Strawberry Pretzel Salad

 I love this salad! Perfectly sweet and salty! This recipe comes from Natasha’s Kitchen. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

6 oz strawberry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

12 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups crushed salted pretzels, (about 4 cups whole pretzels)

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz cool whip, thawed in the fridge

1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Instructions

• Dissolve – Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Combine strawberry Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Crush pretzels in a sturdy ziploc bag, (can use a rolling pin).
• Pretzel layer – In a medium saucepan, melt 12 Tbsp butter, then add 1/4 cup sugar and stir. Mix in crushed pretzels. Transfer to a 13 x 9 dish. Press the pretzel mix evenly over the bottom of the dish, and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, then cool to room temperature.
• Cream layer – When pretzels have cooled, use an electric hand mixer to beat 8 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on med/high speed until fluffy and white. Fold in 8 oz Cool Whip until no streaks of cream cheese remain. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels, spreading to the edges of the dish to create a tight seal. Refrigerate 30 min.
• Jell-O layer – slice strawberries, then stir them into your room temperature Jell-O. Pour and spread the strawberry Jell-O mixture evenly over your cooled cream cheese layer and refrigerate until Jell-O is set (2-4 hours).