Vegan Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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Vegan Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This vegan strawberry pretzel salad isn't a salad at all — it's a delicious dessert! It starts with a crunchy, salty pretzel crust that's covered in a sweet, creamy filling and topped with a fresh strawberry layer.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Chill Time5

Total Time5 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Equipment

1 9 x 13-inch baking pan

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 cups crushed pretzels (about 6 ounces — Note 1)
¾ cup vegan butter, melted
¼ cup organic granulated sugar

For the Filling

1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce/397 gram) can coconut cream, solid portion only (discard any liquid in the can)
½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
⅔ cup organic granulated sugar
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

For the Topping

2 cups fruit juice, divided (Note 2)
1 ½ teaspoons agar agar powder
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease the inside of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
To make the crust, add the pretzels, melted butter, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined.
Transfer the mixture to the baking pan, then press it evenly into the bottom.
Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, until it darkens just slightly.
Place the crust on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
To make the filling, place all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the inside of the pitcher or bowl as needed.
Pour the filling over the pretzel crust and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
Cover the baking dish and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, until the filling is completely set.
You can make the topping once the filling is set (don't make it too soon or it will start to set). Whisk 1 cup of the juice and agar together in a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring the juice to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for a full 2 minutes, whisking frequently.
Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the remaining cup of juice. Let the mixture cool until it's just lukewarm. Check on it frequently to make sure it hasn't started to set. If you notice it setting, move on to the next step right away.
Once the juice has cooled to lukewarm, pour it into a large bowl and stir in the strawberries. Work quickly from this point, as the berries will cool down the juice and can start the setting process, particularly if they've been in the fridge.
Pour the topping over the filling, gently smoothing it out and repositioning the berries as needed.
Cover the dish and chill until the topping is set, at least one hour.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Notes

The easiest way to crush your pretzels is to place them in a large bag and crush them with a rolling pin. They don't need to be broken down to just crumbs — keep some larger bits.
Preferably use a fruit juice with some strawberry in it. I used a strawberry-kiwi blend and it worked well. Fruit punch will work, but you may want to add some strawberry extract. You can also add a few drops of red food coloring if the color is slightly off (although I would stick with juices in the pink or red range). You may also want to add some sugar to taste if your juice isn't very sweet.

Nutrition