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–+ servings

Easy Raspberry Pretzel Salad

This raspberry pretzel salad may not look like one but it's surely delicious! You will love the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors that make this classic dessert or side salad a crowd favorite at any gathering! Sweet-tart raspberries, caramelized pretzel crust, and a delicious cream cheese topping all make it so scrumptious. Perfect for the holidays but easy enough for a weeknight treat.
5 from 14 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill 2 hours
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 403 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the Topping

  • 2 boxes (3 oz each) raspberry-flavored gelatin
  • 2 cups boiling water

For the Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

For the Filling

  • 8 oz block or package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 oz Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 10 oz package frozen unsweetened raspberries or 3 (6 oz each) punnets fresh raspberries

Instructions
 

  • Boil 2 cups of water. Place in a heatproof bowl and add the gelatin. Whisk to dissolve gelatin. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press into an ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish. Place the dish in the oven. Increase the heat to 375F. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and place the baked pretzel crust on a wire rack to cool.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and the vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth and creamy (no lumps). Beat in the cool whip. Spread evenly all over the entire cooled crust especially covering the edges.
  • Scatter the raspberries all over the filling. Pour over the cooled gelatin on top. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or until fully set. Cut into 12 pieces.

Notes

Tips & Tricks
For convenience, I use the food processor to crush the pretzels. I like it with a bit of crunch on the crust so I don't let it turn into a powder. If you don't have a food processor, use a rolling pin. Place the pretzels in a resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Make sure to crush the pretzels until they're fairly fine, but still a little bit chunky.
Ensure that the crust has cooled down before you add the cream cheese filling or it would melt.
This can be made a day ahead. Chill in the refrigerator and cut into slices when ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 440mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 649IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
Keyword easy raspberry pretzel salad, how to make raspberry pretzel salad
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