Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Amethyst · November 3, 2025, 10:43pm

Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 4 hours 50 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12

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

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 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 Jell-O and the boiling water for the third layer. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

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.

Add the cranberry sauce to the bowl of Jell-O 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.

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.

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.

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 the 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!

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.

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 Jell-O instead of the cranberry Jell-O 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 them into the cranberry jello.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use fresh cranberries in this recipe?

I do not recommend using fresh cranberries in the jello for this recipe unless you cook them down first. They’re hard, way too tart, and throw off the dish.

What is the best way to crush the pretzels?

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. You can also crush the pretzels in the food processor.

Nutritional Facts:

Recipe courtesy of Princess Pink Girl.com