Strawberry Crackle Salad

When you think of salad, it’s often a green salad with lettuce, a pasta salad, a potato salad or even a Jell-O salad. There are so many midwestern salads that are still called salad even though they feature ingredients you wouldn’t think are healthy—for example, the candy in an apple Snickers salad and marshmallows in fluff salads.

By the midwestern definition, this recipe for strawberry crackle salad should definitely qualify as a salad. The recipe is a riff on strawberry pretzel salad, a sweet-and-salty potluck favorite. And truth be told, it has all the hallmarks of your favorite salad: a satisfyingly crunchy topping, a creamy “dressing” made with cream cheese and Cool Whip, and fresh strawberries too. Bring this creamy vintage strawberry dessert to your next get-together and you’ll be amazed how quickly it disappears!

Strawberry Crackle Salad Ingredients

• Crackle: To make the crackle, combine crushed pretzels and chopped pecans with brown sugar and melted butter, and then bake the mixture to create a crunchy candied salad mix-in and topping.
• Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before incorporating it with the Cool Whip. If you forget to set out the cream cheese in advance, you can zap it in the microwave in five-second intervals until it’s soft.
• Cool Whip: Pull the Cool Whip from the freezer and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight to thaw. You can substitute homemade whipped cream if you prefer, although it lacks the stabilizers found in packaged whipped topping so it will deflate (and begin to release moisture) at a quicker rate. If you want to go the homemade route, we’d recommend stabilized whipped cream made with pudding mix instead of regular homemade whipped cream.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar counteracts the tanginess of the cream cheese and sweetens the salad.
• Strawberries: Strawberries are the star of the show in this creamy dessert salad. Choose strawberries that are perfectly ripe, because not-quite-ripe strawberries will not be as flavorful and overripe strawberries may turn to mush.
• Vanilla: A little bit of vanilla extract enhances the flavors of this strawberry crackle salad.

Directions

Step 1: Make the crackle

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, stir together the crushed pretzels, chopped pecans and brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir to coat.

Spread the pretzel mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for five to eight minutes or until bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Once cool, break into small pieces.

Step 2: Make the strawberries and cream mixture

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the Cool Whip. Once combined, fold in the chopped strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least one hour.

Step 3: Add the crunch

Just before serving, stir in half the pretzel crunch. Top with the remaining pretzel crunch and serve.

Editor’s Tip: The candied pecans and pretzels will lose their crunchiness once folded into the salad, so wait to add until you’re ready to serve the salad.

Strawberry Crackle Salad Variations

• Switch the berries: Swap in raspberries, blueberries or blackberries for the strawberries, or use a combination of berries for a colorful dish.
• Lighten it up: For a lighter version, replace half the cream cheese with plain Greek yogurt. You could also use neufchatel cheese in place of the cream cheese.
• Add a little spice: Stir in a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground ginger or ground nutmeg to add a warm, spiced flavor to the salad.

How to Store Strawberry Crackle Salad

Leftover strawberry crackle salad should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Any extra crackle topping can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week so that it keeps its crunch factor.

How long does strawberry crackle salad last?

Strawberry crackle salad lasts up to three days when stored properly in the fridge. The crackle will soften over time, although it will still be tasty. If you plan to make the salad ahead of time, store the salad and crackle separately, and don’t combine them until just before serving.

Strawberry Crackle Salad Tips

What else can you serve with strawberry crackle salad?

This strawberry crackle salad is a delicious way to end a summer barbecue with your grilled favorites, such as burgers, barbecue chicken or grilled kabobs. It would also be a tasty addition to any summer potluck dessert table. My favorite way to serve this salad is as a topping for slices of angel food cake or pound cake for a super-simple (and delicious!) take on strawberry shortcake.