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Recipe and photography by Amy Sturma

Featured Article

Raspberry Pretzel Dessert

A festive, easy holiday treat

Article by Dana Slone

Photography by Amy Sturma

Originally published in Arvada Lifestyle

Raspberry Pretzel Dessert

Raspberry Pretzel Dessert is a sweet and salty treat. Sometimes called Raspberry Pretzel Salad, it is an easy holiday dessert that is deliciously irresistible. Each ingredient makes for a crunchy and artful combination of creamy, savory, and fruity flavors in every bite.

Pretzels bring the salt and make up the majority of the crisp crust. Butter holds it together, adding flavor. Sugar helps balance the cream cheese, while Cool Whip adds smoothness. Raspberry Jell-O brings all the bright fruit flavor with the frozen raspberries adding more flavor plus texture. Garnish with a fresh raspberry, mint leaf and mini pretzel for a final flourish.

Crust:

  •  2 cups crushed pretzels
  • 3/4 unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

Mix crust ingredients and then place in a flat layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Next layer:

  • 1 8-ounce cream cheese package
  • 1 cup sugar

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then fold in 12 oz. Cool Whip. Spread over pretzel crust.

Final layer:

  • 1 large box of Raspberry Jell-O
  • 2 cups boiling water

Mix until Jell-O is dissolved, then fold in 12 ounces of frozen raspberries. Pour over top of cream cheese and layer. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. It can be served in cut shares or shaped as shown.