would come over for my family’s functions. This salad — and a variety of other foods new to him — would be lined up ready for him to question. He would ask what each unfamiliar dish was, and when he came to this particular one (well this one and snicker salad), he had to disagree with its name.
He just couldn’t (and still doesn’t) understand how this could be called “salad” and would argue back and forth (or more like politely disagree, lol) with my mom. But in the end, I think she would get the last word. All I could think was this is my kind of “salad” and I’ll gladly have a second helping!
I think he secretly misses those disagreements with my mom. I know I do.
A few other desserts you may want to include at your next family gathering are this Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake, Homemade Banana Pudding Cups, or this Fruit Tray!
Why You’ll Love This Jello Pretzel Dessert
- Tasty and nostalgic
- The perfect combination of salty and sweet
- Beautiful presentation
- Great for parties and get-togethers
- Enjoy it any time of year!
Key Ingredients to Make Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad
- PRETZELS – The base of your mixed berry dessert! Use your favorite brand and crush them up to make the crust.
- BUTTER – Also needed for the pretzel crust. I’m using unsalted as the pretzels are pretty salty as is.
- SUGAR – Finally, you’ll need some sugar for some added sweetness to contrast the salt in the pretzels.
- HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM – For the creamy cheesecake-like filling! Heavy whipping cream works best — alternatively, you can use an 8-oz container of whipped topping.
- CREAM CHEESE – Also for that cheesecake layer. Use your preferred brand, and make sure it’s softened before you get started.
- MINI MARSHMALLOWS – My special secret ingredient! I add mini marshmallows to the whipping cream and cream cheese for more sweetness. It pairs wonderfully with the tang of the other ingredients.
- POWDERED SUGAR – The final ingredient needed for the cream cheese layer. I like using powdered instead of regular sugar as you don’t have to worry about any granules!
- RASPBERRY JELLO – This is a raspberry Jello pretzel salad, after all, so we can’t forget about the Jello!
- FROZEN MIXED BERRIES – I add frozen mixed berries to the raspberry Jello to make this a triple berry delight! The results are fruity and totally delish.
Instructions to Make Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad
MAKE THE CRUST: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and add the pretzels, butter, and sugar to a medium bowl. Mix, then press firmly into the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
CREATE THE CREAM CHEESE LAYER: Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until soft peaks form. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Introduce the whipped cream, marshmallows, and powdered sugar into the bowl and mix until just combined.
ADD TO THE CRUST: Use a spatula to spread an even layer of the cream cheese mixture on top of the pretzel crust. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge while you make the raspberry topping.
MAKE THE BERRY TOPPING: Place the Jello in a large bowl with boiling water until the Jello dissolves. Add the frozen berries and place the bowl in the refrigerator as soon as the mixture begins to thicken.
ASSEMBLE THE RASPBERRY PRETZEL SALAD: When the berry topping has thickened in the fridge, carefully pour it over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate your Jello pretzel dessert for at least 3-4 hours, or until completely set. Enjoy!
Mixed Berry Dessert Pro Tips
- You can get creative with this raspberry pretzel salad to make many different flavors. The most common is strawberry. All you need to do is replace the fruit in this recipe with the fruit of your choice and a Jello to match — or at least something that will pair well with the fruit you choose to use. We have made it with strawberries and strawberry Jello, raspberries and raspberry Jello, peaches and peach Jello, and of course, this recipe with raspberry Jello and mixed berries.
- A word of caution if you do want to switch up the fruit: A few will not work with Jello. Pineapple, kiwi, papaya, mango, and ginger will not work in fresh or frozen form. That said, if they’re canned, it is fine.
- This is a great make-ahead dessert. In fact, it needs to be made in advance to allow the dessert to set up, so plan accordingly.
FAQ
Sure! I like using frozen because I typically have a bag in the freezer anyway — I never have to worry about them going bad in the fridge. Feel free to experiment with both to see what you prefer.
You can, but then it wouldn’t be a raspberry pretzel Jello salad! If you do want to make a different crust, some people opt for alternatives like a graham cracker or shortbread crust. Keep in mind that the salty-sweet contrast is a major part of this mixed berry dessert, so choose something that complements the flavors of the berries and cream cheese layer.
To keep the pretzel crust from going soggy, make sure to cool it completely before adding the cream cheese layer. You could also create a barrier by spreading a thin layer of melted white chocolate or a similar coating on the pretzel crust before adding the cream cheese mixture. That said, I never have an issue with a soggy crust as long as I let it cool.
More Berry Desserts To Try
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this raspberry pretzel Jello salad!
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Raspberry Pretzel Salad with Mixed Berry Topping
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups (175g) crushed pretzels
- 3/4 cup (210g) butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Cream cheese middle:
- 2 cups (475ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 (8 oz) (226g) pkgs cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (107g) miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
Topping:
- 1 (6 oz) (170g) pkg raspberry jello
- 2 1/2 cups (590ml) boiling water
- 3 cups (385g) frozen mixed berries
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
- In a medium bowl combine the crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Press firmly into the bottom of a 13×9″ baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes then cool completely.
Cream cheese middle:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat whipping cream until soft peaks form (tips curl). In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the whipped cream, marshmallows, and powdered sugar. Mix just until combined. Spread in an even layer over the pretzel crust. Be sure all of the crust is covered to prevent the jello from seeping into the crust. Cover and refrigerate.
Jello topping
- In a large bowl combine the jello and boiling water until jello is dissolved. Stir in the frozen fruit. Place in the refrigerator just until it starts to thicken slightly (watch this carefully as it can set up quickly). When it has thickened slightly carefully pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until completely set (at least 3-4 hours).
Notes
- This can easily be made the night before.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Total time does not reflect chilling times.
- Can replace the whipping cream with an 8 oz container of whipped topping.
I’ve never had pretzel salad before, but this looks and sounds delicious! I love a good sweet-salty dish, especially this time of year.
You definitely have to try, it’s so good!
One of my favorite desserts. I love the idea of the triple berries, what a great alternative.
Thanks Valentina, it’s always been a favorite of mine! 🙂 Hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving!
O.K. I am totally making this! The pictures are gorgeous!
Thank you Melissa! It’s one of my favorites!
Love the triple berry versus using just one berry!
Thanks, it’s always been my favorite this way!
Not only does this sound amazing! It looks so pretty too!!! Excited to try!!!
Thank you so much! It’s one of my favorites!