Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Jars

Creamy, salty and sweet, these Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Jars are the perfect individual treats to serve at a family gathering. The dessert jars are made up of layers of salty pretzels, fresh strawberry pudding, and homemade whipped cream.

Strawberry Pretzel Pie Jars

These mini dessert jars were created after a mishap while testing my Strawberry Cream Pie. I was re-testing the recipe (which originally had a sweet pie crust) with my Pretzel Pie Crust because the idea of a strawberry sweet and savory pie sounded so amazing. And I was right, the pie was so delicious. However, it completely fell apart on me. I served it up to my family in bowls and we all agreed that the recipe still needed to be shared, but clearly in a different format. Thus, this Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Jar recipe was born!

What I later found out while researching was that this recipe was very similar to a popular recipe in the midwest of the United States known as Strawberry Pretzel Salad. If you aren't familiar with it (as I wasn't), you might be surprised to know it's not in fact a salad but instead, a recipe featuring a pretzel pie crust, with a creamy filling and jellied strawberries. While I've never tried that, I'm pretty sure these flavors (minus the jellied strawberries) are pretty similar to these Strawberry Pretzel Dessert Jars.

This recipe features sweet buttery pretzel crumbs underneath a pudding made from fresh strawberries and finished off with more fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and garnished with freeze-dried strawberries. These individual desserts are perfect to pass out at a family potluck or any other special occasion.

Ingredients Needed

Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe is listed below in greater detail.

• fresh strawberries
• heavy cream + whole milk
• sugar
• eggs
• cornstarch (for thickening the pudding)
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• lemon juice
• unsalted butter
• small twisted salted pretzels or salted pretzel sticks
• freeze-dried strawberries (to decorate the top, this is optional)

Tools Needed

Here is a list of some of the primary tools I use in this recipe. You won't necessarily choose to use them all, but they are exactly what I used. Any links may contain affiliate links.

• mini 8-ounce jars: I used these Weck Jars, but any 8-ounce jar or bowl will work.
• food processor (for pulverizing the pretzels)
• pastry bags
• fine-mesh strainer
• electric mixer or whisk (for whipping the cream)
• basics: pot, spatula, whisk, bowls

Overview of Steps for Assembly

The full recipe is listed in below, but here is an overview of the steps you need to complete to make this recipe, including if they can be done ahead of time.

• Make the pudding. This can be done up to two days ahead of time. The recipe calls for chilling the pudding separately in a bowl, and then adding it to the jars, but this is optional. However, pudding does need time to chill, so keep that in mind.
• Make the crushed pretzel layer.
• Whip the cream. This should be done just before serving. If you did want to be able to assemble the jars ahead of time, make stabilized whipped cream instead.
• Assemble.

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Making Fresh Strawberry Pudding

The silky strawberry pudding is the centerpiece of these pie jars. It uses fresh, pureed strawberries as the base, as opposed to a jello mix. The pudding is simple to make, and it's made in one pot.

A few tips on making the pudding:

• Make sure you have the correct amount of pureed strawberries called for in the recipe. I suggest measuring them after they've been pureed. If you have less than you need, the consistency of the pudding will be off.
• Make sure to have a rubber spatula and a whisk handy. I use both to be sure the mixture cooks evenly. I swap between using them while I'm cooking the pudding to be certain I'm getting all of the mixtures out of the crevices of the pot while whisking to ensure a consistent cook.
• Don't walk away from the pudding. It only takes a few minutes to cook. Also, it's especially important to stir almost constantly in the beginning when you are cooking it to be certain no egg yolks get stuck to the bottom of the pot and scramble.
• The recipe calls for chilling the pudding separately outside of the pie jars. However, you could technically skip this step and put the warm pudding in the pie jars to cool, still allowing that cool-down time to occur fully.

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Assembling the Pie Jars

Once you've completed all the steps to make the pie jars, it's time to assemble. Here are the layers:

1. Pretzel crumb layer.
2. Strawberry pudding layer.
3. Fresh diced strawberries.
4. Whipped cream.
5. Crumbled freeze dried strawberries.

I've included measurements for how much of each layer to put inside the jars, but you can absolutely use your own judgment and eyeball it. I also used a piping bag to add in the pudding and whipped cream, but this is not strictly necessary, and they can just as easily be placed in with a spoon.

More Strawberry Recipes:

• Strawberry Cream Pie
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts
• Ginger Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make these Strawberry Pretzel Pie Jars, please leave a comment and a star rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, too!

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