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Classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad Bars

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A quick and easy sweet and salty dessert featuring a crunchy pretzel crust, creamy cream cheese layer, and fresh strawberry topping. Perfect for gatherings and crowd-pleasing with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups crushed pretzels (about 6 ounces), finely crushed
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream)
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Pour in melted butter and stir until pretzel crumbs are evenly coated and mixture resembles wet sand.
  3. Press the pretzel mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create an even layer.
  4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
  5. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping until fully combined but still fluffy.
  6. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust.
  7. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and water until smooth. Add sliced strawberries and lemon juice.
  8. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and turns glossy, about 5-7 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
  9. Pour the cooled strawberry topping evenly over the cream cheese layer and spread gently to cover without mixing layers.
  10. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow layers to set.
  11. Cut into bars with a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean edges. Serve chilled.

Notes

If the pretzel crust feels too crumbly before baking, add a bit more melted butter. Bake and cool the crust fully before adding the cream cheese layer to keep it crunchy. Stir strawberry topping constantly to avoid clumping. Cool topping before spreading to prevent melting the cream cheese layer. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean slices. Bars keep well refrigerated up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to a month.

Nutrition

Keywords: strawberry pretzel salad bars, sweet and salty dessert, easy dessert bars, pretzel crust dessert, cream cheese dessert, summer dessert, potluck dessert

Find it online: https://lucastable.com/classic-strawberry-pretzel-salad-bars-recipe-easy-sweet-and-salty-dessert/