Red, White, and Blue Pretzel Salad is the perfect no-bake dessert for your 4th of July celebration. With just 15 minutes of prep, you’ll have a sweet and salty treat that’s cool, creamy, and perfect for making ahead.
This Red, White, and Blue Pretzel Salad is a festive twist on the classic! A salty-sweet pretzel crust is topped with a creamy cheesecake filling and a layer of strawberries and blueberries. It’s a refreshing no-bake dessert that’s perfect for the 4th of July—or any summer get-together.
It only takes about 15 minutes to prep to whip up. It can also be made ahead of time, which means more time for enjoying the celebration and less time in the kitchen.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter because the pretzel twists are already salted.
- Cream cheese: I like to use full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest filling.
- Heavy cream: It’s important to use heavy cream for the fluffiest filling. Using something like half-and-half will give you runnier filling.
- Berries: You can use a different ratio or combination of berries if you prefer.
How to make red, white, & blue pretzel salad
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Finely crush the pretzels in a food processor, blender, or with a rolling pin. I like to place them on a rimmed baking tray if using a rolling pin to contain the pretzels as I crush them.
Step 2: Place the crumbs in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Step 3: Add the melted butter and brown sugar, and stir to combine.
Step 4: Press the crust mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 pan. I like to use a flat-bottom glass or a measuring cup to really press the crumbs into the pan. Set aside.
Step 5: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well-combined.
Step 6: Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, and beat until well-combined.
Step 7: Gently spoon the filling over the crust, and carefully spread into an even layer.
Step 8: Add the berries over the top. I like to intermix the blueberries and strawberries.
Step 9: Chill for 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.
Recipe Tips!
- Pressing the crust: It’s important to firmly press the crust into the pan so that it doesn’t break apart into crumbles when it is cut.
- Berries: If your berries are really ripe, you may choose to wait until just before serving to top the pretzel salad so that the strawberries don’t get soggy.
- Make ahead: You can make this recipe through step 7. Cover the pan and chill for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, top with berries.
Storage
Store any leftover pretzel salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
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Red White & Blue Pretzel Salad
Equipment
- 8×8 pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups miniature pretzel twists
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
Filling
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 ¾ cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 ¼ cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Finely crush the pretzels in a food processor, blender, or with a rolling pin.3 cups miniature pretzel twists
- Place the crumbs in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Add the melted butter and brown sugar, and stir to combine.1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- Firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well-combined.16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, and beat until well-combined.2/3 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gently spoon the filling over the crust.
- Add the berries over the top.2 ¾ cups chopped fresh strawberries, 1 ¼ cups fresh blueberries
- Chill for 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter because the pretzel twists are already salted.
- Cream cheese: I like to use full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest filling.
- Heavy cream: It’s important to use heavy cream for the fluffiest filling. Using something like half-and-half will give you runnier filling.
- Berries: You can use a different ratio or combination of berries if you prefer.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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