Strawberry Pretzel Bars

By Renna

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely crushed pretzels
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 (4-serving) packages strawberry-flavored gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen strawberries (See Note)
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press mixture into bottom of baking dish. Bake 8 minutes; let cool.

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add strawberries and chill until slightly thickened.

In another large bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, combine cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth and creamy. Fold in whipped topping and spread evenly over pretzel crust.

With an electric beater on low speed, beat gelatin and strawberries until berries are broken up. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, or until firm.

Note: Although the strawberries need to be thawed slightly so they are not frozen solid, the colder they are, the faster the gelatin will thicken.