Just in time for the holidays, this Cranberry Pretzel Salad recipe has a festive tart flavor twist on the traditional sweet and salty dessert. Made with a buttery baked pretzel base, a sweet cream cheese mixture in the middle, and a tangy cranberry top.
Easy Cranberry Pretzel Salad
Our easy-to-make Cranberry Pretzel Salad is a 3 tiered treat, all dressed up as a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday dessert with a seasonal fruit-flavored swap from a Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
This simple recipe for cranberry pretzel jello salad squares starts by baking the buttery pretzel crust, then it’s topped with a fluffy Cool Whip and cream cheese filling, and finished with a firm, fruity jello layer above.
Tart on the top, creamy in the middle, with a satisfying crunch below, this cranberry jello pretzel salad has the perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy, and buttery in every delicious bite.
Why We Love Cranberry Pretzel Salad
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Pieces of crushed pretzels are baked with plenty of butter and sugar so you get buttery, salty, and sweet in every single slice.
- Creamy, crunchy, fruity and tangy all at the same time!
- Great make ahead dessert with a delicious holiday makeover.
- Perfect ending to a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal and great to pass around at a potluck or a holiday party.
Cranberry Pretzel Salad Ingredients
- Pretzels: Salted pretzels work best for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter
- White granulated sugar
- Whipped topping: Feel free to use Cool Whip or homemade Whipped Cream.
- Cream cheese
- Cranberry jello
- Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
- Boiling water
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Fruit Flavors: Feel free to try this recipe with a different fruit, like raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, or mandarin oranges, and then switch out the jello mix to match the fruit that you are using. Some other fun flavor ideas include:
- Raspberry: Keep the recipe the same, but swap out the cranberry jello for raspberry flavored jello and use fresh raspberries instead of cranberry sauce.
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad: Use strawberry jello instead of the cranberry jello and use fresh strawberries (check out my Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe for this fruit swap).
- Pineapple Pretzel Salad: Use pineapple jello instead of the cranberry jello and swap the cranberry sauce for crushed pineapple.
- Cranberry Orange Pretzel Salad: Swap the cranberry sauce for mandarin orange slices and mix it into the cranberry jello.
How to Make Cranberry Pretzel Salad
- Prepare Jello Mixture: Dissolve cranberry jello in boiling water, then mix in spreadable cranberry sauce. Set aside.
- Bake Pretzel Base: Combine crushed pretzels, sugar, and melted butter. Press into a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then freeze for another 10 minutes.
- Make Cream Cheese Layer: Whip cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Fold in cool whip.
- Layer and Chill: Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel base. Chill until set.
- Pour Jello Layer: Pour the cranberry jello mixture over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours until set.
- Slice and enjoy!
Tips For Making Cranberry Pretzel Salad
- It’s important to make the third layer first so it has time to cool before it’s used.
- You can skip the cranberry sauce, if desired, it simply adds more of a cranberry kick to the entire dish.
- It’s vital that you don’t rush and pour the jello over the cream cheese layer until it’s fully chilled. You’ll simply cause the cream cheese layer to dissolve into the jello. I’ve done it. It still tastes delicious, but the layers don’t look great.
- It’s important that the jello is room temperature before being poured over the second layer or it will melt the second layer and it can be a bit of a mess.
- If you only have unsalted pretzels, simply swap the unsalted butter for salted butter.
How to Store Cranberry Pretzel Salad
- To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Do not freeze this salad.
More Dessert Salad Recipes
Other Easy Holiday Recipes
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Cranberry Pretzel Salad
Serves — 12
Cranberry Pretzel Salad offers a delightful tart variation to the classic sweet and salty treat. Featuring a buttery baked pretzel crust, a luscious cream cheese layer, and a zesty cranberry topping.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Rest time 4 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
1st Layer:
- 2½ cups Pretzels (salted is best)
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter (½ cup), melted
- ¼ cup White Granulated Sugar
2nd Layer:
- 8 ounces Cool Whip (1 tub)
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temp
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
3rd Layer:
- 2 boxes Cranberry Jello (3 ounces each)
- 15 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (1 Can)
- 1 cup Boiling Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray and go up the sides just a hair. Set aside.
- It’s important to make the third layer first so it has time to cool before it’s used. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cranberry jello and the boiling water for the third layer. Stir until the jello is dissolved.2 boxes Cranberry Jello, 1 cup Boiling Water
- Add the can of cranberry sauce to a small mixing bowl and mix until it resembles more of a homemade look rather than large blobs of gelatin.15 ounces Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
- Add the cranberry sauce to the bowl of jello and stir. Set aside.
- For the first layer, Add the pretzels to a large ziplock bag and beat or roll them with a rolling pin, or similar item, to crush them into small pieces. You don’t want powder or crumbs, just small pieces that are no more than a half inch in size.2½ cups Pretzels
- Add the broken pretzels, sugar, and melted butter to the bowl. The melted butter should be nice and hot. Stir until the pretzels are well coated.1 stick Unsalted Butter, ¼ cup White Granulated Sugar
- Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to the freezer for another 10 minutes.
- For the second layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip it until it’s fluffy. Add the cool whip to the bowl and fold together until the cream cheese is fully incorporated.8 ounces Cool Whip, 8 ounces Cream Cheese, ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- Spread the cream cheese mixture, evenly, over the top of the pretzel layer, making sure that it rests all the way against the edges, all around the pan. You don’t want jello escaping to the lower level.
- Place the pan back in the fridge and let it chill for about 30 minutes or until cooled and thickened.
- Take your already prepared third layer and gently pour it over the top of the cream cheese layer. You will end up with bits of the cranberries from the cranberry sauce. Don’t scoop them all out in one spot. Scoop them out of the container using a spoon or other utensil to ensure they’re spread out.
- Place the pan back in the fridge for 4 hours or until the jello is set. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Jenn’s Notes
- Storage:To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Do not freeze this salad.
Tips:
- It’s important to make the third layer first so it has time to cool before it’s used.
- You can skip the cranberry sauce, if desired, it simply adds more of a cranberry kick to the entire dish.
- It’s vital that you don’t rush and pour the jello over the cream cheese layer until it’s fully chilled. You’ll simply cause the cream cheese layer to dissolve into the jello. I’ve done it. It still tastes delicious, but the layers don’t look great.
- It’s important that the jello is room temperature before being poured over the second layer or it will melt the second layer and it can be a bit of a mess.
- If you only have unsalted pretzels, simply swap the unsalted butter for salted butter.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg
It’s easy to make and utterly delicious!
So glad to find this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!