Healthy Gluten Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad ♥

 It's summer and I am nostalgic going through my mother's summer recipes I stumbled upon this classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad. My version is healthier and gluten free! ♥

Ingredients  ♥

• 6 oz. strawberry  sugar free Jell-O

• 2 cups boiling water

• 2 1/2 cups salted pretzels Gluten Free, (measured before crushing)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar ( Sugar in the Raw organic white)

• 8 Tbsp. unsalted margarine

• 8 oz. package light cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar ( Sugar in the Raw organic white)

• 8 oz. cool whip, thawed in the fridge

• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions ♥

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine strawberry Jell-O with 2 cups boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Crush 2 1/2 cups pretzels in a sturdy Ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt 8 Tbsp. margarine then add 1/4 cup sugar and stir. Mix in crushed pretzels. Transfer to a 13x9 glass casserole dish, pressing the pretzel mix evenly over the bottom of the dish and bake for 10 min at 350°F, then cool to room temp.

4. When pretzels have cooled, use an electric hand mixer to beat 8 oz. cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on medium/high speed until fluffy and white. Fold in 8 oz. Cool Whip until no streaks of cream cheese remain. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels, spreading to the edges of the dish to create a tight seal. Refrigerate 30 min.

5. Hull and slice 1 lb. strawberries then stir into your room temperature Jell-O. Pour and spread strawberry Jell-O mixture evenly over your cooled cream cheese layer and refrigerate until Jell-O is set (2-4 hours).

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