Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Slice of cranberry Jello salad with a red gelatin top, creamy white middle, and nut crust, garnished with fresh cranberries and rosemary.

5 from 3 votes

Cranberry pretzel salad with a salty pretzel crust, creamy cream cheese filling and tart cranberry Jello. My make-ahead holiday dessert.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Rest time4 50

Total Time5 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1st Layer:

2½ cups Pretzels (salted is best)
1 stick Unsalted Butter (½ cup), melted
¼ cup White Granulated Sugar

2nd Layer:

8 ounces Cool Whip (1 tub)
8 ounces Cream Cheese room temp
½ cup White Granulated Sugar

3rd Layer:

2 boxes Cranberry Jello (3 ounces each)
15 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (1 Can)
1 cup Boiling Water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and go up the sides just a hair. Set aside.
It’s important to make the third layer first so it has time to cool before it’s used. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cranberry jello and the boiling water for the third layer. Stir until the jello is dissolved.
2 boxes Cranberry Jello , 1 cup Boiling Water
Add the can of cranberry sauce to a small mixing bowl and mix until it resembles more of a homemade look rather than large blobs of gelatin.
15 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Add the cranberry sauce to the bowl of jello and stir. Set aside.
For the first layer, Add the pretzels to a large ziplock bag and beat or roll them with a rolling pin, or similar item, to crush them into small pieces. You don’t want powder or crumbs, just small pieces that are no more than a half inch in size.
2½ cups Pretzels
Add the broken pretzels, sugar, and melted butter to the bowl. The melted butter should be nice and hot. Stir until the pretzels are well coated.
1 stick Unsalted Butter , ¼ cup White Granulated Sugar
Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to the freezer for another 10 minutes.
For the second layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip it until it’s fluffy. Add the cool whip to the bowl and fold together until the cream cheese is fully incorporated.
8 ounces Cool Whip, 8 ounces Cream Cheese, ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
Spread the cream cheese mixture, evenly, over the top of the pretzel layer, making sure that it rests all the way against the edges, all around the pan. You don’t want jello escaping to the lower level.
Place the pan back in the fridge and let it chill for about 30 minutes or until cooled and thickened.
Take your already prepared third layer and gently pour it over the top of the cream cheese layer. You will end up with bits of the cranberries from the cranberry sauce. Don’t scoop them all out in one spot. Scoop them out of the container using a spoon or other utensil to ensure they’re spread out.
Place the pan back in the fridge for 4 hours or until the jello is set. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

Tips:

Let the Jello mixture come to room temperature before you pour it. Warm Jello melts into the cream cheese layer and the layers bleed together.
Don't pour the Jello until the cream cheese layer is fully chilled. I've done it, and it still tastes good, but the layers don't look great.
Use room temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps and won't spread smoothly to the edges, and that layer is what keeps the Jello off the crust.
Press the crust down firmly and evenly, and let it cool completely before adding the cream cheese layer, or the crust gets soggy and falls apart when you cut it.
For clean squares, use a sharp knife and wipe it between cuts. Serve it cold and put it back in the fridge between rounds.
Cranberry Jello is seasonal and can be hard to find, so pick it up when you see it or order it online.
If you only have unsalted pretzels, swap the unsalted butter for salted butter.
I don't recommend using fresh cranberries in the Jello unless you cook them down. They're hard, way too tart, and throw off the dish.

Nutrition