Name: Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 97 min
Ingredients: 2 cups pretzels sticks ( (broken into fourths)); ½ cup butter (melted); 3 Tablespoons sugar; 8 ounces cream cheese; 8 ounces Cool-Whip ( (non-dairy whipped topping)); 1 cup sugar; 1 (6 ounce) box orange jello; 2 cups boiling water; 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges ( (drained))

This mandarin orange pretzel salad is a perfect fruit salad dessert for parties and potlucks - do not plan on any leftovers.

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We love making this delicious orange pretzel salad during the hot summer months, but it also shows up at family parties in the winter as well. It’s so easy to make and feeds a crowd. You can customize this recipe by swapping out the jello for another flavor or using a different fruit.

Ingredients for a dessert, including cream cheese, Cool Whip, mandarin oranges, orange Jell-O, pretzel sticks, a cup of sugar, and two sticks of butter, displayed on a counter.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make our mandarin orange pretzel salad, you will need the following ingredients:

Pretzel sticks
Butter
Sugar
Cream cheese
Cool Whip
Sugar
Orange jello
Boiling water
Mandarin oranges

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

A glass baking dish filled with a smooth, evenly spread layer of white whipped topping or batter.

A dessert bar with an orange gelatin topping, whipped cream, a mandarin orange slice, creamy layer, and a pecan crust on a white plate with a fork.

How to Make Our Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad

Pre-heat oven to 350℉.
For the first layer, combine broken pretzels, melted butter and sugar. Stir together until well blended. Press in 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Cool completely.
For the second layer, beat sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip.
Spread cream mixture over pretzel layer (be sure to seal the cream cheese layer against the sides of the pan so that the jello mixture will not be able to leak through when added).
For the Jell-o layer, mix orange Jell-o and boiling water together until Jello is completely dissolved. Add mandarin oranges and let cool until slightly set.
Pour Jell-o over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.
Cut into squares and serve.

Recipe Notes

You can make this pretzel salad a day before or the night before. Make sure to cover it well, and keep it stored in the refrigerator. We have eaten the leftovers (if there are any) for an extra day, and it is delicious. After a few days, the pretzel crust becomes soggy.

Enjoy More Delicious Fruit Salads

Want to add more fruits to your meals? Browse our comprehensive list of salad recipes.

Mandarin Orange Pretzel Salad

5 from 5 votes

This mandarin orange pretzel salad is a perfect fruit salad dessert for parties and potlucks – do not plan on any leftovers.

20 servings

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 7

Total Time 1 37

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Ingredients

▢ 2 cups pretzels sticks, (broken into fourths)
▢ ½ cup butter, melted
▢ 3 Tablespoons sugar
▢ 8 ounces cream cheese
▢ 8 ounces Cool-Whip, (non-dairy whipped topping)
▢ 1 cup sugar
▢ 1 (6 ounce) box orange jello
▢ 2 cups boiling water
▢ 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, (drained)

Equipment

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350℉.
For the first layer, combine broken pretzels, melted butter and sugar. Stir together until well blended. Press in 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Cool completely.
For the second layer, beat sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip.
Spread cream mixture over pretzel layer (be sure to seal the cream cheese layer against the sides of the pan so that the jello mixture will not be able to leak through when added).
For the Jell-o layer, mix orange Jell-o and boiling water together until Jello is completely dissolved. Add mandarin oranges and let cool until slightly set.
Pour Jell-o over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.
Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 175 kcal · Carbohydrates: 27 g · Protein: 2 g · Fat: 7 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 20 mg · Sodium: 144 mg · Potassium: 94 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 25 g · Vitamin A: 437 IU · Vitamin C: 8 mg · Calcium: 43 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Cuisine: American

Cost: $10

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Salad

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Questions & Reviews

Gwen M says:

I have made this salad with the frozen strawberries, thanks for the mandarin orange idea!!! Whats the recipe for raspberries? Love the website!!

Lora Wells says:

OMG!!!! I’ve always LOVED “normal” pretzel salad, but while I like strawberries, mandarin oranges are my absolute FAVE fruit!!! This is just SO AWESOME!!!!

Cyd says:

Yummy!

Tammy Dotson says:

This looks delicious! One question, do you drain the oranges? Thanks for the recipe!

Cyd says:

Yes, drain the oranges.

tatum says:

i was so exicited to make this! followed the directions sealed the cream cheese and then when i went to pour the jello on top it seperated and one little section bubbled and it soaked to the bottom now:( i put it in the fridge hoping it will still be ediable ? will it??

