This classic Creamy Raspberry Pretzel Dessert gets an upgrade in this delicious dessert recipe. With fresh raspberries, a luscious cream cheese mixture, and a salty pretzel crust, it has only good things going for it. You’re going to love this yummy dessert, perfect for all holidays and the ordinary days in between.
I’ve doubled the cream cheese and instead of the ubiquitous Cool Whip, I’ve substituted Stable Whipped Cream in our raspberry pretzel dessert. It adds flavor and texture without being too sweet. It’s the perfect end to your Thanksgiving dinner or other holiday feast.
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Each year I quiz my six kids and daughter-in-law what they want for Thanksgiving dessert, and each year our fam-favorite “Pretzel Berry,” this raspberry pretzel dessert gets a unanimous vote. It’s a crowd favorite for good reason!
There’s something so tantalizing about cool jello and raspberries layered over sweet cream cheese filling atop a salty crushed pretzel crust.
Over the years, I’ve transformed the classic strawberry pretzel “salad” into a dessert that all my kids love and request. I’ve reduced the sugar, doubled the cream cheese filling, and replaced Cool Whip with Stable Whipped Cream. This version is perfection!
Why Make This
It’s a tradition worth keeping. I love serving alternatives to the traditional Christmas Dinner so you may not see all the dishes my mother and grandmother prepared for the holidays at my house, but you’ll definitely see this one. Often called a raspberry jello “salad”, this dessert is the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
Raspberry Pretzel Dessert is easy to make. With a few of my tricks, you’ll see what an easy recipe this is to make. It can be made a day in advance so you have plenty of time to make all the other elements to your holiday meal.
There’s no Cool Whip. While most versions of Raspberry Pretzel Dessert contain Cool Whip or nondairy whipped topping, this one doesn’t. Learn how to make this classic raspberry jello pretzel salad without the added sugar. It is so tasty with real whipped cream!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this raspberry pretzel dessert:
sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar for the crust as well as powdered sugar for the cream cheese filling layer. Remember you can make your own powdered sugar if you need to.
crushed pretzels – The pretzel layer crust is made from crushed pretzels. These can be twists, sticks, or butter snaps. I have used gluten-free pretzels when I needed to avoid wheat in this recipe.
melted butter – Just a little butter is needed to help the salty-sweet pretzel crust hold together. You can use plant-based butter or margarine if you like.
cream cheese – You’ll need softened cream cheese for the middle layer. I use twice as is standard so that it has a real cheesecake flair. You can use a plant-based cream cheese if you prefer.
stable whipped cream – Stable whipped cream is made from heavy cream, powdered sugar, powdered milk, and vanilla extract. It stands up for hours without weeping or collapsing. If you prefer to skip this, you can use Cool Whip or a plant-based whipped topping in the cream layer.
jello – I like to use cranberry or raspberry gelatin in this raspberry pretzel salad recipe. You can use other flavors if you like. Scroll down for some variations.
hot boiling water – You’ll need boiling water to dissolve the powdered gelatin.
frozen raspberries – Frozen raspberries are fresh raspberries that have been flash frozen. They are not cooked. I recommend that you use frozen berries (do not thaw them) as their temperature will help the jello mixture to chill and thicken rapidly, without the need for cold water or ice cubes as you may find in other pretzel salad recipes. If you like you can use a different frozen fruit such as strawberries. Avoid pineapple, kiwi, and mango which can prevent the jello from gelling.
Variations:
Feel free to mix and match the types of fruit and gelatin for all kinds of combinations:
- Blue jello with frozen blueberries
- Purple jello with frozen blackberries
- Orange jello with drained and frozen mandarin oranges
- Strawberry jello with frozen, sliced strawberries
You can also skip the gelatin and top it with your favorite pudding or pie filling, and you can even trade out the pretzels for another cookie or cracker.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’ve found that the recipes written by grandmothers often omit or overlook key steps. Please read these instructions carefully so you can avoid soggy pretzel crust and other mishaps.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the pretzel crust, by combining the crushed pretzels with the butter and sugar. You can crush the pretzels with a rolling pin or in a food processor.
Press the pretzel mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven to cool completely on a rack.
The bottom crust must be completely cooled before you add the other layers, so you can do this the night before if you like.
In a large mixing bowl, prepare the stable whipped cream by whipping the cream with an electric mixer a little bit, until soft peaks are formed. Add the powdered milk and continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed.
In another large mixing bowl, whip together the cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream.
In another large bowl, combine the Jell-O and hot water, stirring until dissolved. Stir in the frozen berries. Allow to partially set. You don’t want it too thin, but if it gels too quickly you will have a very lumpy dessert.
