Really crunchy, or worms... no in between

I'm from the Midwest, we enjoy our salads with mayonnaise and Cool Whip. Oh, you want some leafy greens in your salad? You clearly aren't from the Midwest! One of my favorite midwestern salads is Pretzel Magic. Mind you, as a kid I refused to eat this dish that was at almost every monthly birthday celebration on my mom's side of the family. As an adult - I have no idea WHY I didn't try it, it's fantastic! This Strawberry Crackle Salad is a riff on Pretzel Magic. No Jell-O in this salad, and you can add chopped pecans, which I did not mostly because I wasn't sure they'd be appreciated by all my guests. I did use gluten free pretzels since I have some GF family members. The pretzels baked with butter and brown sugar were crunchy, I mean CRUNCHY! Wow. I was worried too crunchy, but everyone agreed they were good. This makes a giant bowl of salad, I sent some home with everyone knowing there was no way we'd get it all eaten. The next day I was told the pretzels had lost their crunchy and had the texture of worms. Um.... gross. So make this and eat it right away. Adjust the ingredients if you want to make a smaller version because it will not keep overnight. But if you like the texture of worms... make it a day ahead, but I'm not sure that's what anyone really wants in life... wormy textured food. Blech!

Strawberry Crackle Salad Recipe
Crust and Topping
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
Filling
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 oz Cool Whip
Fruit
4 cups sliced strawberries

Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
Mix Pretzel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, and brown sugar. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated and well combined.
Bake Pretzel Mixture: Spread the pretzel mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and golden. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking into small pieces.
Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture until you are ready to serve.
Assemble the Salad: Just before serving, spread the cream cheese mixture in a serving dish or bowl. Top evenly with the sliced strawberries, then sprinkle the cooled pretzel crunch mixture over the top. Optionally, mix some pretzel crunch into the cream layer or reserve extra for garnish.