Jello Pretzel Salad

This Jello 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! 

This jello pretzel 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!

Key Ingredients to Make 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 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

More Berry Desserts To Try

• White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies
• Blueberry Buckle Bars
• Berry Ice Box Cake
• Strawberry Crisp

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this raspberry pretzel Jello salad!

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