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Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Cranberry pretzel salad layers a buttery, salty pretzel crust with a smooth cream cheese filling and a tart cranberry topping. Bake the crust, seal it beneath the cream layer, then chill until the cranberry topping is set.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling and setting 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 400
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pretzel crust
  • 2 cups pretzels finely crushed
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
Cream layer
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping thawed
Cranberry topping
  • 2 envelopes (0.25 oz each) unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups cranberry juice cocktail divided
  • 1 can (14 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish

Method
 

Make the pretzel crust
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. Stir together the finely crushed pretzels, granulated sugar, and melted unsalted butter.
  4. Press the mixture evenly into the baking dish.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes.
  6. Cool the crust completely in the dish.
Make the cream layer
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth.
  2. Fold in the thawed whipped topping.
  3. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled crust, taking it all the way to the edges to seal the crust.
  4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the cranberry topping
  1. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup of the cranberry juice cocktail in a small bowl.
  2. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  3. Heat 1 cup of the cranberry juice cocktail in a small saucepan until steaming.
  4. Pour the hot juice over the gelatin.
  5. Whisk until dissolved.
  6. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail and the whole-berry cranberry sauce, breaking up any large clumps of sauce.
  7. Let cool to room temperature.
Assemble and chill
  1. Gently pour the cooled cranberry mixture over the cream layer.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until the topping is set.
  3. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

For a crisp crust, spread the cream layer all the way to the edges to seal it before adding the cranberry topping. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pretzels.