Ingredients
Scale
- 2½ cups pretzels, crushed 🥨
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided 🍚
- ¾ cup (170g) butter, melted 🧈
- 12 ounces (340g) cream cheese, softened 🧀
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 🌿
- 12 ounces (340g) Cool Whip or whipped topping 🍧
- 3–4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced 🍓
- 6 ounces (2 packets) strawberry gelatin (Jell-O) 🍓
- 2 cups boiling water 💧🔥
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment.
- Place pretzels in a large zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor until coarse crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, combine the crushed pretzels, ¾ cup of the sugar, and the melted butter. Stir until evenly moistened.
- Press the pretzel mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared 9×13 pan to form the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely.
- While the crust cools, dissolve the strawberry gelatin: pour 2 cups boiling water over the gelatin in a medium heatproof bowl and stir until fully dissolved.
- Stir the sliced strawberries into the dissolved gelatin. Cover and refrigerate until the gelatin is partially set (about 45–60 minutes) — it should be thick but not fully firm.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the remaining ¾ cup sugar and the vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Gently fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and light.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, pressing to the edges to seal the crust (this helps prevent the Jell-O from seeping into the crust). Chill in the refrigerator until the layer is firm (about 20–30 minutes).
- Carefully spoon or pour the partially set strawberry gelatin and strawberry mixture over the chilled cream cheese layer, distributing the berries evenly.
- Return the pan to the refrigerator and chill until completely set, at least 3–4 hours (overnight is best for a clean slice).
- When fully set, run a knife around the edges to loosen, slice into squares, and serve cold. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.