WW Recipe of the Day: Skinny Upside Down Strawberry Pretzel Salad
I'm really excited about today's recipe, which takes the much loved traditional layered strawberry pretzel salad dessert of my childhood and flips it upside down, while shaving two-thirds of the calories and 80% of the fat!
The irresistible combination of creamy, crunchy, salty and sweet makes this fruity no bake dessert salad a winner with everyone who tries it. In addition this satisfying dessert is best made ahead of time for the perfect potluck or party treat.
I made a half batch (6-servings) of the recipe, a manageable amount for my small family. But you can easily double this to feed a larger crowd.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Light & Healthy Layered Strawberry Salad Dessert?
According to my calculations, each serving has 105 calories and:
3 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
3 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
A great satisfying low SmartPoints treat, especially when compared to a serving of the traditional version of layered pretzel crusted strawberry cream cheese salad, which, according to the Betty Crocker website, weighs in with 480 calories, 66g carbs, 22g fat and 25 SmartPoints.
How to Make Skinny Upside-Down Strawberry Pretzel Salad Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prep your ingredients.
sugar free strawberry jello, lemon zest, Truvia (affiliate link) sweetener, crushed pretzels, light whipped topping, low fat cottage cheese, low fat tub style cream cheese
Step 2: Make the strawberry gelatin layer and refrigerate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gelatin and ¾ cup boiling water until the gelatin is dissolved. Add ¾ cup iced water and stir well. Refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes or so. Stir in the strawberries. Pour the mixture into a 1-quart oval or rectangular shaped casserole dish (affiliate link) and place in the refrigerator to set up.
Step 3: Make the "cheesecake" layer.
Place the cottage cheese in blender (affiliate link) or food processor (affiliate link) and process until very smooth. Add the cream cheese and pulse until it is combined with the cottage cheese. Scrape the mixture out into a medium bowl and stir in the sweetener and lemon zest. Then gently fold in the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate until the strawberry gelatin layer is set.
Step 4: When the gelatin layer is set, spread on the creamy cheesecake layer and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 5: When ready to serve, sprinkle evenly with the roughly crushed pretzels.
Layered Strawberry Pretzel Salad Dessert Made Lighter Recipe Notes
I made a half batch of this salad which provided 6 servings. It can easily be doubled. Here are the ingredient amounts for 12 servings:
- 2 small (4-serving size) packages sugar free strawberry jello
- 3 cups sliced strawberries
- ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- ¾ cup light tub-style cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated no calorie sweetener (I used Truvia Baking Blend (affiliate link))
- 1-½ cups light whipped topping, thawed
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup roughly crushed pretzels (about 1 ounce)
What Should this Easy Healthy Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad Be Served With?
This makes a great picnic, potluck, party or holiday side dish or dessert.
Ways to Use Layered Strawberry Dessert Salad Leftovers
This will last in the refrigerator for several days. However, I find everyone likes it so much it disappears in a hurry. To prevent the pretzels from getting soggy, sprinkle them on just before serving
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you've made this Skinny Upside Down Strawberry Pretzel Salad, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Skinny Upside Down Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small (4-serving size) package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
- 1-½ cups sliced strawberries
- 6 tablespoons low fat cottage cheese
- 6 tablespoons light tub style cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons no calore sweetener (I used Truvia baking blend (affiliate link))
- ¾ cup light whipped topping, thawed
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 tablespoons roughly crushed pretzels (about ½ ounce)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gelatin and ¾ cup boiling water until the gelatin is dissolved. Add ¾ cup iced water and stir well. Refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes or so.
- Stir in the strawberries. Pour the mixture into a 1-quart oval or rectangular shaped casserole dish (affiliate link) and place in the refrigerator to set up.
- Meanwhile make the creamy cheese layer: Place the cottage cheese in blender (affiliate link) or food processor (affiliate link) and process until very smooth. Add the cream cheese and pulse until it is combined with the cottage cheese. Scrape the mixture out into a medium bowl and stir in the sweetener and lemon zest. Then gently fold in the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate.
- When the gelatin has set, spread with the "cheesecake" mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, top with crushed pretzels so they don't get soggy.
Recipe Notes
Recipe source: adapted from Eat What You Love Quick & Easy (affiliate link) by Marlene Koch
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you like this WW Friendly Strawberry Pretzel Salad, you might also like:
- Cranberry Jello Mold Salad Made Lighter
- Trisha Yearwood's Creamy Grape Salad Dessert Made Lighter
- Light & Easy No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
- Lightened Up Lemon Cream Cheesecake Bars
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Subscribe to Get: Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes
The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
eileen
Oh yum! Thanks so much Martha! This brings me back to my childhood jello salads except this one much more delicious. Keeps a long time too.
This goes on my "cook for friends" list as well as just a new fave.
Marge
An excellent dish - especially during the warmer weather! Light tasting and truly delicious!
Jane
I just made this for dessert, and it was a big hit. Thank you Martha.
Melissa
Martha, is the 1 quart casserole dish for the 12 serving or 6 serving size? Thank you!
Lynette
Can I use something else besides cottage cheese
Martha McKinnon
Sure, you can use whatever you want instead of cottage cheese. Light sour cream or plain yogurt should work. ~Martha
Dee
Hi, the ingredient list calls for lemon juice and the directions say to add lemon zest. Are both used and if so how much of each.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Dee, It should be just lemon zest. I've corrected the recipe. Sorry for the confusion. ~Martha
Dee
Thanks, I'm at the cheese stage.
Tammy Boynton
I don't use artificial sweeteners, is there something else that can be used in the place of the Truvia?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Tammy, sure you can use sugar instead. You'll want twice as much sugar as truvia. Hope this helps. ~Martha