Lemon Pretzel Salad: The Dessert That’s Totally Lying About Being a Salad!

Listen, I don’t make the rules…but I do know that if there’s cream cheese, whipped topping, and a buttery pretzel crust involved, we are NOT in salad territory anymore.

Somehow, generations of home cooks decided that anything served in a 9×13-inch dish with some fruit on top earned the title of “salad,” and honestly? I respect the audacity. LOL

This Lemon Pretzel Salad is cool, creamy, tangy, and sweet — the perfect potluck dessert that lets you keep a completely straight face when you say, “I brought a salad.”

Oh, and it makes for a fabulous spring and summer dessert. 

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Lemon Pretzel Salad

This lemon pretzel salad is the dessert pretending to be a salad! Creamy, tangy & sweet with a crunchy pretzel crust. Perfect for potlucks!

Prep Time6 minutes minutes

Cook Time10 minutes minutes

Chilling Time6 hours hours

Servings - 16 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 2 cups crushed pretzels gluten-free, if needed
• 3/4 cup butter melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 oz. Cool Whip topping thawed
• 8 oz. cream cheese softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 20 oz. can lemon pie filling
• pretzels crushed for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Combine the crushed pretzels, melted butter and white sugar, and press into the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and let cool. (If preferred, you can line the baking dish with parchment paper.)
• In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, combine the Cool whip and cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth. Once the crust is cooled, carefully spread the creamy layer onto the pretzel layer.
• Finally, spread the lemon pie filling over the cream cheese layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours. Slice before serving.
• Serve Lemon Pretzel "Salad" for dessert, or with your holiday feast meal 😉