Lemon Pretzel Dessert recipe is a light and refreshing 3-tiered treat. Made with a buttery baked pretzel base, a sweet cream cheese mixture in the middle, and a tangy lemon pie filling on top.

If you enjoy classic dessert salads, you’ll love our Strawberry Pretzel Salad—this recipe is inspired by it!

Lemon pretzel dessert slice topped with whipped cream and a lemon wedge.

Lemon Pretzel Salad

Our easy recipe for Lemon Pretzel Dessert will remind you of rays of summer sunshine, even when the weather lacks warmth! With its bright lemon flavor, this layered lemon dessert delivers the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy in every single slice.

This easy pretzel salad starts with a sweet and salty pretzel crust that’s covered with a fluffy cream cheese mixture and topped with tangy lemon pie filling. Tart on the top, creamy in the middle, with a satisfying crunch below, this lemon pretzel dessert salad has the best combination of contrasting tastes and textures in every bite.

Lemon Pretzel Dessert Ingredients

Pretzels: I like to use salted pretzel sticks or twists because they’re easier to crush and measure than larger-size pretzels. Crushed graham crackers will also work well if you prefer a graham cracker crust. You can use a food processor or a gallon-size ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the pretzels.
Granulated sugar
Salted butter: Make sure the butter is melted and cooled before mixing with the pretzel pieces.
Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese for the richest flavored filling and make sure it softened to room temperature.
Frozen whipped topping: Feel free to use Cool Whip or homemade Whipped Cream.
Lemon: Makes a pretty presentation when sliced thin as a garnish.
Lemon pie filling: You can substitute lemon curd or instant lemon pudding for the lemon pie filling if you prefer. Or swap the lemon for your other favorite pie-filling flavors. Try making pretzel salad recipes with cherry, blueberry, peach, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or apple pie filling instead.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Lemon Pretzel Dessert

Bake The Base: Combine the crushed pretzels and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir to coat. Press into the bottom of the baking pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Cover The Crust: Beat the cream cheese until smooth then mix in the remaining sugar. Fold in the whipped topping. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cooled pretzel crust.
Chill: Spread the lemon pie filling over the cream cheese layer. Cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
Slice And Serve: Cut into 12 pieces and top each with a dollop of whipped topping, a sprinkle of pretzel crumbs, and a fresh lemon slice.

Pressing a pretzel crust into a baking dish, spreading a cream cheese layer, adding a lemon gelatin layer, and topping with crushed pretzels.

Serving Suggestions

A lemon dessert is a delicious ending to most main dishes and is ideal for serving guests at family gatherings, parties or simply as a sweet escape at home.

This dish is meant to be served cold, so the longer it can be kept in the refrigerator, the better. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Tips & Variations

Cover The Crust: Be sure to spread the cream cheese layer all the way to the edges of the pretzel crust. This will keep the lemon topping from seeping through and making the crust soggy or mushy.
Create Your Crust: Make a cookie crust using your favorite crunchy cookies. Golden Oreos, graham crackers, shortbread cookies, or even gingersnaps can be used to make a cookie crust.
Like More Lemon? You can mix in 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice into the lemon pie filling to intensify the tartness and balance the sweetness. Or add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the cream cheese filling to boost the tangy taste.
Fill With Other Flavors: Feel free to try this recipe with a different fruit flavor. Some pretzel salad variations include Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Pineapple Pretzel Salad, Cranberry Pretzel Salad, and blueberry pretzel salad (similar to my lemon blueberry dessert).

Lemon pretzel dessert in a glass dish, topped with crushed pretzels.

Tips for the Perfect Crust

Please follow these tips to achieve a stable and delicious crust for your strawberry pretzel salad.

Make sure you use the correct amount of melted butter or other binding ingredients, like sugar, in the crust mixture. Too little butter can lead to a crumbly crust that doesn’t stick together.
When making a pretzel crust, it’s important to press the mixture down firmly and evenly to ensure it stays intact when you slice and serve the salad.
If the crust is overbaked, it can become too dry and crumbly, causing it to fall apart when you add the layers on top. To prevent this, keep a close eye on the crust while baking and remove it from the oven when it’s just lightly golden.
Allowing the crust to cool completely before adding the other layers is crucial. If the crust is still warm, the filling may seep into it and cause it to become soggy or fall apart when cutting.
If the filling layers are too moist, they can cause the crust to become soggy and fall apart. Make sure your cream cheese layer is thick enough to act as a barrier between the crust and the lemon layer.

