Description
Sweet strawberry toffee dessert salad merges creamy textures with crunchy toffee bits for an irresistible summer treat. Delightful layers of fruity freshness and caramel crunch promise an unforgettable dessert experience you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2–3 cups strawberries, washed and diced
- 8 oz (226 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz (226 grams) whipped topping
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup pretzels, chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) pecans, chopped
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) sugar
Liquid and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F (200C), preparing a parchment-lined cookie sheet for the toffee crunch component.
- Thoroughly rinse strawberries, then meticulously dice into uniform bite-sized pieces, reserving them for later incorporation.
- Create a decadent toffee foundation by blending crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, melted butter, and brown sugar into a cohesive mixture.
- Spread the toffee mixture evenly across the prepared cookie sheet, ensuring consistent thickness for optimal caramelization.
- Roast the toffee crunch in the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes until achieving a rich golden-brown color and aromatic profile.
- Allow toffee crunch to cool completely, which helps develop a crisp texture and prevents moisture from compromising the dessert’s structure.
- Whip cream cheese with sugar and vanilla extract until achieving a light, airy consistency with smooth peaks.
- Gently fold whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture, maintaining the delicate airiness of the base.
- Delicately integrate cooled toffee crunch and prepared strawberry pieces into the cream cheese blend, ensuring even distribution.
- Refrigerate briefly to enhance flavor melding, then serve chilled for maximum sensory enjoyment.
Notes
- Break the toffee mixture into small chunks after cooling to maintain crispness and prevent moisture absorption from the cream cheese mixture.
- Toast the pecans before adding to the toffee mixture to intensify their nutty flavor and add a deeper, more complex taste profile.
- Prepare toffee crunch and cream cheese mixture separately up to a day in advance, combining just before serving to keep the texture crunchy and fresh.
- Substitute cream cheese with Greek yogurt for a lighter version, and use gluten-free pretzels to make the dessert celiac-friendly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 348
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 156 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg