Pineapple Pretzel Salad

This easy, light pineapple pretzel salad dessert recipe combines crushed pretzels with pineapple and jello for a unique and delicious combination of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Chill Time4

Total Time4 25

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pineapple Pretzel Salad Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 517kcal

Ingredients

2½ cups crushed pretzels, 5 cups of whole pretzels
1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided into ½ cup and ¾ cup
¾ cup salted sweet cream butter, melted
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces whipped topping, thawed (if choosing to top with a spoonful of whipped topping you will need an additional amount of whipped topping, you can buy 2 8-ounce whipped topping and use one full container and half of the other container for the recipe and the remaining half container for the topping)
1 cup boiling water
40 ounces of crushed pineapple in 100% pineapple juice (two 20-ounce cans)
6 ounces pineapple gelatin mix
20 ounces pineapple chunks, the chunks can be used as optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
Add the crushed pretzels and ½ cup granulated sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter to the pretzel mixture. Stir to coat completely. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Bake the pretzel base for 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely.
Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese for 1 to 1½ minutes until no lumps remain.
Add the remaining ¾ cup granulated sugar and vanilla extract for another 1 to 1½ minutes until completely incorporated.
Fold in the thawed whipped topping.
Use an offset spatula or silicone spatula to spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel crust evenly. When smoothing the cream cheese mixture, make sure to create a small ledge around the sides with the cream cheese mixture. This will help create a wall or barrier to prevent the jello from seeping down the sides into the pretzel base and making it soggy.
Drain the juice of 1 can of crushed pineapple, but do not drain the second can.
Add the boiling water to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle both packages of gelatin over the boiling water. Stir to dissolve the gelatin completely.
Add both cans of crushed pineapple, 1 can drained, and 1 can with the juice to the dissolved gelatin. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes or until the gelatin is just starting to thicken but has not set.
Carefully spoon the gelatin mixture over the cream cheese layer, be sure it does not go over the edges of the cream cheese. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until set. Slice 3 slices x 4 slices before you are ready to serve.
May garnish with a spoonful of whipped topping and a small piece of drained pineapple chunk

Notes

You can crush the pretzels in the food processor or add them in batches to a gallon-size ziplock bag and use either a rolling pin or even the cans of crushed pineapple to crush the pretzels.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your crust as the suggested baking time approaches.
Be sure to really seal the cream cheese mixture all the way to the edges over the pretzels so that when the gelatin is added, it doesn’t seep into the pretzel crust and make it soggy.

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