It shouldn’t take very long if the berries are frozen. Don’t walk away! Head to the next step. Once slightly thickened, pour this mixture over the cream cheese layer before it gets lumpy.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled pretzel crust, sealing to the edges of the pan. You want there to be NO gaps. If you have a gap between the pan and the sweet cream cheese layer, the jello will seep down and make your pretzel crust soggy.
Refrigerate, uncovered, until hardened. After completely set, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap or a lid until serving. Never leave this at room temperature for very long as it’s best served very cold.
Raspberry pretzel dessert is good in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered. After that, the pretzel crust tends to soften too much.
More Great Desserts to Make
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Raspberry Pretzel Dessert
Ingredients
For crust
- 2 ⅔ cup crushed pretzels
- ¾ cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For cream cheese filling
- 2 8-ounce package cream cheese , 16 oz total, softened (low fat works fine)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon powdered milk
For berry topping
- 2 3-ounce package cranberry Jell-O or raspberry is good too
- 2 cup water boiling
- 20 oz frozen raspberries or boysenberries, do not thaw
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the pretzel crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the butter in the 9 x 13 pan. Press firmly. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.2 ⅔ cup crushed pretzels, ¾ cup butter, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- In a large mixing bowl whip together the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar.2 8-ounce package cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar
- In another mixing bowl, whip the cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the powdered milk over the top and continue beating until you have stiff peaks.1 cup whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract, 3 tablespoon powdered milk
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread over the pretzel crust, sealing to the edge of the dish. You want there to be NO gaps.
- In another large bowl, combine the Jell-O and hot water, stirring until dissolved. Stir in the frozen berries. Allow to partially set. You don’t want it too thin, but if it gels too quickly you will have a very lumpy dessert. It shouldn’t take very long if the berries are frozen. Pour this mixture over the cream cheese layer before it gets lumpy.2 3-ounce package cranberry Jell-O, 2 cup water, 20 oz frozen raspberries
- Refrigerate, uncovered, until hardened. After completely set, refrigerate covered.
Notes
- Blue jello with frozen blueberries
- Purple jello with frozen blackberries
- Orange jello with drained and frozen mandarin oranges
- Strawberry jello with frozen, sliced strawberries
Nutrition
This post was originally published on July 24, 2008. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Beth
I’ve never liked this dessert, mostly because of the pretzel crust. But, now I am thinking your directions might help. The pretzels need to be finer and it shouldn’t be soggy. I won’t get it made for Thanksgiving, but perhaps during the Advent or Christmas season!
Nia
Hi Jessica, after years of looking at this dessert on your site, and reading about it, I finally made it yesterday. My family enjoyed it and I thank you for sharing the recipe and raving about it. We used strawberry and cherry jello mixed and chose frozen mixed berries. I’ve been asked to make it again in the near future. So glad I finally gave the recipe a go.
Jessica Fisher
So glad you enjoyed it!
Leah
Oops! I just bought fresh raspberries. Is there a way to make this work yet?
Jessica Fisher
Absolutely. You’ll just need to chill the jello and raspberry mixture for a little while so that it starts to thicken just a bit before you pour it over the cream cheese layer. Chill it too much and it will be lumpy, so keep an eye on it.
Karen
My go-to Thanksgiving Jello calls for Dream Whip and it only comes in boxes with 2 and maybe 4 envelopes. I buy the one with 2 in it, but only need one, so every other year I use the second envelope up, as it’s powder and lasts that long.?Yep, I know, not good, but its only once a year and it’s my favorite jello salad. Next year I’m going to try substituting cream.(i need to use up the last pkg from last year, this year). I know, I know, I should have tried cream before and should this year since I’m not losing much money, but I can’t…can’t waste food even when it’s fake or small amount…a quirk of mine.
Jessica Fisher
I tell myself the same thing every year with this. I should try it with whipped cream. I’m just afraid that it will fall or weep and then I’ve wasted all that food.
Helen
Yeah I’m pretty sure this is one of those recipes you can’t use fresh whipped cream in. I found a tub of some sort of “better” whipped topping that wasn’t a crazy price 😉 making it tomorrow!
Brenda
I’ve made it weigh whipping cream and it turns out great. Combining the fat of the cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream. I mixed the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in one bowl and then folded in the whipped cream that I made in another bowl into the cream cheese mixture. I’ve done this when making a cream cheese peanut butter mousse to fill cake with. Again, mixing the whipped cream (mixed till firm peaks) with the peanut butter-cream cheese mixture stabilizes and it does hold well. Hope this helps.
JULIE Plocher
That sounds good I made something similar. I want to try.if jello.will set up.
Helen
yes, I bought some of the jello and pudding for “sick food” 😉 Happy when national brands finally get on board. Aldi doesn’t have colors in theirs anymore, but of course only comes in orange or strawberry 😉
Sandi
I don’t know where this has been my whole life, but I am not aware of having experienced this. It sounds good, except I am not a cool whip fan. would it work with old fashioned, self-whipped actual cream, or is there something in the gummy composition of the cool whip that is necessary?
