Gluten-Free Raspberry Pretzel Salad

A serving of raspberry pretzel salad on a plate

Meaningful Eats

Gluten-Free Raspberry Pretzel Salad

Gluten-Free raspberry pretzel salad is the PERFECT sweet and salty combo! Made with a crispy pretzel crust, whipped cream cheese, and raspberry Jell-O, it's the best upgrade to a retro Jell-O dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 6 15

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

Pretzel Crust:

1 ¾ cups coarsely crushed gluten-free pretzels (see note) 140-150 g
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 40 g
½ cup butter, melted 40 g

Cream Layer:

8- ounce package 227 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar 143 g
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Jello:

6- ounce package raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
12- ounce package frozen raspberries don’t thaw

Instructions

Make the Pretzel Crust:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl, mix together the pretzels, brown sugar, and butter until evenly combined.
Press the mixture into an even layer in the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely.

Make the Cream Layer:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a medium bowl with an electric mixer) mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
Scrape down the bottom and side of the bowls. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the heavy cream followed by the vanilla. Mix until thick and creamy until 2-3 minutes.
Spread the cream layer evenly over the cooled pretzel crust all the way to the edges. Refrigerate until the raspberry layer is ready.

Make the Raspberry Layer:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the jello and boiling water until the jello is fully dissolved. Stir in the frozen raspberries.
Let the mixture sit for just a few minutes to set up a bit (don’t let it sit too long though or it will be hard to spread).
Pour the raspberry jello mixture over the top and gently spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until firm and set up, 6-8 hours. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

My favorite brand of gluten-free pretzels is Synder.
Heavy Cream: Be sure to use “heavy cream” because it contains a milk fat percentage of 35% (or higher). Many brands of heavy whipping cream only have 30-35% milk fat, whereas heavy cream has 35% or higher. This mousse needs the extra milk fat to be sure it turns out thick and creamy. I prefer Darigold heavy cream (40% milk fat). Not all brands or cartons label the milk fat percentage, so to be safe, look for a brand that has 35% (or higher) written on the carton.

Nutrition