1. Add the strawberry Jell-O mix to a small bowl. Pour in 2 cups of boiling water and whisk until fully dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pretzels in a zip bag and crush with a mallet or rolling pin.

3. Melt butter with sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in crushed pretzels.

4. Press pretzel mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish to form a crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.

5. In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

6. Fold in Cool Whip until fully combined with no white streaks.

7. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled pretzel crust, sealing edges to prevent Jell-O from leaking through. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

8. Layer sliced strawberries evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

9. Carefully pour the cooled Jell-O over the strawberries. Do not overflow the dish—omit excess Jell-O if needed.

10. Cover and refrigerate for 2–4 hours until the Jell-O is fully set.

11. Slice into squares and serve chilled. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.