Strawberry Cheesecake Salad with Pretzels
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This Strawberry Cheesecake Salad puts a creamy twist on the classic strawberry pretzel salad everyone knows and loves!! Fresh berries and candied pretzel pieces are combined with a rich and fluffy concoction made with pudding and Jello mixes to create an easy dessert in just 20 minutes.
Table of Contents
Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
If you’re a long-time reader, you know that this strawberry cheesecake salad is not the first of its kind.
I’ve got nearly a dozen different cheesecake salad recipes ranging from tropical to patriotic and everything in between!
This version is a play on that old-fashioned strawberry pretzel salad we all used to eat growing up.
Seriously… there was always a big tray front and center at every potluck dessert table, family party, and gathering. It makes sense — it’s insanely delicious!!
The flavors in this strawberry pretzel salad in a bowl will dance over your tongue, creating an incredible dessert you’ll want to make again and again. No, I’m not being dramatic, and yes, it’s that good.
This isn’t the only twist on this classic you’ll find on the site. I also have a recipe for Strawberry Pretzel Salad in a Cup — perfect for individually-portioned desserts!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cream Cheese – Provides a rich and tangy cheesecake flavor and creamy base for the salad. I like full-fat best here!
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Lightens up the texture of the cream cheese so the base becomes light and airy when combined with the instant pudding.
- Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix – Acts as the thickening agent for the cream mixture and adds even more cheesecake flavor.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens the cheesecake component without adding any texture like granulated sugar would.
- Fresh Strawberries – Our star ingredient!! Well, other than the cream cheese maybe. The berries add color, sweetness, and a pop of juice!
- Strawberry Jello Mix – For even more strawberry flavor. I also love the pink color!
- Candied Pretzels – I make them myself using pretzels, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and unsalted butter.
They come out SO good every time, you guys, and really elevate the taste and presentation of the strawberry cheesecake dessert salad — plus it’s so easy!
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Strawberry Pretzel Salad in a Bowl
- Soften the cream cheese.
If you try to use it straight out of the refrigerator, you’ll end up with a lumpy mess.
Pull it out and let it sit on the counter while you work on the candied pretzels, and it should be ready to go when you need it.
- Use more fruit.
Since this play on strawberry pretzel cheesecake is very rich as written, you can increase the amount of berries if you’d like.
I used about 2 pounds total, so I would suggest using about 3 pounds of strawberries to mellow the whole thing out!
- Too thick?
You can use a combination of 1 cup heavy cream and ½ cup milk instead of all heavy cream for a thinner, silkier consistency.
If it’s already mixed, add a splash of milk to loosen it up!
- Add the pretzels last.
While they will stay crunchy for a while, they can start to discolor the surrounding cheesecake mixture.
If you won’t be enjoying your strawberry cheesecake salad right away, stir in the pretzels just before serving.
Prep Ahead
- Make the candied pretzels
- Soften the cream cheese
- Hull and chop strawberries
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Baking Sheets lined with Parchment Paper – Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
- Stand Mixer or large mixing bowl with Hand Mixer for whipping up the cheesecake base.
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Silicone Spatula – A sturdy silicone spatula makes mixing my strawberry cheesecake salad thoroughly and gently a breeze.
Serving Suggestions
This is such a good one for parties!! I’ve been known to bring along my strawberry pretzel salad in a bowl to cookouts, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers… and even the holidays!
Its fresh and fruity flavors offer such a nice contrast after a heavier meal. We love it for Easter especially, and it’s super fun for Valentine’s Day too!
And remember, if strawberry pretzel cheesecake flavor isn’t your jam, I’ve got a bunch of variations to choose from. Cherry pie, banana pudding, and orange dreamsicle are just a few!
Storing Leftovers
When kept covered in plastic or in an airtight container, my strawberry cheesecake pretzel dessert should stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Keep in mind that the crunchy bits will start to soften over time, so you may want to leave those out and stir in a few each time you dish it up.
Like most recipes with a lot of dairy (other than a straight-up cheesecake), this one doesn’t freeze very well.
Actually, I should really say it doesn’t thaw very well — it will become overly watery and the pretzels won’t hold up either!
Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Salad FAQ
If you plan to prepare your strawberry cheesecake dessert salad in advance, make the cream cheese mixture but leave out the Jello. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator, then chop up the berries and place those in a separate container.
You can also candy the pretzels and keep those in a Ziploc bag so they don’t get stale.
When you’re ready to serve, beat the Jello powder into the creamy mixture until light and fluffy. Then, drain any excess juice off the berries and fold them in along with the pretzels.
Yes — especially if it isn’t strawberry season where you live!
The key is to make sure to thaw and drain them well before adding them to the salad. You don’t want all of that excess moisture to affect the overall texture!
Because it’s extra rich and creamy, you don’t need much to satisfy your sweet tooth!
I would recommend about ½ cup per serving to start. You can always go back for seconds if you want.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Salad with Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 1 1/2 cups lightly crushed pretzels
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 3.4 ounce package of instant cheesecake pudding mix, unprepared
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons strawberry jello mix, unprepared
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add brown sugar and butter, cut into pieces. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, until mixture is bubbling and sugar is dissolved into the butter. (this took 1 minute total in my microwave)
- Stir in vanilla extract. Add the pretzel pieces and stir until fully coated.
- Transfer the pretzel mixture to the prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 10 -12 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.
- Remove candied pretzels from the oven and stir to recoat pretzels with any of the sugar mixture that has spread onto the baking sheet. Allow pretzels to cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese until fluffy.
- Add the cheesecake pudding mixture and beat until fully combined (mixture will be chunky).
- With the mixer (or hand beater) running on low speed, slowly drizzle heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture. Beat well between the addition of small amounts (add only 1 tablespoon at a time).
- Add powdered sugar and strawberry jello and continue beating until fully combined. 11. Add fresh strawberries and candied pretzels to the mixture and stir to combine. 12. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published June 2021, updated and republished May 2025
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Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
So sweet, fluffy, and tasty. This was a great dessert recipe for a hot night.