Fresh, sweet, and tangy peaches sit suspended in peach gelatin, contrast beautifully with the velvet cream cheese middle layer and salty butter pretzel crust.
4cupspeeled and diced fresh peachesabout 4-5 large peaches
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan.
In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, ¾ cup sugar, and the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the 9×13 pan. (You can crush pretzels by putting them in a ziploc bag and using a rolling pin, wooden spoon, or your hands to crush them.)
Bake the pretzel base for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, the remaining ¾ cup of sugar, and the vanilla until well combined. Fold in the Cool Whip until the mixture is evenly combined.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled pretzel crust. When adding the cream cheese mixture to the pan, make sure that it goes all the way to the edges. This creates a barrier to prevent the jello from seeping down into the pretzel base and making it soggy.
In a medium bowl, dissolve the jello in two cups of boiling water. Once it is completely dissolved, add two cups of ice water and stir. Stir in the diced peaches. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until the jello is just starting to thicken but has not yet set.
Carefully pour the peaches and jello over the cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or until the jello is set. Slice into squares to serve.
Notes
When spreading the cream cheese layer, make sure to cover everything and really seal it along the edges. If the gelatin touches the pretzel crust, it will become soggy. The jello will also drain down into the bottom instead of staying suspended above the cream cheese layer.
To maintain the color of the fruit, add them into the gelatin immediately after the peaches have been diced.
If you can’t find pretzels, consider using Ritz crackers instead. A Graham cracker crust could even work although then you won’t get that contrasting sweet and salty taste.
Make sure to cool the gelatin fruit mixture just until it starts to thicken. This will allow you to pour the mixture into the pan with ease, creating a smooth top layer. You’ll be able to tell when the mixture is starting to thicken and ready to transfer to the casserole dish by the fruit staying suspended more evenly in the gelatin.