Orange Pretzel Salad
Orange pretzel dessert with cream cheese, mandarin oranges, and pineapple
Equipment
- 13 x 9-inch baking dish
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups pretzels, crushed (for a gluten-free dessert, use gluten-free pretzels)
- 1 ¼ cups salted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Creamy Filling
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 bars)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces whipped topping such as Cool-Whip
Orange-Pineapple Topping
- 6 ounces orange gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- (2) 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple (drain 1 can)
- (1) 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor or electric chopper, add the pretzels. Process until the pretzels are fine crumbs. Mix together the sugar, butter, and pretzel crumbs. Process until the pretzels are chopped -- and the crust is well mixed. (See note below for making the crust by hand.)
- Place the crust into the baking dish. Tamp it with a flat-bottomed cup.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the crust starts to brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Creamy Filling
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla into a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the whipping cream and beat for a couple of minutes until smooth.
- Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Place the crust into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the cream cheese mixture can set.
Orange Pineapple Topping
- Bring the water to a boil. Pour it into a heat-safe bowl and add the gelatin. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes, and then place it in the refrigerator to chill. When the gelatin is the consistency of egg whites, remove it from the refrigerator and fold in the pineapple and oranges.
- Spoon the gelatin mixture over the cream cheese layer.
- Chill until the gelatin is set. Serve cold.
Notes
Gluten-Free
The dessert can be made gluten-free by substituting gluten-free pretzels for regular pretzels. Always use gluten-free brands for the other items in this recipe.Make the Crust by Hand
You can make the crust by hand by placing a few pretzels in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Crush them with a rolling pin. Pour the crushed pretzels into a bowl and repeat the process until all pretzels are crushed. Then whisk the sugar into the pretzel crumbs and mix. Add the butter and stir until well mixed.Use the Freezer for Speed Chilling
You can speed up the passive time for this dessert by placing it in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. Check it after 30 minutes to see if it is chilled.Nutrition
Calories: 224kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 516IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 0.4mg
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