Cyd says:

It should still be edible. Not sure what went wrong. We let the jello cool slightly before pouring it over the cream cheese layer. Sometimes it cools to the point that it starts to thicken just slightly. Hope this helps for a future attempt. 🙂

www.shopcharlestonhouse.com says:

Add Sprite for 1/2 of the water (or even all of it!) and you will be amazed! My grandmother made this without the pretzels and it was incredible, I can’t imagine how delicious they make it!

Marsha Milton says:

I make a Blueberry dessert that is very similar but uses powdered sugar instead of regular sugar. for me it makes it a little creamier! I love these kinds of recipes because there is no end to the choice of fruits and jello combinations you can use! (-:

April says:

Hi! I’ve had this since I was a little kid. Unfortunately my son and I both have health concerns. Both of us don’t eat gluten and I don’t eat lactose. I’m taking a big risk because I miss this desert so much. I changed the cream cheese to 8ozs. of goat cheese and whipped topping to coconut cream topping and I used Quntino gluten free pretzels. So far both of those steps/layers has set up beautifully! Yay! When I got to the last step and it didn’t say ‘Add.. 2 cups cold water’ does this mean it will be a firmer set, like jigglers? I’m so excited to see if my risk has paid off. Altering foods is challenging but better than being sick. Thanks for sharing the recipe.?

Cyd says:

You add two cups boiling water to the jello, stir until dissolved. When it is completely set up it’s not as firm as jigglers, but it is more like jello.

Danielle says:

Thank you so much for asking that question! I was sitting here wondering the same thing myself.

Karen Williams says:

Do I make the jello as directed or do I leave off the one cup of cold water and just use one cup of boiling water? Thanks, this is my favorite!!!

Momma Cyd says:

You just add the jello to the 2 cups boiling water just as directed in the recipe.

JoJo says:

Can I use cuties in place of canned mandarin oranges?

Steph @ Six Sisters says:

You could try it! It may change the texture a little, but it would still set up!

Join The Discussion

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Gwen M says:

I have made this salad with the frozen strawberries, thanks for the mandarin orange idea!!! Whats the recipe for raspberries? Love the website!!
Lora Wells says:

OMG!!!! I’ve always LOVED “normal” pretzel salad, but while I like strawberries, mandarin oranges are my absolute FAVE fruit!!! This is just SO AWESOME!!!!
Cyd says:

Yummy!
Tammy Dotson says:

This looks delicious! One question, do you drain the oranges? Thanks for the recipe!
Cyd says:

Yes, drain the oranges.
tatum says:

i was so exicited to make this! followed the directions sealed the cream cheese and then when i went to pour the jello on top it seperated and one little section bubbled and it soaked to the bottom now:( i put it in the fridge hoping it will still be ediable ? will it??
Cyd says:

It should still be edible. Not sure what went wrong. We let the jello cool slightly before pouring it over the cream cheese layer. Sometimes it cools to the point that it starts to thicken just slightly. Hope this helps for a future attempt. 🙂
www.shopcharlestonhouse.com says:

Add Sprite for 1/2 of the water (or even all of it!) and you will be amazed! My grandmother made this without the pretzels and it was incredible, I can’t imagine how delicious they make it!
Marsha Milton says:

I make a Blueberry dessert that is very similar but uses powdered sugar instead of regular sugar. for me it makes it a little creamier! I love these kinds of recipes because there is no end to the choice of fruits and jello combinations you can use! (-:
April says:

Hi! I’ve had this since I was a little kid. Unfortunately my son and I both have health concerns. Both of us don’t eat gluten and I don’t eat lactose. I’m taking a big risk because I miss this desert so much. I changed the cream cheese to 8ozs. of goat cheese and whipped topping to coconut cream topping and I used Quntino gluten free pretzels. So far both of those steps/layers has set up beautifully! Yay! When I got to the last step and it didn’t say ‘Add.. 2 cups cold water’ does this mean it will be a firmer set, like jigglers? I’m so excited to see if my risk has paid off. Altering foods is challenging but better than being sick. Thanks for sharing the recipe.?
Cyd says:

You add two cups boiling water to the jello, stir until dissolved. When it is completely set up it’s not as firm as jigglers, but it is more like jello.
Danielle says:

Thank you so much for asking that question! I was sitting here wondering the same thing myself.
Karen Williams says:

Do I make the jello as directed or do I leave off the one cup of cold water and just use one cup of boiling water? Thanks, this is my favorite!!!
Momma Cyd says:

You just add the jello to the 2 cups boiling water just as directed in the recipe.
JoJo says:

Can I use cuties in place of canned mandarin oranges?
Steph @ Six Sisters says:

You could try it! It may change the texture a little, but it would still set up!