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Easy Strawberry Pretzel Salad Parfait Cups Recipe for a Crowd

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A quick and easy dessert featuring layers of salty pretzel crust, creamy whipped cream cheese, and sweet strawberry topping served in individual cups, perfect for gatherings and crowd-pleasing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups pretzels, crushed
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional)

Instructions

  1. Crush 3 cups of pretzels into small pieces but not powdery. Mix crushed pretzels with 3 tablespoons sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter until evenly coated. Press about 2 tablespoons of this mixture into the bottom of each parfait cup to form a crunchy base. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine sliced strawberries, ½ cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the berries release juice and soften (around 5-7 minutes). If thicker topping is desired, stir in cornstarch slurry and cook an extra 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined and fluffy.
  4. Spoon or pipe a generous layer of the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel crust in each cup. Add a spoonful of the cooled strawberry topping over the cream cheese. Repeat layering if cups are tall enough, finishing with a strawberry layer on top.
  5. Refrigerate the parfait cups for at least 2 hours before serving to let flavors meld and crust firm up.

Notes

Use room temperature cream cheese for smooth blending. Chill mixing bowl and beaters before whipping cream for best results. Press pretzel crust firmly to avoid crumbling. Drain excess liquid from strawberry topping if very juicy to prevent soggy layers. Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pretzels or crackers. For dairy-free, substitute dairy-free cream cheese and coconut cream.

Nutrition

Keywords: strawberry pretzel salad, parfait cups, easy dessert, crowd-pleaser, layered dessert, quick dessert, summer dessert

Find it online: https://blipflavor.com/easy-strawberry-pretzel-salad-parfait-cups-recipe-for-a-crowd/