Jessica Fisher
I totally get ya. It’s the one time of the year that I buy Cool Whip, actually.
An alternative dessert is this one that I created last summer: http://lifeasmom.com/2011/08/raspberry-cream-cups-with-pretzels-urs-berries.html It’s got the flavors without the Cool Whip.
I think that you could probably do it with real cream or even milk if you used a little xanthan gum. The Thrifty Mama has a recipe for homemade cool whip here: http://www.thethriftymama.com/homemade-cool-whip.html But, I’ve only ever made this dish with Cool Whip, so I make no promises with substitutions.
MH in OH
I am looking for your other pretzel berry cream in a cup recipe and haven’t found it by searching your site, and the link in this comment no longer works.
I remember having this dessert at high school graduation parties in the early 90’s.
shelly
I am someone who needs a complete recipe directions. Right now I am preparing the crust. Was I suppose to use 3t or 1 cup? And how much is a “large cool whip?” So sorry I will never use this website agian
Jessica Fisher
Hi Shelly, I apologize for the confusion. The ingredients are listed in the order of use. I copied it exactly as my gramma wrote it. 😉 The 3t sugar go in the crust. The 1 cup sugar goes in the cream cheese/cool whip filling. The cool whip is the standard (12 oz) size. When gramma was alive, they packaged it differently. I hope you and your family have a lovely holiday.
AllieZirkle
I planned to make this today for Thursday. I couldn’t find cranberry jello So I’m trying the blackberry fusion jello! 1) is this an ok make-ahead recipe? And 2) is there a dairy free option to the cream cheese? I’ve got a dairy free kiddo coming and can’t think of a legit substitute for cream cheese. Thanks!!
Alle
Jessica Fisher
Blackberry fusion is awesome! I’ve done that before. I’m going to make it today, so yes, make ahead.
As for cream cheese, I have never heard of a substitute that is dairy free. Is there soy cream cheese? (Blech.) Sorry!
AllieZirkle
Ok perfect! I’m going to check for a coconut replacement. If I can’t find a coconut replacement, I’ll just stick with cream cheese. The alternatives sound awful lol Thanks!
Kristen
mmm…I have this in the fridge right now. It’s my contribution to the Thanksgiving Feast tomorrow. We eat this as a salad around our house. We also use a can of crushed pineapple in the cream cheese layer and raspberries on top.
Jessica Wolf
I make this all the time with Strawberry Jell-O and frozen strawberries. I’m going to try it with boysenberries and a mixture of raspberry and strawberry Jell-O… that sounds amazing!
Jessica Fisher
Yes, and I increase the ratio of cream cheese to Cool Whip.
AllieZirkle
Now that I’ve made this, I understand your comment and will be doing that next time! My berries are going to float away on the cool whip cloud lol
Jessica Fisher
The traditional way is the one I posted, but I like it cheesier.
Madame Deals
I just made this recipe for our Christmas dessert! It looks so yummy I can't wait to try it! I used a mixed berry medley and it looks very pretty.
Thank you so much!
Honey
One of my hobbies is dessert (and working out at the gym!) But this is a Christams Fudge Recipe my Mother-in-Law gave me. Its so good.
Christmas Fudge:
2 c light brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c butter
1 jar marshmallow cream
16 oz peanut butter morsels
16 oz milk chocolate morsels
1 tsp vanilla
1 c pecans
Combine 1st 4 ingredients-boil 10 minutes
Add marshmallow cream and morsels. Blend in nuts and vanilla. Pour into greased 9″ pan. Cool and cut.
This is basically sugar and butter-what’s not to love?
Jill
This is my families favorite dessert, also! Whenever we tell someone we are bringing the ‘Jello pretzel dessert” they all look at us with a very perplexed and skeptical stare. But after they try it, almost everyone is a convert!
Every Christmas we make sugar cookies with my great-grandma’s recipe and cut them out in Christmas-y shapes and frost them. They kids all love to roll and cut their very own cookies. We make these all through the year, but they taste best at Christmas time.
Jill
Rebekah
I love all things dessert….except creme brulee. Bleh. I adore all the holiday candies and cookies…..but I’m starting my own tradition of cheesecake. Which kind? Oh, white chocolate raspberry, chocolate truffle, chocolate turtle, marbled pumpkin, I don’t know. They’re all good!
mamalibby
My mom used to make your dessert with strawberries and I haven’t thought of it in years!
We are cookies-only at our house at Christmas. Rich Roll butter cookies with colored sugars. Yum!
Tracy
Our favorite dessert is turtles made with mini pretzels, rolo candies and pecans
dancebythelight
I love that dessert, only we make it with strawberries!
My favorite holiday dessert is pumpkin roll filled with cream cheese filling! Mmmmm!