Strawberry Pretzel Salad is an absolute must make during the holidays (or even the New Year!), especially when you can make it SUGAR FREE (optional) but just as delicious as the traditional version! This Sugar Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe is made with layers of salty and buttery pretzels, low fat cream cheese/whipped cream, and of course and tangy strawberry jello topping. It’s a delicious side dish or even dessert for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and beyond!
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Strawberry Pretzel Salad (Sugar Free!)
Strawberry Pretzel Salad your Grandma used to make is good, but Sugar Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad is even better! You’ll never miss all that sugar.
To me, every holiday table needs a layered salad or sweet side to balance all the main courses like Honey Baked Ham, Roasted Turkey, or Brisket. This Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe is one of my all-time favorites, but with a twist! I’ve swapped out the sugar for stevia, and am so excited to share how tasty this recipe can be when made a bit healthier. It’s just as delicious, trust me!
I love that you can easily make Classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad a bit healthier with a few tweaks. Its the perfect side dish year round. See below for tips!
How to make Strawberry Pretzel Salad Sugar Free
For this Sugar Free recipe, I’m not counting natural fruit sugars into the equation. I’m talking about added sugars, which is the kind we sometimes want to avoid.
Traditional holiday Strawberry Pretzel Salad has a LOT of added sugar…some in every layer of this classic side dish/dessert. I’ve got some good tips for making this recipe a bit healthier. There’s enough calories already surrounding Christmas, so some simple substitutions can really make a big difference!
- Use canned pineapple that is in 100% juice. CHECK THE LABEL. Make sure the ingredients say “pineapple” and “pineapple juice” and that’s it. A lot of canned fruit will be in sugary syrup and there’s just no reason for that!
- When buying frozen strawberries, take care to make sure the bag says “NO SUGAR ADDED”. Again, a lot of companies will freeze in a syrup loaded in extra, unnecessary sweetness. Strawberries are tastiest on their own, so pick a frozen kind void of any added sweeteners.
- Buy Sugar Free Whipped Topping. There’s a difference here between sugar free and lite or low fat. We want the sugar free option here. Again, its just not needed!
Those tips are all great, but the MOST IMPORTANT step in making this Strawberry Pretzel Salad sugar free is swapping out the sugar for Stevia In The Raw® . You guys might remember me making over a few of my traditional holiday favorites this year, like Iced Gingerbread Loaf and Pumpkin Crumble. Making these traditional recipes sugar free has been SO FUN and I think I’m addicted.
Stevia In The Raw® is a zero-calorie sweetener made from the sweet leaves of the stevia plant, and is absolutely perfect for all your baking needs.
Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag makes cooking 1:1 with stevia instead of sugar sooo easy, and can save on average 700 calories per recipe. SAY WHAT?! Such an easy way to make our very favorite recipes a bit healthier.
Other amazing Holiday Side Dish Recipes
Is this a dessert? Is it a salad? Is it a side dish?? I’m not sure to be honest! In our family, we eat it as a side dish. Then I eat it for dessert. Then I usually eat more for breakfast the following day. Can you blame me??? Strawberry Pretzel Salad is DELICIOUS! Here are some other sweet side dishes we love:
- Pineapple Pretzel Salad
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Fried Apples
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze
- Waldorf Salad
- Watergate Salad (Pistachio Fluff)
- Boozy Cranberry Sauce
- Pineapple Bread Pudding
- Cranberry Salad
What to pair with Strawberry Pretzel Salad
I’m SO excited about all of our holiday main courses we have been churning out lately! Some favorites (that would be SO tasty with this Strawberry Salad for Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving) include: Beef Tenderloin, Orange Cranberry Pork Loin, Sweet Tea Pork Tenderloin, Instant Pot Pot Roast, Classic Prime Rib, or even Thai Beef Brisket!
Don’t mind me, I’ll just be eating this Sugar Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad for breakfast, lunch (I actually did eat a huge square for lunch today, shhh!), dinner, AND dessert until Christmas. Don’t you want to just dive right in?? Do it!!!
See the recipe card for full instructions on how to make Sugar Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
If you like this Sugar Free Strawberry Salad, check out some of our other favorite strawberry recipes!
