Last updated on December 24, 2022 at 02:33
This easy Christmas Jello Salad recipe is perfect to make during the rush of the Christmas holidays. Eat it for dessert or as a side dish along with a holiday meal. Light and delicious, the salad is a festive way to add some important fruit during the busy holiday season.

Christmas is a time when we tend to eat groceries in a hurry while making our holiday preparations. This jelly salad recipe is so light and delicious and a great way to get some key nutrients during the holiday season.
This fun jelly salad is loaded with fruit and is sure to be a hit.
It's great as a standalone treat and also makes a great side dish for a holiday meal. Add this salad to any holiday meal with its bright fruit, cranberry base and jewel-toned pomegranate seeds.
This is one of my favorite Christmas party recipes because it's so easy to put together and looks so festive.

Christmas jello salad recipe
This jello fruit salad is packed with simple ingredients.
Ingredients:
- cranberry juice, 1 cup
- pineapple juice, 1 cup (drained from canned pineapple)
- water, 1 cup
- Raspberry Jell-O, 6 oz (two 85g cartons)
- Whole Cranberry Sauce, 1 can, extra liquid drained
- Crushed Pineapple or Pineapple Treats, 13.5 ounce can (small can) - You may add 1 to 1 1/2 cans
- Apples, 2 large chopped
- Pomegranate seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
- walnut chunks, 1/2 cup
- Crushed cloves, 4 cloves or 1/4 tsp

Make sure you use canned pineapplefresh pineapple in your jello salad. SomeFruit prevents jelly from setting, due to fruit enzymes reacting with the jelly. Fresh pineapple is one of these fruits. However, canned pineapple is good to use.
directions:
- Pour the pineapple into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove the juice from the fruit. Drain completely before use.
- Use the pineapple juice from the drained pineapple in your jelly mix. Measure out one cup only.
- If you don't have enough pineapple juice, you can top it up with orange juice.
- In a medium saucepan, combine cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and 1 cup water.
- Bring juices and water to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the raspberry jello crystals. Stir for about 2 minutes until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Add all the cranberry sauce after draining the liquid that separated from the sauce and mix well.
- Next add the crushed cloves and stir.



Adding the fruit
- Pour the warm jelly mixture into a clean glass bowl or container in which you will serve your jelly salad. Place in the fridge and wait for the mixture to set.
- It takes a little time for the setting process to start, around 2 hours, so keep an eye on the mix.
- This is an important part of the setting process that should be done before adding the fruit to the salad.
- It's good practiceadd any fruit afterthe jelly has partially built up.
- Once the jelly has started to set, add the mashed pineapple and chopped apples, mixing well to distribute the fruit.
- Stir the ingredients and cover the fruit with the jelly mixture.
- Add the pomegranate seeds and chopped walnut pieces and spread evenly.
- Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allow the salad to fully set. The cooking time varies depending on the ingredients.


Garnish the salad
Depending on how your Christmas jello salad will be served, you may want to consider a garnish.
When served asDessert, add a dollop of whipped cream like Cool Whip or whipped cream and pomegranate seeds for garnish.
As an accompaniment to a holiday meal like Christmas dinner, no accompaniment is really needed. However, you can add walnut pieces or pomegranate seeds to the dish as a finishing touch.

Christmas Jello Salad Substitute
The raspberry jelly can be substituted for other festive options and other flavors.
I always think of red and green as traditional holiday colors, so consider these jelly colors for your salad substitutes, like red strawberry jelly and cherry jelly, and green lime jelly for a green jelly salad.
You can even use black cherry and orange jelly, which are also great festive options.
Juice options can also be substituted. Consider pomegranate juice and orange juice as great alternatives.
The pineapple and apple add a nice flavor combination, but these fruits can also be substituted and swapped out with some of your favorite fruits. Consider fruits like raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, and cranberries.
I love the look of pomegranate seeds. They appear to glow in the light as they sit on the lettuce.
If you don't have pomegranates, that's fine, the jelly itself still catches the light and shines perfectly on its own.

