15 Delicious Jello Salad Recipes to Brighten Your Table
Jello salads are a vibrant celebration of textures and flavors, a party in your mouth with every bite. Imagine a cool, refreshing layer of jiggly Jello studded with juicy fruits nestled on a creamy bed. Sounds pretty amazing, right?
Tips for The Best Jello Salad
- Dissolve Completely: Lumpy jello is a major buzzkill. Make sure your gelatin dissolves completely in hot water before adding it to the rest of your ingredients. Stir constantly until there are no visible granules.
- Cooling is Key: Don’t pour your hot jello mixture straight onto the other ingredients. Let it cool slightly to avoid melting the creamy elements like whipped cream or cottage cheese. Aim for lukewarm, not room temperature.
- Fresh vs. Canned: Fresh fruit is lovely, but canned fruit with its reserved juices can add a real flavor boost. Use a mix for the best of both worlds!
- Beyond the Basics: Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors! Think chopped nuts for a delightful crunch, marshmallows for a playful touch, or even a splash of liqueur for a grown-up twist (be sure to check if serving to everyone).
- Moldy Marvels: Choose a mold that complements your jello salad. A clear mold lets the vibrant colors shine through, while a patterned mold adds a touch of whimsy.
- Fruity Flair: Don’t be shy with the fruit! Arrange it in a visually appealing way, creating layers or clusters for a burst of color and texture.
Refreshing Jello Salad Recipes
Mandarin oranges, marshmallows, and coconut come together in a blend of gelatin, pudding, and cool whip to make one of the most amazing desserts! This simple dessert recipe is perfect for your family and even parties!
Fresh cranberries, oranges, and apples fill this Cranberry Orange Jello Salad with a raspberry Jello base. It makes a beautiful holiday dessert or fruit side dish.
This Cherry Pineapple Marshmallow Jello Salad is a long-time family favorite recipe. There’s a cherry layer paired with a tangy lemon cream cheese layer.
The combination of these 5 unlikely ingredients makes a tangy, creamy layer that goes perfectly with the cherry bottom layer.
This Christmas Jello Salad is super easy, tasty, and feeds a crowd, perfect for all your holiday parties. This Christmas Jello Salad is one recipe I’ve been making for the longest time.
The fun colors of this really stand out, and then you top it with some tasty extras such as strawberries, cherries, limes, and mint. Of course, you can top it with whatever you like.
This cranberry jello salad is fantastically fruity. It makes a great jello salad for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner (or both!) It’s made with juicy fresh cranberries with their sweet-tart taste and mandarin oranges, pineapple, jello, and more.
This salad is perfect for potlucks and holiday parties; even non-cranberry lovers will enjoy it.
This cranberry Jello salad recipe combines raspberry gelatin with cranberry sauce, pineapple, and orange zest for a delicious side dish or dessert that’s perfect for the holidays.
This delightful (or dreadful, depending on your taste) dish is a three-layered wonder. The base is a buttery, salty pretzel crust, a textural counterpoint to the creamy middle layer.
This layer is typically made with whipped cream and softened cream cheese, creating a smooth and decadent bridge between the salty and sweet.
Mandarin orange jello salad with cottage cheese is ready in 5 minutes. This vintage jello salad recipe combines mandarin oranges drained of their liquid, orange gelatin, cool whip, crushed pineapple and cottage cheese.
The beauty of Orange Jello Salad lies in its versatility. It's a blank canvas for your fruity fancies!
A classic mid-century recipe, the carrot and pineapple jello salad remains a potluck favorite! Great as a dessert or side dish, its crisp and refreshing flavors make it a perfect summer salad!
The Sunshine Salad is also known as Sunrise or Sunset Salad (depending on serving time?) and Golden Glow Salad. This vibrant blend of fruit and veggies suspended on a retro gelatin mold will add a nostalgic touch to your table.
This 2-ingredient black cherry jello salad is the best jello salad ever! A tasty and refreshing light dessert or side dish with plump dark cherries and black cherry jello!
It’s insanely delicious, looks super festive and it’s the easiest fairly fancy looking dessert you can make, using only frozen or fresh pitted cherries (or any berries!) and a box of jello.
Strawberry Jello Salad is a light, fruity and sweet dessert. It's has a light and fluffy texture with slices of fresh Strawberries mixed in. With just 4 ingredients, this is a super easy to make dessert.
This is a perfect summer dessert or 4th of July dessert with its fresh strawberry flavor and ease of making. You can whip a large bowl for a crowd in no time.
This Cranberry Orange Pecan Jello Salad is filled with Mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and pecans. Perfect for your holiday table.
This light and fluffy Peach Bellini Gelatin Salad has peach gelatin, peach puree, prosecco, mascarpone cheese, and Cool Whip.
This Peach Bellini Gelatin Salad is great for New Year’s Eve at home or New Year’s Day brunch.
This Raspberry Cranberry JELLO Salad is an easy and festive side dish or dessert. It keeps well so you can make it up to three days in advance.
Raspberry Cranberry Jello Salad is a classic holiday dish that has to be on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This fun cherry pineapple Jello salad is sure to be a hit with your family. It is a simple make ahead side dish or simple dessert that is festive for a holiday or fun for a BBQ.
There is something nostalgic and fun about a good jello salad. This recipe is loaded with cherries and pineapple making it an extra tasty treat.
Black Cherry Jello Salad with Cream Cheese and Pecans is an elegant side dish or dessert with a deep fruity flavor that is so refreshing.
Little bites of cream cheese and crunchy pecans throughout black cherry jello add an interesting textural component.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fruits can I use? Pretty much any fruit you like! Classic choices include mandarin oranges, pineapple, and strawberries. But don’t be afraid to get creative with grapes, blueberries, or even chopped apples.
How do I prevent lumpy jello? Make sure your gelatin dissolves completely in hot water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Stir constantly until there are no visible granules.
Is jello salad vegetarian? Most jello salad recipes are vegetarian, typically using gelatin, fruit, and cream cheese. However, always double-check the specific recipe for any animal-derived ingredients.
Can I make jello salad ahead of time? Absolutely! Jello salad actually benefits from being chilled overnight, allowing the flavors to develop further. It can stay refrigerated for up to 3 days.
