Bushel & a Pickle

  • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Outdoor Living
    • Renovations
    • Tablescapes
  • Food
    • Easy Meals
    • Appetizers & Finger Food
    • Desserts
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
  • Heart
  • Travel
  • Disclosure
  • About Me
  • SHOP

Fancy Jello Salad…Strawberry Pretzel Salad

November 4, 2021 30 Comments

4 Nov
16 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Fancy Jello Salad…Strawberry Pretzel Salad has been called retro. However, this recipe had been around for several decades and never seems to go out of style. 

I originally wrote this during the summer for a summer holiday meal. Truth is, we always have it for Thanksgiving!  Yes, Thanksgiving! It’s a salty sweet dish. Salty for the pretzels, sweet for the cream cheese and jello layer. Yum!  

Don’t forget making this for summer time too!

straberry pretzel salad

We all know the meal is an integral part of  happy occasions. We have some dishes our family serves at certain holidays. Strawberry Pretzel Salad is one of those. 

Is it really a salad you maybe asking. Yes, this is a salad. Some folks claim it as a dessert. Hey, I’m from the south and we claim jello as a salad. This one is a fancy jello salad. It does not go on the dessert table. Honestly, I have never seen it served as a dessert. I have seen grown men and women fight over the last square but not for dessert. 

Here’s the rule for jello. Add some fruit before the jello sets; it’s a salad. 

Add some whipped cream and it’s a dessert.

One thing we southerners can do is make great food especially desserts. We can laugh too at our ways including making jello salad.

It is a seasonal dish for summertime; sweet fresh strawberries with crushed pretzel crust and a cream chesse layer. 

It’s a meal for Thanksgiving.  It’s delicious and adds color to the buffet table.

Last year Amy and Meg set the menu with strawberry pretzel salad along with Rosemary’s Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes. Check her recipe out; it is very, very good. 

 

 

Grandpa’s Hash Brown Potato Casserole is another favorite.

I’ll add green salad with some arugula and spinach from the garden. Grilling steaks was the main dish.  Sounds good for this year too!

 

 

One thing we southerners can do it make great food especially desserts and laugh at our ways including making jello salad. We serve it during the summer with fresh strawberries and on Thanksgiving too.

I kind of panicked one year when we were back in the states over Thanksgiving. Will ‘s only request was Strawberry Pretzel Salad and I couldn’t find my recipe! Frankly, after all the moves, I have lost a few. My cousin, Rosemary came to my rescue. Whew!

Our daughter in law Jessica was assigned the job of making THE Strawberry Pretzel Salad. It ranks right up there on importance to serve with pies. Later she told us she was really feeling the pressure. She’s a great cook so I wasn’t worried at all; it was delicious!

This is no fail IF you get it in the fridge early enough! Jello not set right is sloppy and messy. Trust me, I know.

Jessica earned herself the position of Strawberry Pretzel Salad maker. Jessica, along with my daughter, Nancy make our pies. See Jessica’s Apple Pie here.

 

Rosemary Pretzel Salad

Linda
Strawberries, jello, pretzel crust and creamy layers for special events
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 4 hours hrs
Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Southern American
Servings 12 -16

Ingredients
  

  • Use 9x13 casserole dish
  • Crust
  • 2 - 2 ½ C crushed but not super fine pretzels
  • 1 ½ sticks margarine or butter melted
  • 2 T sugar
  •  
  • Filling
  • 8 oz fresh whipped cream or Cool Whip thawed
  • 1 C sugar
  • 8 oz cream cheese room temp
  •  
  • Topping
  • 1 lg or 2 sm strawberry jello
  • 2 C boiling water
  • 2 - 10 pkg frozen strawberries or 16 oz coarsely chopped fresh strawberries

Instructions
 

  • Crust
  • Crush pretzels into small pieces
  • Melt margerine or butter
  • Mix all ingredients together using a fork
  • Pat into 9 x 13 dish
  • Bake 8-10 min @ 375
  • Cool completely
  • Filling
  • Beat cream cheese and sugar til fluffy
  • Fold in cool whip or whipped cream
  • Spread onto cooled crust
  • Put in refridgerator while making strawberry jello topping
  • Topping
  • Dissolve jello in boiling water according to package directions
  • Add strawberries
  • Stir until strawberries are thawed and jello begins to congeal
  • If using fresh, stir well smashing a few strawberries
  • Pour evenly over chilled creamy filling
  • Refrigerate for appx 4 hours
  • Cut with sharp knife prior to serving

A perfect menu to make to start the summer!  A perfect dish to add to your Thanksgiving menu! What are your classic Thanksgiving and other seasonal menus?

 

Have a blessed day!

Previous Post: « Mad Dash Soup Mix Makes It Quick and Easy!
Next Post: Sabbath Words…Mornings »

Reader Interactions

linda

Comments

  1. Esme Slabbert says

    May 27, 2024 at 4:50 pm

    5 stars
    Superb, with the strawberry season upon us, this is something I will have to make.
    I visited you via Sundays on Silverado. My entries are numbered #33+34.
    Please join and share this and other posts with us https://esmesalon.com/tag/seniorsalonpitstop/
    PS: Please let me know if I am allowed to get in touch with you via email, as I would love to discuss something with you. Thanks

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      May 30, 2024 at 1:01 pm

      Please do email me! Thanks for visiting! Loving strawberry season too!

