This cranberry pretzel salad is loaded with the salty goodness of pretzels, a light and fluffy sweet cream cheese mixture and the tartness of cranberries with a hint of orange, come together in this unusual, but delicious pretzel salad recipe.
If you love pretzel salad, then get ready for a holly jolly holiday take on a classic sweet and salty dessert. This delicious dessert takes a classic and turns it on its head with a topping full of classic holiday flavor. Unlike many of the recipes I make, I haven’t been making this one for decades. In fact, I only started making it a couple of years ago. I’ve made this festive dessert recipe a few times over the last couple of holiday seasons (and in between), and it’s always welcome when I serve it. After you make it, I know you’ll love it, too.
Cranberry Pretzel Salad
This delicious pretzel salad starts with a sweet and salty crust made of crushed pretzels, brown sugar, vanilla, flour, and butter that’s baked to crispy, golden brown perfection, then topped with a sweet cream cheese filling, and a deliciously sweet and tart cranberry orange topping made with fresh cranberries, oranges, and sugar. It’s so easy to make, and every bite tastes like the classic holidays of old. You’ll be expecting to find wooden toys under the tree!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Pretzel Salad
- It’s sweet, salty, and super easy to make.
- It’s loaded with fresh cranberries, oranges, a sweet cream cheese filling, and a pretzel crust.
- And, it’s super festive, and a great dessert for the holidays.
Tips
- Fully soften your cream cheese to avoid a lumpy filling with little bits of raw cream cheese in it.
- Crush your pretzels just enough for them to combine with the other ingredients. You want them small, but you don’t want powder.
- Stir your cranberry mixture frequently while it cooks so it doesn’t scorch.
Variations
- Change the flavor, by making the fruit filling with your favorite berries.
- Use diced fruits like apples, pears, or peaches for different filling, as well.
What to Serve with Cranberry Pretzel Salad
Serve up this delicious pretzel salad alongside any of your other favorite holiday desserts at your next holiday gathering. The flavors are also perfect after the holiday meal, whether you have turkey, ham, prime rib, or something else. Honestly, there’s never a bad meal to pair this sweet and salty dessert with.
Recipe FAQ
What is cranberry pretzel salad?
Pretzel salad is a sweet and salty dessert made with a pretzel crust and sweet cream cheese and fruit toppings.
Why is it called pretzel salad?
No one seems to know why it’s called a salad? We know that it was called that when it first appeared in the 1960s in the “Joys of Jell-O” cookbook.
Can you use frozen cranberries in place of fresh cranberries?
Absolutely. Defrost them and use them in the same quantities that you’d use fresh cranberries.
Can you make cranberry pretzel salad in advance?
You sure can. Pretzel salad is actually better the longer it sits, so feel free to make it the day before you’re ready to serve it.
Can you freeze cranberry pretzels salad?
Yes. Wrap the original container in a double layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and freeze it for up to a month.
How to Store Cranberry Pretzel Salad
Store this pretzel salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container or in the original container wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.
Cranberry Pretzel Salad Ingredients
Every part of this recipe uses simple ingredients that you’ll easily find at your local grocery store. Many of them are baking staples, so you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. The actual measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Pretzel Crust
- Crushed pretzels
- Vanilla extract
- Brown sugar
- All purpose flour
- Butter
Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Cool whip
Cranberry Orange Topping
- Fresh cranberries
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Zest from 1orange
- Orange juice
- Cornstarch
How to Make Cranberry Pretzel Salad
This recipe is very basic, so anyone can make it. It only takes a few minutes, and there’s absolutely nothing complicated about it.
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 13×9 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Pretzel Crust
Add crushed pretzels, vanilla, brown sugar, and flour to a medium bowl and stir. Melt the butter and add it to the pretzel mixture. Stir to combine.
Step 3: Bake the Pretzel Crust
Spread the pretzel mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it into an even, smooth layer. Save ½ cup for the topping. Then, bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
Step 4: Make the Cranberry Orange Topping
Add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and cornstarch to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the cranberries burst and thicken up. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.
Step 5: Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the cream cheese for 2 to 3 minutes with an electric hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then, add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Fold in the Cool Whip.
Step 6: Make the Cranberry Pretzel Salad
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Then, pour and spread the cranberry orange mixture evenly over the cream cheese mixture. Finally, top with the remaining crushed pretzels. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Try This Delicious Pretzel Salad Today
This delicious pretzel salad is so good and so easy to make. It’s loaded with festive, holiday flavors, and it takes so little effort, you’ll be happy to serve it up anytime, anywhere. Bring this sweet and salty dessert to your next holiday gathering or holiday potluck and get ready to be the star of the dessert show. Once you try this, I guarantee you’ll be making it all the time.
More Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Orange Pecan Crisp – A great dessert for the holiday season; loaded with fresh cranberries and orange zest, it’ll easily become a family favorite.
White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Cookies – Soft and chewy cookies that are made with dried craisins, white chocolate chips, and pecans, making these a great cookie for holiday cookie exchanges.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry – A flaky puff pastry that is filled with fresh cranberry filling, a sweet cream cheese mixture, and then baked to a golden perfection. These are great for breakfast, brunch, or as a dessert.
And, try these Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls from Deliciously Seasoned. These are so easy to make using pre-made cinnamon rolls, fresh cranberries, and a delicious brown sugar pecan crust.
Cranberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
Pretzel Crust
- 2½ cups crushed pretzels
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ cup butter, melted
Cranberry Orange Topping
- 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 8 ounce package cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounce container cool whip
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly spray a 13 x 9 glass baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Pretzel Crust
- In a medium bowl, add crushed pretzels, vanilla, brown sugar and flour. Stir.
- Melt butter and add to the pretzel mixture. Stir until combined.
- Spread the pretzel mixture into the prepared baking dish. Press into an even, smooth layer (saving ½ cup of mixture for the topping).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Cranberry Orange Topping
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add cranberries, sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice and cornstarch. Stir. Bring to a boil and cook until cranberries burst and thicken up. Remove from heat and let cool.
Cream Cheese Mixture
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy, then add powdered sugar. Beat until combined and fold in cool whip until combined.
- Once the crust has cooled completely, spread cream cheese layer over the pretzel crust.
- Top with cranberry orange filling and spread evenly.
- Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
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