Creamy Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Salad is the perfect side for a special occasion. A combination of crunchy glazed pretzels mixed with strawberries and covered in a cream cheese-whipped cream base, this salad is sure to become popular with your family and friends.
Because it’s made with strawberries, it’s great for Easter. And because it’s red, it’s ideal for Christmas. Then, because it’s fresh and unique, it’s wonderful on the 4th of July. Versatility at its best!
And, better yet, I’ve found a way to make this side dish with less sugar than the original. More on that below.
After you’ve made this salad, check out this strawberry pie recipe that includes an easy, press-in-the-plate pie crust.
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Assembling Creamy Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Salad
First, take out 8 ounces cream cheese to get it softening.
Then, crush a heaping cup of pretzels so that after they’re crushed, you have one cup crushed pretzels. How to crush pretzels? Place them in a Ziploc bag and pound gently with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.
Next, combine pretzels with 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup brown sugar OR 1/4 cup Truvia brown sugar, and 6 tablespoons melted butter.
Making This Recipe with Less Sugar
Now this is your first opportunity to really cut down on the sugar and calories by opting for the Truvia. I’ve been amazed at how well Truvia has performed in my baked products and in a recipe such as this salad.
Now I’m not an advocate for chemical-laced fake sugars. What I like about Truvia is that it’s made with a blend of real sugar and stevia. Stevia is “a sugar substitute made from the leaves of the stevia plant. It’s about 100 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, but it has no carbohydrates, calories, or artificial ingredients.”1 Since stevia is so sweet, a tiny bit of it goes a long way, so it lacks the bulk of sugar. Mixing stevia with sugar gives it the necessary mass to use in recipes.
Back to Assembling the Salad
Now, spread your pretzel mixture on a baking sheet and bake 6 minutes at 400 degrees, stirring halfway through the 6 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.
While the pretzels are baking, beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream to stiff peaks (when you insert a spoon and pull it out, the whipped cream remains standing up).
Set whipped cream aside so you can use the bowl to beat 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar OR 1/4 cup Truvia cane sugar blend, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stop once to clean sides of bowl and beat until smooth. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until just before serving.
Kitchen & ServewareWash and dice 3 cups strawberries.
Just before serving, combine whipped cream mixture, baked pretzels, and strawberries.
Creamy Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed pretzels
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup brown sugar OR 1/4 cup Truvia brown sugar blend
- 6 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar OR 1/4 cup Truvia cane sugar blend
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 cups diced strawberries
Instructions
- Crush pretzels by placing them in a Ziploc bag and hitting gently with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.
- Combine crushed pretzels with chopped pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter.
- Spread pretzel mixture on baking pan.
- Bake 6 minutes at 400 degrees, stirring halfway through to prevent burning; set aside.
- Beat 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks; set aside.
- Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, stopping once to scrape sides of bowl.
- Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
- Store whipped cream mixture in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Wash and dice 3 cups strawberries.
- When ready to serve, combine whipped cream mixture, baked pretzels, and strawberries.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Salad
Serves: 12
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 318 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 26g | 40% | |
| Saturated Fat 15g | 75% | |
| Trans Fat 0 | ||
| Cholesterol 69mg | 23% | |
| Sodium 208mg | 8.7% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 19g | 6.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% | |
| Sugars 7g | ||
| Protein 4g | ||
| Vitamin A 415 IU | Vitamin C 23mg | |
| Calcium 32mg | Iron 1mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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