      Reply
  2. Donna Allen says

    June 1, 2022 at 1:00 am

    I can relate! My family loves this and we have it at every holiday gathering! So yummy!

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 12, 2022 at 11:17 am

      An oldie but goodie…delicious!

      Reply
  3. Julie Briones says

    May 31, 2022 at 4:22 am

    Linda, I have only had this dessert salad one time, and I would love to try your recipe and take it to our next family gathering. I’m happy to be featuring your post at Tuesday Turn About this week! Pinned!

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      May 31, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      Ah Thanks Julie! Hope everyone enjoys it

      Reply
  4. NancyC says

    November 5, 2021 at 1:09 am

    I’ve heard about this recipe and I’ve been wanting to try it—maybe I will for the holidays! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Marlene Stephenson says

    November 4, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    It looks and sounds so good, can’t wait to make it, thanks and have a blessed day.

    Reply
  6. Kim says

    June 4, 2021 at 1:55 am

    I’d actually never heard of this recipe before I started blogging. It looks very good though, strawberries and pretzels. Yum!!

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 7, 2021 at 6:12 pm

      It’s a favortie especially for pot lucks

      Reply
  7. Paula@SweetPea says

    June 3, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    I fell in love with strawberry pretzel salad in the 80s when my grandmother served it to our family. I think she discovered the recipe in Southern Living. Who knows how many times I’ve either made or enjoyed this dish.

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 7, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      I first got it from a fellow teacher so long ago. Then after I lost it, called on Rosemary!

      Reply
  8. Cindy says

    June 2, 2021 at 11:03 pm

    This is a classic and enjoyable every time

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 7, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      My family loves it!

      Reply
  9. Carol Karl says

    June 1, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    This looks like a really interesting recipe.

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 7, 2021 at 6:17 pm

      An older one but delicious!

      Reply
  10. Jayne says

    June 1, 2021 at 10:15 am

    This is what we Brits call a fruit salad! I never used to like it as a child but now I love it – strange how tastes change! You’ve given me another one to try!

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 7, 2021 at 6:20 pm

      Funny how that is no where near what we call a fruit salad. I love learning about differnt cusines and practices in other cuntries! It’s one thing I miss about living overseas and working with multi-national colleagues.

      Reply
  11. Marie says

    June 1, 2021 at 6:22 am

    I grew up on Jello and Jello salads, but my husband didn’t and I can’t sway him. So I never make it.

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      June 7, 2021 at 6:23 pm

      The jello kind of just holds the pretzels, sweetened cream cheese ans strawberries together. It’s actually the only jello dish I make.

      Reply
  12. Danielle says

    May 28, 2021 at 5:55 pm

    5 stars
    This is always a classic! It looks delicious! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  13. Melba says

    May 28, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    Never had a jello salad. I know!!! This may be my first!

    Reply
  14. Cindy Rust says

    May 28, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    I say let’s put this delicious food out at the salad table and the dessert table!! You can’t go wrong with have extra 🙂 Pinning!

    Reply
  15. Miz Helen says

    April 7, 2014 at 10:19 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Linda,
    We love a special jello salad for our big dinners and your Strawberry Pretzel Salad looks fabulous, we will really enjoy it. Thank you so much for sharing your special recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
    • bushel and a pickle says

      April 7, 2014 at 11:38 pm

      Thanks Miz Helen. Hope you do enjoy it at a big dinner. We sure do!

      Reply
  16. Manda Moore says

    April 3, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Serval years ago a friend brought this salad to a backyard picnic we had for Memorial Day. I remember loving it!! I will have to make it sometime! The sweet & the saltiness was awesome!

    Reply
  17. Sherry says

    April 3, 2014 at 2:01 am

    That’s an oldie but a goodie.
    Sherry

    Reply
  18. Sandy says

    April 3, 2014 at 1:51 am

    Recipe has disappeared before I could see it.

    Reply
  19. Trinity says

    April 1, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    It looks delicious. The saltiness from the pretzels seems like a perfect mix of sweet and salty.

    Reply
  20. Jenna says

    April 1, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    My MIL made this once a long time ago and I loved it! It is a great retro recipe, and I agree, it’s not dessert, who eats pretzels for dessert, right? Ha!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome Friends !

Welcome! I’m Linda and I’m so glad you stopped by.
I live a rich and full life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in a very, very old farmhouse. Bushel & a Pickle (named for my daughter’s childhood saying) is my story of life experiences, family, travels and faith.

Read More…

Follow Me Here!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.

Latest on Instagram

Follow on Instagram

Pin With Us!

Visit Bushel and a Pickle's profile on Pinterest.

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Disclosure

Copyright © 2025 · Refined Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

16 shares