Strawberry Pretzel Salad (Grain Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free)
This grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a delicious and paleo-ish twist on this classic American dessert!
Servings: 9
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1½ cups grain free salted pretzels Or ~3 ounces of pretzels. (After you crush them, you should end up with ~1 cup crushed pretzels)
- ¼ cup melted refined coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the "cheesecake" filling
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for at least 30 min and drained
- 13.5 ounce coconut cream
- ¼ cup melted refined coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Strawberry Jell-O topping
- 1 tablespoon gelatin
- 1 cup strawberry juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ pound strawberries hulled and thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the crust
- Heat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the middle.
- Place the pretzels in a gallon-sized zip top plastic bag and use a meat pounder or rolling pin to crush them. You can also place the pretzels in a food processor and pulse them a few times until they’re broken up into small pieces, but make sure they aren’t pulverized into a powder.
- Next, whisk together the melted coconut oil and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the crushed pretzels, making sure they get evenly coated.
- Add the crust into the bottom of a greased or parchment-lined 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Use an offset spatula to press the crust into an even layer that covers the bottom completely.
- Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and holds together.
- Cool the crust on a wire rack to room temperature.
Make the dairy-free cream cheese layer
- In a high-powered blender, combine the soaked cashews, coconut cream, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Blend until silky smooth.
- Chill the filling in the fridge for about 30 minutes or in an ice bath until it’s no longer super liquidy or warm. (If the filling is too watery or warm, it can break up the pretzel crust when you pour it on top).
- Carefully pour the cream cheese filling onto the cooled pretzel crust. If there are lots of air bubbles on top of the faux cheesecake layer, use a toothpick to pop them.
- Cover the pan with a silicone lid, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap and freeze it for at least 6 hours or until solid. (If you are making strawberry pretzel salad ahead of time, this is a good place to stop because you can store the bottom two layers in the freezer for up to 3 months—just make sure the pan is tightly sealed with foil and/or plastic wrap. When you’re ready to finish making this recipe, continue with the steps below.)
Make the strawberry jello layer
- Sprinkle the gelatin into a bowl filled with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix to combine and set aside to bloom (about 5 minutes).
- In a small saucepan, heat up the strawberry juice and honey over medium heat until simmering. Stir well to combine.
- Take the strawberry juice off the heat and whisk in the hydrated gelatin. Pour the strawberry jello mixture into a liquid measuring cup and cool to room temperature. (You can speed up the strawberry gelatin cooling process by placing the measuring cup in an ice bath. Be careful to not chill too long or the gelatin will start gelling!)
Assemble the strawberry pretzel salad
- Take the pan out of the freezer and arrange the sliced strawberries in a single layer on top of the solidified creamy layer.
- Pour the cooled strawberry gelatin mixture on top of the strawberries.
- Chill the strawberry pretzel salad in the refrigerator until the top layer solidifies, about 4 hours and up to a day in advance.
- Slice into squares and enjoy!
Notes
Tips for the best paleo strawberry pretzel salad:
- Take your time! Yes, you will need to plan ahead and give yourself about 2 days to make this dessert ’cause you have to wait for the creamy layer to solidify in the freezer (at least 6 hours) and the top layer takes an additional 4 hours to gelatinize. If you rush it, the layers will combine together and you won’t get three distinct layers. Don’t worry: it'll still taste great, but the dessert will be ugly-delicious.
- Buy the grain-free pretzels and strawberry juice. Part of the appeal of strawberry pretzel salad is that it’s such an easy dish to throw together. That's why I buy pre-made grain-free pretzels and strawberry juice. They’re easiest to find online. I tried making my own strawberry juice to use in this recipe but after adding gelatin, the end product ended up kind of chunky-gooey and more reminiscent of a wobbly jam than a clear gel.
- Use a premium canned coconut cream to ensure the creamiest filling. The brands I like best are Aroy-D, Let's Do Organic, New Seasons Market’s in-house brand, and Whole365 brand. Although my recipe says you can use either coconut milk or cream, I’ve found that canned coconut cream is ideal for this recipe because the resulting filling is creamier and the bars hold their shape better. Do not use Cream of Coconut (found in the liquor section)—it’s a totally different ingredient, and it’s waaay too sweet!
- A powerful blender will ensure a creamy and silky texture. Similar to my other dairy-free desserts that use soaked cashews, the filling for this recipe should be blended in a high-powered blender like my trusty Vitamix 5200.
- Freeze the bars to set the the cheesecake layer properly. The creamy middle will not set properly in the refrigerator so you definitely need to chill this dessert in the freezer before adding the strawberry-and-gelatin layer. The good news is the gelatin will set in about the same amount of time as it takes for the creamy middle to soften to the proper consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g