This Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad is the perfect easy dessert to serve year-round! Made with a buttery salty pretzel crust, a creamy filling, and topped with a layer of frozen raspberries with raspberry jello. The perfect tasty dessert for a party or potluck!
Say hello to my favorite salad! Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad! haha Not really a salad but layers of different ingredients that go beautifully together. Basically, it could be called Layered Jello Cheesecake but that’s not what it’s known by! This Raspberry Pretzel Dessert is such a fabulous recipe. It’s so great because first of all the most important reason, it tastes SO GOOD!
Layers of sweetness, saltiness, and creaminess! Plus there’s fruit in it! Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits. This Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad is also easy to make and can be made a day in advance! How amazing is that?! Perfect for a crowd!
My sister-in-law has been making this recipe for years and brings it for Thanksgiving dessert. It’s always a hit! Sometimes she makes one regular one and one with sugar-free jello. Everyone loves it!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED and TIPS:
Pretzels- Any type of pretzel will work! Just make sure it’s salted and don’t crush too finely. You want some bigger pieces.
Melted Butter- With all the salt from the pretzels definitely use unsalted butter.
Granulated Sugar- You’ll need a little sugar for the pretzel crust layer and a little more for the creamy layer.
Cream Cheese- Either full fat or reduced-fat cream cheese works great. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature before mixing the creamy layer.
Lemon Juice- The first time I tested this recipe I made one with lemon juice and one with vanilla and the lemon juice one was way better. Just a little lemon juice makes such a difference and gives the creamy layer a delicious pop.
Whipped Topping- Yes, I used cool whip! It really does work best with this recipe giving the creamy layer a thicker texture than it would with heavy cream whipped up. It also doesn’t make the pretzel layer soggy.
Raspberry Jello- You can either buy two 3 oz. packaged of jello or one 6 oz. One time I couldn’t find raspberry jello so I used strawberry and it was delicious as well!
Water to boil- You’ll need 2 cups! The frozen raspberries will help cool it down quickly. I like to wait about 5 minutes before adding them so it’s not boiling hot.
Frozen Raspberries- You don’t need to thaw the raspberries for this recipe. You could use fresh raspberries but if you do be sure to wait until the jello has cooled down to room temperature before adding them. (Or just add them on top of the creamy layer then pour on the jello, making sure it’s warm, not hot.)
HOW TO MAKE RASPBERRY JELLO PRETZEL SALAD:
1- Lightly crush the pretzels. Mix with melted butter and sugar. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
2- Mix together softened cream cheese, sugar, cool whip, and lemon juice. Spread over the pretzel layer. It’s very important to spread it to the edges so the jello layer doesn’t seep through. Chilling it for 30 minutes also helps prevent that.
3- The last layer is the prettiest! Don’t follow the instructions on the jello box, just follow my directions to mix the jello with 2 cups of boiling water, add the frozen raspberries then pour carefully on top of the creamy layer. Let cool and ENJOY!
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD AND STORE:
You can make this a day in advance and just keep it covered in the fridge until ready to serve!
Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
More Fabulous Easy Desserts!…
- Pistachio Pudding Salad
- Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 20 Mind-Blowing Fruit Dips
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
Enjoy!
Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
For the pretzels:
- 2 ½ cups lightly crushed pretzels
- 10 tablespoons butter (melted)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups whipped topping (thawed (from one 8-ounce container))
For the topping:
- 1 6 oz. package raspberry jello
- 2 cups boiling water
- 12-16 ounces frozen raspberries thawed (3-4 cups)
- whipped topping for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- 2. In a medium bowl, add crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- 3. Press firmly into a lightly greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
- 4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice. Stir in whipped topping until combined.
- 5. Spread over pretzel crust, making sure to spread to the edges so the jello doesn’t leak into it and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
- 6. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then stir in the frozen raspberries. Then carefully spoon over the cream cheese layer. Chill until firm, 2-4 hours.
- 7. Garnish with additional whipped topping and raspberries if desired.
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment!
Such a perfect Christmas dessert! We’ll be making this one every year from here on out! So yummy!
Thank you! I’m glad you all loved it. Merry Christmas!