Strawberry Jello Pretzel Bars

Strawberry Jello Pretzel Bars

I had this dessert for the very first time a few years ago at a potluck and thought the combination of pretzels, cream cheese, and strawberry jello sounded strange. I am so glad I tried it because it's actually delicious! When I needed a dessert for an upcoming potluck at work, this immediately came to mind and I was excited to make it for the first time (I am so lucky my gal pals at work don't mind being my recipe testers!)

This recipe is not something I would recommend making at 9pm... I had to this time around because we were just getting home from our standing dinner and swimming night with our friends and kiddos, and I still had to run to the store and pick up a few ingredients. All in all, it took about an hour from start to finish.

There aren't that many ingredients - here's what you need:

3 to 3 1/2 c. pretzels (crushed fine)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 (6 oz) pkg instant strawberry jello
1 small container sliced fresh strawberries
1 ( 8 oz ) pkg cream cheese
1 c. sugar
4 oz. cool whip

First off, the reason I say 3 to 3 1/2 cups of pretzels is because I started with 2 1/2 and quickly realized that wouldn't be enough to coat the bottom of my 9 x 13 pan. I estimated another 1/2 would be enough, and it was, just barely. Personally, I would prefer a thicker crust so next time around, I'll use 3 /12 cups and see how that works.

To make the pretzel crust, finely crush the pretzels. I found the method that worked best for me was to pour the pretzels into a large ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to roll/crush them. In a bowl, melt your butter then add the brown sugar and stir together. Finally, add the crushed pretzels, mix well, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Once done, let the crust cool completely. Trust me on this!

For the cream cheese layer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined, then fold in the cool whip. Throw it back in the fridge while waiting for the crust to cool. When you spread the cream cheese layer on top of the pretzel crust, make sure you spread it all the way to the edges to create a seal so your jello doesn't leak through!

OK... Here's the tricky part... For the jello topping I would suggest not doing this last step until you're ready to "assemble." I say that because you have to get the timing just right (when the jello begins to set) or you'll end up with a mess. When you're ready, here's what you do:

Prepare the jello according to the "quick set" directions on the package. After you've done that - DON'T PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE - just yet... Cut up your strawberries, add them to the jello, and stir. You have to watch it like a hawk, but after about 5 - 10 minutes, the jello will be thick enough to pour over the cream cheese layer. Just try not to let it get too thick - if it really starts to set - it won't finish completely setting up in the fridge and tho it'll still taste good, it'll be messy.

Once you're finished assembling, throw it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours - overnight is great.

Enjoy!
C