Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

 

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Ingredients

Pretzel layer

2 1/2 cups salted pretzels measured whole

8 tablespoons butter I used Miyoko's vegan butter

1/4 cup raw organic sugar

Creamy middle layer

8 ounce package cream cheese I used Tofutti vegan cream cheese

3/4 cup powdered sugar

9 ounces package frozen whipped topping I used So Delicious Coco Whip, thawed

Strawberry topping

2 pints ripe strawberries about 4 cups whole

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the pretzels. You can either pulse several times in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until combined, then mix in the crushed pretzels. Press the pretzel crust evenly into a 9x13 inch saladmaster pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with the whisk attachment), beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add the thawed whipped topping last and beat until smooth.

Once the crust is completely cool, spread the creamy mixture over it, all the way to the edges, and place in the freezer for an hour.

Slice the strawberries. Place 3/4 cup of the strawberries into a medium saucepan. then stir in the sugar, water, cornstarch and lemon juice. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir well.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened a bit. Remove from heat. Let it cool to nearly room temperature, stirring every 10 minutes or so and slightly mashing the strawberries in it. This will take 20-30 minutes.

Stir the rest of the strawberries into the mixture, then pour and spread the mixture over the creamy layer. Chill in the refrigerator until the top layer is set, about 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!