Layers of sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy all come together in this fun treat. Cherry cheesecake pretzel salad is perfect for potlucks, bbqs, holidays and more.
This fun twist on the classic strawberry pretzel salad has the literal cherry on top! It has the perfect mix of flavors and textures.
It’s a great make ahead and easily portable treat that is perfect for so many occasions. In fact, you might want to go ahead and make two!
If you are like me, you grew up eating and loving strawberry pretzel salad. The layer of pretzel crust was the perfect base for a cream cheese filling and jello and fruit topping.
It was a staple at spring and summer gatherings. It was known for disappearing quickly, so you had to get your piece early.
I know some families serve it as a dessert, but my family always took the word salad in the title as an excuse to serve it as a side dish.
Maybe it was just because we couldn’t wait to dig in. Most probably it was so we could still have a dessert as well!
A couple of years ago I made a delicious orange creamsicle pretzel salad that was an instant hit. We are a sucker for all things orange and cream, so I wasn’t surprised.
This time I was inspired to put a new fruity spin on it. This the cherry pretzel salad was born!
It’s perfect really. It’s a lot like a no bake cheesecake with cherry topping.
But the salty pretzel base adds that extra layer of flavor. It lights up so many taste receptors!
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Plus the addition of gelatin to the topping makes it set firmer. You can cut a slice and it will hold its shape.
That way if you are like us and serve it as a side, you don’t get cherry pie filling all over your other food! It just has so many things going for it.
Have you ever made a fun variation of layered jello salad? I’d love to hear about your favorites!
Tips and Tricks
This recipe is super simple to make, but it does take a little time between each step. You may be tempted to rush it along, but for the best results you will want to give each layer the time it deserves.
Your pretzels don’t have to be ground completely into powder, but you do want them pretty well broken up to make serving and eating your salad more enjoyable. You can use plastic bags and a rolling pin to make that happen, but if you have a food processor it is the perfect tool for the job.
Allow the crust to cool completely before you add the cream cheese filling. Then make sure the cream cheese filling touches the pan the whole way around.
If your cream cheese filling isn’t making contact with the pan, the jello can leak underneath. Your dish will still be edible, but not nearly as pretty and the pretzels will be soft.
Allow the cream cheese filling to set in the refrigerator while the jello mixture cools at room temperature a bit. Then gently pour the jello over the cream cheese and put the whole thing back in the refrigerator until the jello is set.
It really is an easy recipe, but taking care between layers is the key to the best finished product!
Storage
It is a good idea to make this dish the night before you plan to serve it in order to give it plenty of time to set up. Just put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.
Leftovers should also be stored in the refrigerator. They are edible for up to a week, but the pretzels will start to get soft after a few days.
Luckily the leftovers never last that long around here. This pretzel salad gets gobbled up in the first day or two every time!
If you like recipes like this, be sure to check out my collection of Jello recipes. There are so many tasty treats to try.
Cherry Cheesecake Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed pretzels
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cups butter
Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping
- 3 oz box cherry gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 21 oz can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place crushed pretzels and sugar in the bottom of a 9×13" pan. Melt the butter and pour over the pretzels and sugar. Mix and spread over the bottom of the pan, pressing slightly. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove to cool.2 cups crushed pretzels, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, ¾ cups butter
- In a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until super smooth.16 ounces cream cheese
- Add sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated.1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Slowly drizzle in the cream while the mixer is running and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy. Spread over the cooled pretzel crust. Be sure to spread it all the way to the edges. Put in the refrigerator to set up.1 cup heavy cream
- Stir the gelatin powder into the hot water until it is dissolved.3 oz box cherry gelatin, 1 cup boiling water
- Add the cherry pie filling and stir. Allow to sit on the counter until it is room temperature. Slowly pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until set, at least a couple of hours.21 oz can cherry pie filling
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I love having salads like this and still getting more sweets for dessert! I don't think we've had this at any family gatherings, so I will have to share this!
It's like a double bonus! I love how proud Little Dude was that he had multiple servings of salad 😉
Hi Carlee, this sounds very similar to a cheesecake recipe I make except the base on yours sounds very intriguing! I never thought of using pretzels as a base, but I do fancy the sweet and salty combination.
xx
The crunchy salty pretzels add a fun touch!
Yes! It’s like a mixture of my two favorite desserts I make, my pineapple pretzel salad and what we call cherry delight, just like this but with a graham cracker crust. This sounds so good and refreshing right now, I’m going to have to make it for sure! Hope you’re safe and healthy my friend!
So far so good! Thank you so much, Andrea! And now I want pineapple pretzel salad xoxo