- Strawberry Brownies
- Fresh Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
- Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Strawberry Pie
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oatmeal
Sugar Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups pretzels crushed (about 4 cups before crushing)
- 3/4 cup salted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons Stevia In The Raw® (or sugar) Bakers Bag
- 8 ounces low fat cream cheese
- 3/4 cup Stevia In The Raw® (or sugar) Bakers Bag
- 8 ounces sugar free whipped topping
- 6 ounces sugar free strawberry gelatin mix 2 packages
- 2 cups boiling water
- 14 ounces frozen strawberries with no sugar added
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in 100% juice, drained
- Sugar Free Whipped Topping for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Mix together the melted butter, crushed pretzels, and 3 tablespoons stevia in a medium sized bowl. Pour the pretzel mixture into the baking dish and press down firmly to create a flat, thin layer.
- Bake the crust for 7-8 minutes and then remove from the oven and allow to fully cool.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup stevia. Stir in the whipped topping until smooth.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel crust and use a spoon or offset spatula to make a smooth layer. Place in the fridge to cool for 30-60 minutes.
- Boil the water in a small sauce pan. Once boiling, turn off the heat and stir in the gelatin mix. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen strawberries and crushed pineapple.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the cream cheese layer and place back in the fridge for 6-8 hours or until the gelatin is fully firmed.
- Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and sliced strawberries!
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
I made this, and it it was amazing!!! You wouldn’t think it was sugar free at all! It was also one of the easiest desserts I have ever made, and I’ve made a TON of desserts!
One quick question tho, can you freeze the leftovers? Will the pretzel crust be soggy after defrosting?
You can try freezing, I am not sure about how well it will thaw!
Do you drain the fruit?
Yes!
Fixed this to carry to church for a cookout. Everyone loved it.
Thanks for sharing. Darlene!
I just made this and put it in the fridge. The whole process has made me question the recipe. First, the crust didn’t get firm. Next, I bought whole strawberries, then when looking at the picture saw they were sliced. When I tasted the cream cheese and stevia, it had a nasty aftertaste. I don’t use Stevia and wasn’t aware it had a bite to it. Then when the recipe says 6 oz of jello, I realized the two boxes I bought were .60 ounces. What’s the right amount? Is two cups of water enough for two .60 ounce packets? It’s super sweet even with sugar free jello! Also, it says to use a small saucepan, but a small won’t fit the strawberries and pineapple. Why not just say use a medium or large pan? As I stirred in the fruit, it immediately congealed…not sure if that’s what is supposed to happen. I truly had to stop myself from throwing the stuff into the garbage. I decided against it and hope it’s decent enough to eat. Please correct the recipe by specifying sliced strawberries and please clarify the ounces of jello!
I am sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, Mindy.
Can I use fresh strawberries? I have so many and would like to use. Would there be different directions?
I haven’t tried it yet, but you can give it a shot!
Okay so I used the fresh strawberries. I just cut them and put them on the cream cheese topping and refrigerated. After chilled I then did the jello part. Turned out excellent. Thanks for the recipe. This may be my new “go-to” salad for spring and summer!!
I recently made this and it was delicious! I even used low fat cream cheese and ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ (to add an extra “healthy”) for the crust. I had my doubts about the crust holding up at first but it stayed together just fine. My only issue was getting the layers to measure up like the layers in the picture, mine were really thin using a 9×13 pan. I’ll try a smaller version and see how that goes. Otherwise, great recipe if you’re trying to be healthy or simply to get refreshed.
Thanks for sharing! Better luck with your next round!
I first started making this over 30 years ago when I moved to PA German country. My recipe didn’t have pineapple in it. Over the years I’ve made it using only pineapple or raspberries to replace the strawberries. My hubby’s favorite is with strawberries, my daughter’s is with raspberries. In my opinion, making it sugar free doesn’t change the taste at all!
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
This recipe looks absolutely DELISH! It can be difficult to find a delicious, sugar-free recipe, but this a great adaption to a traditional pretzel salad!
Thank you so much!
I’m trying to cut sugar from my diet. And the original version of this was my favorite so I was looking at alternatives. I saw your recipe and looking it over. the crushed pineapple in its juice has way to much sugar in it to call this sugar free. To lower the sugar even more omit the pineapple.
I think she means no added sugar. :) only sweetness from sugar alternatives or naturally occurring in fruit.
I’m not sure why the other reviews are so negative, but I made the sugar free version of this and it was an absolute hit! I let the crust and cool whip layer sit over night and added the rest the next morning. It was firm, had amazing taste, and I am making it again! 10/10 recommend this recipe.
Thanks Katie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!