Proper Storage

To store lemon pretzel dessert properly, follow these steps:

Cover: Once the dessert has set, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to protect it from absorbing odors and drying out.
Refrigerate: Store the covered dessert in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness and prevent the layers from becoming too soft or melting.
Container: If you need to transport the dessert or prefer not to store it in its original dish, transfer it to an airtight container before refrigerating. This will help preserve its freshness and prevent it from drying out.
Storage duration: Lemon pretzel dessert is best enjoyed within 2-3 days of preparation. Over time, the crust may start to soften and the flavors may diminish.

When you’re ready to serve the dessert again, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

If you bring this to a potluck or serve it at a gathering, put it back in the fridge in between servings. If the cream cheese layer melts, it will lose its form and make a big mess.

Lemon dessert slice with a pretzel crust, topped with lemon curd and a lemon slice garnish.

More Lemon Desserts

If you tried this Lemon Pretzel Dessert Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Pretzel Dessert

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves —

Lemon Pretzel Dessert has the perfect combination of sweet and tangy filling flavors with a satisfying crunchy crust! A delicious dessert for any occasion!

Print Rate Pin Save

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill and Rest time 4 30

Total Time 4 55

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust

▢ 2¾ cups crushed pretzels divide 2 ½ cups for crust and ¼ for garnish
▢ 1¼ cups granulated sugar divide ½ cup for crust and ¾ cup for cream cheese filling
▢ ¾ cup salted butter melted and cooled

Cream Cheese Filling

▢ 12 ounces cream cheese softened
▢ 16 ounces (2 8-ounce) containers whipped topping thawed, divide 12 ounces for filling and 4 ounces for garnish
▢ 1 medium size lemon thinly sliced into 12 slices, optional garnish

Lemon Topping

▢ 22 ounces lemon pie filling I used Lucky Leaf brand

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Add 2 ½ cups of the crushed pretzels to a medium size (2-3 quarts) mixing bowl.
Add the ½ cup granulated sugar to the pretzels.
Pour the ¾ cup melted and cooled butter over the pretzels and sugar. Stir to completely coat and combine.
Press the buttered pretzels into the bottom of the sprayed baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. (Remember that all ovens cook differently, so be sure to keep an eye on the crust as it bakes to ensure it does not burn) Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely.
Next using either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium high speed, beat the softened cream cheese for 1-1 ½ minutes until smooth.
Add the remaining granulated sugar and continue mixing for another 2 minutes or until well incorporated.
Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in the 12 ounces (1 ½ container) of the whipped topping. (Folding is a way to gently combine 2 different textures together without deflating the lighter texture of the 2)
Evenly spread the cream cheese filling over the cooled pretzel crust.
Next spread the lemon pie filling over the cream cheese layer. Cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours. (You can chill overnight if you choose)
Just before you are ready to serve, use a sharp kitchen knife to cut 3 slices x 4 slices.
Add the remaining ½ container of thawed whipped topping to either a disposable piping bag, or a quart size ziplock bag with a corner snipped off, to make small dollops of whipped topping. Sprinkle the ¼ cup of crushed pretzels over the top of the desert and whipped topping dollops. You can slice the whole lemon slices in ½ and fit the halved lemon slices into the whipped topping.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage :

Cover: Once the dessert has set, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to protect it from absorbing odors and drying out.
Refrigerate: Store the covered dessert in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness and prevent the layers from becoming too soft or melting.
Container: If you need to transport the dessert or prefer not to store it in its original dish, transfer it to an airtight container before refrigerating. This will help preserve its freshness and prevent it from drying out.
Storage duration: Lemon pretzel dessert is best enjoyed within 2-3 days of preparation. Over time, the crust may start to soften and the flavors may diminish.

Tips :

Make sure you’re using the correct amount of melted butter or other binding ingredients, like sugar, in the crust mixture. Too little butter can lead to a crumbly crust that doesn’t stick together.
When making a pretzel crust, it’s important to press the mixture down firmly and evenly to ensure it stays intact when you slice and serve the salad.
If the crust is overbaked, it can become too dry and crumbly, causing it to fall apart when you add the layers on top. To prevent this, keep a close eye on the crust while baking and remove it from the oven when it’s just lightly golden.
Allowing the crust to cool completely before adding the other layers is crucial. If the crust is still warm, the filling may seep into it and cause it to become soggy or fall apart when cutting.
If the filling layers are too moist, they can cause the crust to become soggy and fall apart. Make sure your cream cheese layer is thick enough to act as a barrier between the crust and the lemon layer.

Nutrition Info