Summer is in full swing and the Fourth of July is just around the corner. Salty-sweet desserts are my weakness and this Red, White, & Blue Pretzel Salad is no exception. It is a simple and classic dessert, but it has stood the test of time for a reason. Crispy, salty-sweet pretzels beneath fluffy cream and sweet berry gelatin – it’s perfect for summer. It takes a bit of time to chill, but this recipe is easy to put together and is a crowd favorite at every cookout and barbecue. Plus, the patriotic twist on this version is sure to make it a star at any celebration!
The hardest thing about making this recipe is waiting for things to cool. The pretzel crust should be room temperature before adding the cream layer and the gelatin layer should be completely set before serving. Other than that, this recipe is super simple – perfect for whipping up for a low-fuss summer dessert.
This recipe was developed through a little trial and error, to find a way to keep all the layers together! The final result was a pretzel salad that slices well and holds its shape together. A few tricks to make this work include adding enough butter and sugar to the pretzel layer so that a sort of caramel is formed in the oven, keeping it crisp and help together. The other key point is using the blueberries like “rebar,” partially pressed into the cream layer to keep the gelatin from sliding around. Finally, making the raspberry gelatin with slightly less water than a stand-alone jell-o dish keeps it firm and sliceable.
I hope you love this Red, White, & Blue Pretzel Salad as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics @fortheperfectbite or use #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Red, White, & Blue Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups pretzel thins
- 10 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz cool whip
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 package raspberry gelatin
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 ¼ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Crush the pretzel thins until a uniform, coarse crumb is reached.
- Melt the butter, the stir the crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and vanilla extract into the melted butter.
- Pack the pretzel mixture into the base of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Bake the pretzel crust for 10 minutes until carmelized.
- Allow the pretzel crust to cool completely.
- While the pretzel crust cools, whip together the cool whip, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth.
- Spread the cream layer evenly over the cooled pretzel crust.
- Sprinkle blueberries over the cream layer, lightly pressing them into the cream to keep them from rolling around.
- Allow the preztel and cream layers to cool in the refigerator while the gelatin layer is prepared.
- Pour the raspberry gelatin powder into a heat-safe bowl, and top with the boiling water. Whisk until the gelatin has dissolved completely.
- Allow the gelatin liquid to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Slowly pour the raspberry gelatin over the cream layer, taking care to keep the layers separate.
- Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Slice into squares and serve.
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