Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss your pretzels in a zip-top bag and crush 'em with a rolling pin or mallet. Aim for pieces no bigger than ¼ inch but also not super fine dust. You want it to stick together but have a nice crunch, too.

Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl until everything’s coated and glistening.

Press the mix firmly into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish.

Bake for 8–10 minutes until golden, then cool completely on a wire rack (patience = crisp crust). It’s important to cool crust completely before adding the creamy layer so it doesn’t melt and make the pretzel pieces soggy.

Beat softened cream cheese and the remaining sugar until light, fluffy, and full of promise.

Fold in the thawed whipped topping gently until smooth and just combined. Too much stirring causes Cool Whip to break down.

Spread the creamy layer over the cooled crust, sealing all edges like a pro. Refrigerate.

Heat 2 cups of water to boiling then add to a heat-safe mixing bowl. Gently whisk in the strawberry gelatin powder with the hot water until totally dissolved.

Stir in frozen strawberries, then chill the bowl in the fridge for 10–15 minutes. You want thick-ish, not jiggly Jell-O just yet.

Pour the slightly thickened gelatin mixture over the cream layer, spreading it gently, covering edge to edge.

Place blueberries artfully on top of the gelatin layer.

Refrigerate for 2–3 hours, or until it’s set and ready to steal the show.