The Best Raspberry Jello Salad Recipe

Raspberry Jello Salad is a popular, colorful, and sweet dessert that is perfect for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

The family favorite three-layer recipe is one of those great desserts that brighten up the holiday table.

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Raspberry pretzel Jello salad combines salty and sweet flavors for a wonderful dessert that works at office parties, potlucks, and dessert at home.

Some folks even serve it as a side dish on the Christmas or Thanksgiving table.

I love the buttery sweet, and salty pretzel crust with a cream cheese Cool Whip mixture in the middle and a sweet and colorfully red top that is perfect for Christmas.

There are a lot of different and unique ways to make a raspberry Jell-O salad. Some people mix the Jell-O with marshmallows, some add applesauce, and some add nuts.

You can also add strawberries and cranberries to give it a different taste, as well as use different flavored Jell-O.

I’ll be showing you how to make the layered recipe today.

What Ingredients Are Needed For The Salad?

• Raspberry Jell-O
• Boiling water
• Cream Cheese
• Cool Whip Whipped Topping
• Sugar
• Butter
• Mini pretzels
• Vanilla extract
• Frozen raspberries

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

How To Make The Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad?

1. Add the raspberry Jell-O packets to a large bowl and pour in the boiling water. Mix until the Jell-O has dissolved.
2. Next, add the frozen raspberries to the bowl and set it aside.
3. Crush the mini-pretzels and add to a medium-sized bowl.
4. Add the sugar and melted butter and toss until the pretzels are covered.
5. Press the pretzels into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.
6. In another medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and Cool Whip, and mix until well blended.
7. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzels, making sure to seal the edges around the baking dish, so the Jell-O doesn’t seep through. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Finally, pour the Jell-O over the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least two hours until the Jell-O sets up. Serve!

Step-By-Step Instructions For How To Make Jello Salad

Start the recipe by adding the two packets of Jell-O to a medium-sized bowl and pour the boiling water in. Mix until the powder has dissolved.

Next, add the frozen raspberries to the Jell-O and set it aside.

I like to use frozen raspberries because it helps cool the Jell-O off faster and gets it started firming up a little.

For this recipe, I bought fresh raspberries and placed them in the freezer for about two hours before adding them to the Jell-O mixture.

Keep the Jell-O on the counter while you continue with the recipe because you don’t want to place it in the refrigerator and let it set up before pouring it over the cream cheese mixture.

First Layer – Pretzel Layer

Break the pretzels up and add the sugar and melted butter. Toss until all of the pretzels are covered.

I like my pretzels to be a little bit crunchy, so I didn’t crush them into a fine powder.

Spread the pretzels into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

Middle Layer – Cream Cheese Layer

In another medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese.

Next, add the sugar and vanilla extract.

Now, add the Cool Whip Whipped Topping and mix until everything is combined with an electric mixer.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel layer and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Very Important Tip: Make sure you spread the cream cheese mixture to the edges of the baking dish, helping seal it; otherwise, the Jell-O will seep through and lift your pretzel layer and make it soggy.

Top Layer – Jello Mixture

Finally, pour Jell-O mixture over the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the Jell-O to set up.

While waiting for the pretzel layer to cook and the cream cheese mixture to cool in the refrigerator, the Jell-O started to thicken a little.

That is what you want to have happen; otherwise, the Jell-O will seep through if it is still too runny.

The first time I made this Jello pretzel salad, I didn’t refrigerate the cream cheese or spread it to the edges.

When I poured my very runny Jell-O over the top, it all ran down through the pretzel layer, uprooted everything, and made the pretzels soft. Epic fail!

So, I learned the hard way on that one, ha!

Optional Ingredients

• Crushed pineapple
• Mandarin oranges
• Mashed bananas
• Mini marshmallows
• Orange zest

Other Holidays Desserts:

• Homemade cinnamon rolls with buttermilk are the perfect addition to any holiday breakfast. You only need a few simple ingredients for a delicious treat.
• Chocolate layer dessert with homemade whipped cream is a delicious dessert that’s great for parties and gatherings.
• Cream cheese brownies are easy to make and always taste amazing.
• Chocolate chess pie is always a great dessert for any occasion.
• Sweetened condensed milk chocolate pie is a super easy recipe and sinfully rich.
• Chocolate pecan pie is another dangerously rich dessert that is a fun recipe to make.
• Christmas cranberry salad is another great recipe using Jell-O.
• Christmas Jell-O salad recipes from Taste Of Home feature a variety of your favorite salads with Jello.

FAQs

Does The Raspberry Pretzel Salad Need To Be Refrigerated?

Yes, you need to refrigerate the salad because it has cream cheese which will go bad if not refrigerated, and the Jell-O will get very runny.

How To Store The Jell-O Salad

Store the salad in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

What Type Of Dish Should I Use?

I would use a 13-inch by 9-inch metal or a glass dish for the recipe.

The glass looks prettier because you can see the three different layers.

Raspberry Jello Salad Recipe Card

Get the recipe for the best raspberry Jello salad recipe below.

The raspberry flavor, sweet cream cheese, buttery pretzel crust, and bright red color are perfect for the holidays, especially on the Christmas table.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Find more delicious recipes at Julia’s Simply Southern, and South Your Mouth.