Raspberry Pretzel Salad
With a sweet-and-salty pretzel crust, tangy cream cheese filling, and sweet raspberry topping, this raspberry pretzel salad is sure to be your favorite dessert this summer!
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups tiny pretzel twists
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed according to package directions
For the topping:
- 6 ounces raspberry flavored gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- 16 ounces frozen raspberries do not thaw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the pretzels into a gallon size zip-top bag and crush the pretzels into coarse crumbs using a rolling pin. You can also pulse the pretzels in a food processor, just be careful not over-process them as you want there to be varying textures.3 cups tiny pretzel twists
- Place the pretzels into a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar and melted butter. Transfer the pretzel mixture into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish and gently press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish to form an even crust layer. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and to a wire rack to cool completely. (At this point, you can turn the oven off.)¼ cup granulated sugar, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the frozen whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly over the cooled crust, taking care to spread the filling from edge to edge of the pan so the topping doesn’t seep into the crust layer. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.16 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 8 ounces frozen whipped topping
- After the cream cheese layer has been refrigerated for one hour, whisk together the jell-o and boiling water for 2 minutes or until the jell-o has fully dissolved. Stir in the frozen raspberries and allow the mixture to rest for 2 minutes. Spoon the jell-o mixture directly onto the cream cheese filling layer and spread to form an even layer.6 ounces raspberry flavored gelatin, 2 cups boiling water, 16 ounces frozen raspberries
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.
Notes
When whisking the jell-o with the boiling water, the top will get frothy/bubbly. If you want a super smooth finish on your raspberry topping, simply use a spoon to remove some of the froth (though it won’t affect the taste!).
Let the frozen raspberries rest on the counter while you prepare your jell-o mixture, and break up any clumps of berries before adding them to the jell-o – it will be difficult to break them apart after they’ve been added to the jell-o.
I prefer to use frozen raspberries in this recipe; the frozen berries help the jello to cool quickly before pouring it over the cream cheese layer. If you want to use fresh raspberries, let the jello cool to room temperature before adding the berries and pouring over the cream cheese filling.