This post is in partnership with California Giant Berry Farms. As always, all opinions are my own, but it’s a true joy to partner with a family owned farm that never sprays their naturally large and non-GMO strawberries with pesticides!
Accommodating food restrictions can be a tough task and often overwhelming for those who don’t personally have any allergies or intolerances. It can be even more difficult when planning a party menu or factoring in desserts- because let’s face it, eliminating gluten and/or dairy from a recipe can leave a little something to be desired. NOT with these Mini Pretzel Salad Parfaits though! There are layers of crunchy, sweet and salty mixed with fresh strawberry goodness followed by a creamy layer that comes together for a complex and truly delicious dessert you wouldn’t even know was allergy-friendly!
I didn’t feel like the fresh strawberry compote was enough; these cute little treats needed some extra fresh chopped strawberries on top to seal the deal.
And because we’re in full baby shower planning mode around here, I had these cute little baby girl duckies available for the photo shoot! We all know baby showers are the perfect time for miniature menu items and these layered parfaits are sure to impress and delight all baby shower guests! My own baby shower will have a parfait station, plenty of berries, mini quiches and other fun brunch inspired recipes! I’ll also be showing some of these fun ideas in a Facebook live this Wednesday, the 21st at 1pm CST on the California Giant Berry Farms Facebook page and would love if y’all tuned in or caught the replay!
Although this is an allergy-friendly recipe (gluten/dairy-free), you can substitute the ingredients if those modifications aren’t needed. Using regular pretzels, and dairy-containing cream cheese, whipped topping and yogurt will still provide the same delicious results, although I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how perfect the allergy-friendly version is!
I also love that this recipe makes 12 mini parfaits! It’s just enough to hit the spot without being too rich and you could easily double the recipe with minimal effort, if feeding a large crowd! These are also great for Easter, Mother’s Day or with the addition of fresh blueberries on top they’d be perfect for Memorial or Independence Day!
Thanks for letting me share this special family recipe and wishing y’all a very Happy Spring! <3 Shannon
KISS MINI STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD PARFAITS
Serves: 12
Time: 3 hours (needs to be refrigerated for 2 hours)
Ingredients
12 small 4 oz, mason jars
1 1/2 cups crushed gluten-free pretzels
1/3 cup melted vegan butter
1 Tbsp lemon zest
4 tsp brown sugar
2 1/2 pounds California Giant Berry Farms strawberries, diced (about 5 cups), 1 cup reserved
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces dairy free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup non-dairy vanilla yogurt
2 cups dairy-free whipped cream, thawed
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
1.) Preheat oven to 350°and place empty mason jars without lids onto a baking sheet.
2.) Using a food processor, chop pretzels into small pieces. Add melted butter, lemon zest and brown sugar and process until all ingredients are mixed well.
3.) Spoon ~2 tablespoons of pretzel crust into each mason jar. Use a pastry tart shaper or bottom of spoon to press the crust firmly into the bottom of the jars.
4.) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
5.) While pretzel crusts are cooking and cooling, heat 4 cups chopped strawberries with the lemon juice and water on medium heat in a sauce pan until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Taste and add up to 1/4 cup powdered sugar, if you prefer it to be a little sweeter. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
6.) Mix cream cheese, yogurt, whipped cream and vanilla with a mixer until smooth and creamy. If mixing by hand, just make sure all clumps are gone and the texture is smooth.
7.) Spoon about 2 tablespoons strawberry compote on top of pretzel crust followed by 2 tablespoons of creamy filling on top of the compote. Smooth top layer as evenly as possible then top with remaining fresh diced strawberries. Add additional pretzel sticks, if desired. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve.
KISS Mini Strawberry Pretzel Salad Parfaits
Equipment
- 12 small, 4 oz mason jars
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups crushed gluten-free pretzels
- 1/3 cup cup melted vegan butter
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 4 tsp brown sugar
- 2 1/2 lbs California Giant Berry Farms strawberries, diced (about 5 cups), 1 cup reserved
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz dairy-free cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup non-dairy vanilla yogurt
- 2 cups dairy-free whipped cream, thawed
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°and place empty mason jars without lids onto a baking sheet.
- Using a food processor, chop pretzels into small pieces. Add melted butter, lemon zest and brown sugar and process until all ingredients are mixed well.
- Spoon ~2 tablespoons of pretzel crust into each mason jar. Use a pastry tart shaper or bottom of spoon to press the crust firmly into the bottom of the jars.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- While pretzel crusts are cooking and cooling, heat 4 cups chopped strawberries with the lemon juice and water on medium heat in a sauce pan until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Taste and add up to 1/4 cup powdered sugar, if you prefer it to be a little sweeter. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Mix cream cheese, yogurt, whipped cream and vanilla with a mixer until smooth and creamy. If mixing by hand, just make sure all clumps are gone and the texture is smooth.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons strawberry compote on top of pretzel crust followed by 2 tablespoons of creamy filling on top of the compote. Smooth top layer as evenly as possible then top with remaining fresh diced strawberries. Add additional pretzel sticks, if desired. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve.
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16 Responses
OHHH! This is my kids’ favorite ‘salad’ at church pot lucks. But I’ve never made the sugary dessert. Now I can with this healthier version with FRESH berries…and I will!
Love that you and the kiddos are familiar with this “salad”! Can’t wait to hear what you think of this lightened up version. Thanks, Serena!
Cool idea to use crushed pretzels for the crust! Mmm!
Thank you, Jodi! Definitely gives it a nice crunch!
This was my favorite at Thanksgiving when I lived in Alabama. Can’t wait to try and make it myself now!
Yes! I feel like so many of us associate this dish with holidays and family! So glad you’re going to give it a try!
Oh my gosh. I’ve never heard of these, but I LOVE them! Totally making these for my little sous chef!
Thank you, Sara! I know y’all will have a lot of fun making them!
This is such a classic! It shows up at pretty much every family gathering no matter what time of the year it is
Definitely a classic! Now we’ve got a miniature classic version!
These are adorable! I’ll have to make these for my son since he was born in Texas ~ I had no idea pretzel salad was a thing 🙂 Love the rubber duckies too!
Love that your son is a Texan by birth ;). It’s so funny to call this recipe a salad, but it’s definitely been called that a long time! Hope y’all get to try it out!
Ooh I’m so intrigued. I’ve never had a pretzel salad before, so I need to try this parfait! Looks delicious
Thanks, Abbey! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
is it possible to cook the pretzal mix on a sheet pan and then transfer after to plastic serving cups?
Hi Emily Ann! Thanks so much for stopping by and that’s a great question. I haven’t tried this route before and I’m honestly not sure how it would turn out since the mixture usually gets pressed down and cooks together to create almost like a dense crumb? I think you could try and it would just be a little less molded together but the flavor should still be good! Let me know if you give it a whirl and thanks again for stopping by!