Sweet and Salty Pineapple Pretzel Fluff

There is nothing quite like the combination of sugary, salty, and creamy flavors to bring a smile to everyone's face. This Pineapple Pretzel Fluff is a beloved classic that balances crunchy pretzels with a smooth cheesecake filling. It comes together in just over 30 minutes and is the ultimate dish to bring to your next family gathering.

The Ultimate Make-Ahead Dessert for Any Party

Why You Will Love This Pineapple Pretzel Fluff

• Ideally Sweet and Salty This dish balances the sugary sweetness of pineapple and cream cheese with the savory crunch of salty pretzels. It satisfies every craving in a single bite.
• A True Time Saver You can prepare the pretzel crunch and the creamy filling separately ahead of time. It is a stress-free option for entertaining since you simply mix the two parts together right before serving.
• Versatile for Any Meal We love serving this as a sweet side dish with a savory main course like baked ham, but it stands on its own as a delicious dessert too.
• Family Tested and Approved This is a "real food for real life" recipe that is requested constantly at our family get-togethers. It is a nostalgic classic that appeals to both kids and adults.
• Simple and Accessible Ingredients You do not need fancy equipment or hard-to-find items. This recipe uses pantry staples like canned pineapple, cream cheese, and pretzels to create something memorable.
• Great Texture Contrast The combination of the fluffy, smooth cheesecake filling and the crispy, toasted pretzel topping creates a satisfying crunch that keeps everyone coming back for more.

The Ingredients for the Pineapple Fluff

• Pretzels: Provide the essential salty crunch that contrasts with the sweet filling. Their texture is the "backbone" of the fluff.
• Melted Butter: Acts as the binder for the pretzel crumble and helps toast the pretzels in the oven for extra flavor.
• Sugar: Used in two parts—first to caramelize the pretzels for that candy-like crunch, and second to sweeten the tangy cream cheese.
• Cream Cheese: Creates a rich, tangy, and stable base for the fluff, giving it that cheesecake-like mouthfeel.
• Crushed Pineapple: Adds natural fruit sweetness and acidity to cut through the rich cream. The texture of crushed fruit distributes better than chunks.
• Cool Whip: Lightens the mixture, introducing air to make it "fluffy" without melting as easily as fresh cream might.

How to Make the Pineapple Pretzel Fluff

• Prep the Oven Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). This high heat helps candy the pretzels quickly without burning them.
• Make the Pretzel Crunch In a medium bowl, toss the crushed pretzels with the melted butter and ½ cup of sugar. Spread this mixture evenly into a 9x13 or 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Keep an eye on it—you want it bubbly and toasted, not burnt.
• Cool the Crunch Let the pretzel mixture cool completely in the pan. Once it is room temperature, break it apart into small clusters. Tip: Store this in a zipper-lock bag if you aren't serving immediately.
• Create the Cream Base In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the remaining ½ cup of sugar until the texture is smooth and creamy. There should be no lumps.
• Fold and Fluff Gently fold in the thoroughly drained crushed pineapple and the Cool Whip. Use a spatula to keep the mixture light and airy.
• Chill and Serve Refrigerate the creamy mixture until you are ready to eat. Just before serving, stir in the pretzel crunch (reserve a little for sprinkling on top!) so it stays nice and crispy.

Drain It Right: Preventing Runny Fluff

A big part of this recipe, of course, is the pineapple! The crushed pineapple needs to be drained of as much liquid as possible. We have found that if you do not do this the pineapple pretzel fluff recipe may be runny.

FAQ's

Try my watermelon, cucumber, and feta salad as another great sweet side dish!

Recipe

Sweet and Salty Pineapple Pretzel Fluff

Author: Dan Harper

418kcal

5 from 2 votes

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Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 7 minutes mins

Total 37 minutes mins

A retro classic! This sweet and salty pineapple pretzel fluff features a sugary pretzel crunch stirred into a creamy pineapple cheesecake filling. The perfect make-ahead party dish.

Servings 8 servings

Course Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

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• ▢ 1 cup of coarsely crushed pretzels
• ▢ ½ cup of melted butter
• ▢ 1 cup of sugar divided
• ▢ 1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese room temperature
• ▢ 1 - 20 oz can of drained crushed pineapple removing as much of the liquid as possible
• ▢ 1 - 12 oz container of cool whip

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine pretzels, melted butter, and ½ cup of sugar in a bowl. Press mixture in a 9 x 13 or 8 x 8 pan and bake for seven minutes, or until bubbly and and spread throughout the pan. Let baked pretzel mixture cool. Once cool, crumble and place in an air tight container or zip lock bag.
3. Beat cream cheese and remaining ½ cup of sugar until creamy. Fold in drained pineapple and cool whip. Chill until ready to serve.
4. When ready to serve, mix in pretzel mixture.

Nutrition

Serving8 servingsCalories418kcalCarbohydrates58gProtein8gFat18gSaturated Fat13gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat4gTrans Fat0.5gCholesterol35mgSodium473mgPotassium254mgFiber1gSugar48gVitamin A443IUVitamin C7mgCalcium163mgIron1mg

Notes

• Softening Cream Cheese: If you forgot to take the cream cheese out, you can microwave it for 15-20 seconds (without the foil wrapper!) to soften it up for easier mixing.
• Drain Well: We cannot stress this enough—press that pineapple dry! The drier the fruit, the creamier your fluff will be.
• Serving Suggestion: This looks beautiful served in individual glass cups or mason jars for a party. Layer the cream and pretzels just before guests arrive.

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