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Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Cranberry pretzel salad layers a buttery, sweet-and-salty pretzel crust with a creamy filling and a tart cranberry-pineapple gelatin topping. Bake the crust, chill the layers, and refrigerate until the dessert is fully set.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
cooling and chilling 5 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 460
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pretzel crust
  • 2 cups pretzels finely crushed
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cream cheese layer
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping frozen, thawed
Cranberry topping
  • 1 package (6 oz) raspberry gelatin
  • 2 cups water boiling
  • 1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple drained

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish

Method
 

Make the pretzel crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. Stir the finely crushed pretzels, melted unsalted butter, and granulated sugar together.
  4. Press the mixture evenly into the baking dish.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes.
  6. Cool completely in the dish, about 30 minutes.
Make the cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.
  2. Fold in the thawed whipped topping.
  3. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled crust all the way to the edges.
  4. Refrigerate.
Make the cranberry topping
  1. Stir the raspberry gelatin into the boiling water until completely dissolved.
  2. Mix in the whole berry cranberry sauce and drained crushed pineapple.
  3. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until thickened but still pourable.
  4. Gently spread the cranberry mixture over the cream cheese layer.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until fully set.

Notes

For clean slices, chill until fully set and spread the cream cheese layer all the way to the edges. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the gelatin and whipped topping may change texture. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pretzels.