INGREDIENTS:
Base Layer
2 cups pretzel sticks
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1/3 cup sugar
Middle Layer
8 oz. (1 block) cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
Top Layer
1 large packet of strawberry Jell-O
2 cups pineapple juice
2 10-oz tubs of frozen strawberries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Break by hand 2 cups worth of pretzel sticks into 1-inch pieces.
Melt 2 sticks butter in a bowl and then stir in 1/3 cup sugar until well mixed.
Add pretzels to melted butter/sugar mix and stir until all are coated. Take mixture and spread into an even layer in a 9×13 glass baking dish.
Bake pretzel mixture for 10 minutes. Take out and let cool to room temperature.
Next, in a large bowl, cream together with hand mixer the softened 8-oz block of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar. Then fold in 8 oz Cool Whip. Once the pretzel layer has reached room temp, spread the Cool Whip mixture evenly on top. Pro tip: make sure the edges are sealed with mixture so the next layer doesn’t seep through.
Last, in a medium saucepan, heat up 2 cups of pineapple juice. Once it reaches a boil, whisk in the large packet of flavored Jell-O. Whisk until dissolved, then turn off burner. Now add in your 2 tubs (10 oz each) of frozen fruit. The fruit will begin to melt in the warm mixture – continue to stir. Once fruit has fully unthawed in Jell-O mixture, let the pan cool to room temperature. Pro tip: if needed to speed up process, rest sauce pan in an ice bath for 20 minutes.
Once the pan/Jell-O mixture has cooled completely, pour over Cool Whip layer.
Place glass pan in refrigerator. Let set for at least 2 hours.
Your pretzel salad is now ready! Enjoy!