This recipe has been a family staple at special events and holidays my entire life thanks to my mom, so I wanted to share it again today with Thanksgiving coming up next week! You will definitely want to include this at your dinner this year. I remember it most at Thanksgiving and it’s a staple every year at our table; if there isn’t raspberry pretzel jello salad, then it isn’t Thanksgiving! We also like to make it for our Christmas eve dinner. We serve it with dinner as a side dish but let’s be honest, it’s dessert. If you serve it with dinner, though, you don’t have to feel bad about having your “real dessert” afterward. Bring on ten desserts.
It has a buttery and savory base layer, topped with a cream cheese and whipped cream middle, finished with raspberry jello and raspberries. It’s so perfect that literally anyone that has ever tasted it loves it. When you first hear “raspberry pretzel jello salad,” it does sound interesting I must admit. I have received a few smirks in my day when I talk about it, and then the smirk suddenly turns into a big grin when people actually try it. Plus, it looks fancy.
This dessert/side dish isn’t hard to make at all, but it does take a bit of time in waiting for each layer to be ready. The main things to keep in mind are :
*The bottom layer must cool completely before you layer it with the cream cheese mixture.
*Set out the cream cheese and make sure it’s completely room temperature before you mix it with the cool whip and sugar so it’s not lumpy. Also make sure you spread it completely over the top of the pretzel mixture so the edges are sealed around the pan so the jello doesn’t seep through to the bottom layer and make the pretzels soggy.
*THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT – make sure the top jello and raspberry layer is cooled and at an egg white-like consistency before you put it on top of the cream cheese layer. If it’s still boiling hot, it will heat through the cream cheese layer and make the pretzels soggy…not that I did this last month when I made it or anything…
2 cups water
This is one of our family traditions too except we use strawberries and strawberry jello! So yummy!
http://www.lifeofbrookeandjane.blogspot.com/2014/12/graphic-tee.html
Strawberry would be delicious!!
Can you please clarify what size packages of frozen raspberries you used in this recipe? Thanks.
Yes it's the 12 oz bag! 🙂
IS this something that should be eaten the day of, or can you make it a day or two in advance?
Abby – I would recommend eating it the day of but you can also eat it the day after and beyond if you don’t let the top layer touch the bottom layer. So don’t scoop any out, because when the top layer sits on the bottom layer, then the pretzels can get soggy.
I know you’ll love it!