Christmas Jello Salad Recipe Card

Easy Christmas Jello Salad Recipe
Yield:10 Bags
Preparation time:20 minutes
Cooking time:3 minutes
Extra time:4 hours
Total time:4 hours 23 minutes
Add this Christmassy Jello Salad to any holiday meal with its bright fruit, cranberry base, and jewel-toned pomegranate seeds. Get ready for a simple and festive decoration for your Christmas table.
Ingredients
- cranberry juice, 1 cup
- pineapple juice, 1 cup (drained from canned pineapple)
- water, 1 cup
- Raspberry Jell-O, 6 oz (two 85g cartons)
- Whole cranberry sauce, I can, drain extra liquid
- Crushed Pineapple or Pineapple Treats, 398 mL or 13.5 oz Can (1.5 Small Cans)
- Apples, 2 large chopped
- Pomegranate seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
- walnut chunks, 1/2 cup
- Crushed cloves, 4 cloves or 1/4 tsp
instructions
- Pour the pineapple into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove the juice from the fruit. Drain completely before use.
- Use the pineapple juice from the drained pineapple in your jelly mix. Measure out one cup only.
- If you don't have enough pineapple juice, you can top it up with orange juice.
- In a medium saucepan, combine cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and 1 cup water.
- Bring juices and water to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the raspberry jello crystals. Stir for about 2 minutes until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Add all the cranberry sauce after draining the liquid that separated from the sauce and mix well.
- Next add the crushed cloves and stir.
- Pour the warm jelly mixture into a clean glass bowl or container in which you will serve your jelly salad. Place in the fridge and wait for the mixture to set.
- Once the jelly has started to set, add the mashed pineapple and chopped apples, mixing well to distribute the fruit.
- Stir the ingredients and cover the fruit with the jelly mixture.
- Add the pomegranate seeds and chopped walnut pieces and spread evenly.
- Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allow the salad to fully set. The cooking time varies depending on the ingredients.
Remarks
The raspberry jelly can be substituted for other festive options and other flavors. Be sure to use fruits that won't interfere with the jello set, such as raspberries, strawberries, apples, peaches, oranges, and blueberries that won't interfere with the setting process.
Nutritional Information:
Yield:10Serving size:1 Tax
Amount per serving:Calories:194Total Fat:4gSaturated Fatty Acids:0gTrans fats:0gUnsaturated Fat:3gCholesterol:0 mgSodium:10mgCarbohydrates:40gPhases:5gZucker:30gProtein:2g
Please note: This nutritional information is an estimate only. Please calculate your exact brands and ingredients for better accuracy
storage
This Christmas jello salad can be made a few days in advance and stored covered in the fridge.
If leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Chances are it won't be stored for long.
You can even store it in individual containers. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or a lid.
frequently asked Questions
How long does jello salad keep in the fridge?
Jello salad will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container.
It's important to keep the jello covered so it doesn't pick up smells from the other foods in the fridge.

Why is my jello salad runny?
One cause of liquid jelly istoo much liquidin the mix.
If the pineapple has retained a lot of extra juice or the cranberry sauce has extra liquid in it, the extra juice may prevent the jelly from setting.
Another cause of liquid jelly isdo not mix the jello crystalsfor a sufficient period of time to prevent all crystals from completely dissolving. The jelly should dissolve in the hot mixture for at least 2 minutes before adding anything cold to the mixture.
There is also a third cause of runny jellycertain types of fruit, which prevent the jelly from settling. These fruits contain enzymes called proteases that keep the jelly from setting.
fruits such asfresh pineapple, bananas, kiwi, figs, ginger root, papaya, guava and mangoesare examples of fruits that have this effect and can prevent jello from setting.
Interestingly, cooking can break down these enzymes, which is the case with canned pineapples. The canning process inactivates the enzyme that inhibits jello from setting.
Other fruits like raspberries, strawberries, apples, peaches, oranges, and blueberries do not have this enzyme and will not interfere with the jello setting.

How To Fix Jello That Won't Discontinue
If you added one of the above fruits that prevent setting and the jelly hasn't set, it's still possible to salvage the jelly.
The first step is to remove the fruit to see if the jelly sets.
If the jelly doesn't set, you can trywill do. To do this, mix up another box of jelly and ensure that the jelly crystals have completely dissolved by stirring in the hot water for at least two minutes.
Add the fancy jello mix with the fruit removed to the new mix. Place in the fridge to set.
Once it has partially set, add the fruit again.

Diploma
This jello recipe is packed with goodies. It will likely become a family favorite and is already on my list of favorite family recipes. It's so easy to do.
Perfect for a holiday table with its festive colors, it's also a great dish for special occasions like Christmas parties.
It's one of the best jelly salad recipes to use as an easy holiday dessert, with all its colorful ingredients and tangy flavor.
Get ready for a simple and festive decoration for your Christmas table.

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PIN FOR LATER!

FAQs
How long does jello salad last in fridge? ›
As a general rule, homemade jello can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to seven days. However, how long your jello salad lasts will ultimately depend on the fillings you've chosen. For example, if you used fresh fruit, plan to keep it for no more than four days.
What do you call for a salad whose main ingredients is gelatin? ›Jello salad is an American salad made with flavored gelatin, fruit, and sometimes grated carrots or (more rarely) other vegetables. Other ingredients may include cottage cheese, cream cheese, marshmallows, nuts, or pretzels. Jello salads were popular in the 1960s and are now considered retro.
Why is jello salad a thing? ›It was economical: A housewife could stretch her family's leftovers by encasing them in gelatin. And, since sugar was already included in the flavored mixes, the new packaged gelatins didn't require cooks to use up their household stores of sugar.
Why were there so many jello recipes? ›Two, molds were so popular, and featured in so many cookbooks, that many home cooks simply accepted that they were a desirable thing to make. They also were relatively fun to prepare, and were an inexpensive way to make a main dish by using primarily canned goods and leftovers.
Why does my jello salad get watery? ›Why is my Jello still liquid? There can be several different causes as to why your Jell-O may still be a liquid. Perhaps you have added the wrong kinds of fruit, did not thoroughly mix your gelatin into the Jell-O, or added too much liquid.
How do you get jello salad out of mold? ›- Dip the mold in warm (not hot) water. ...
- While the mold is submerged, moisten the tips of your fingers, and gently pull the edges of the gelatin away from the mold.
- Moisten a serving plate (so you can slide your mold and center it on the plate once unmolded) and place it upside down over the mold.
Do not add raw pineapple or papaya to gelatin salads. These fruits contain enzymes that dissolve the gelatin. If cooked or canned, however, these fruits may be included.
What are the 5 basic salads? ›The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert.
What is meat in Jello called? ›Aspic or meat jelly (/ˈæspɪk/) is a savory gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients. These often include pieces of meat, seafood, vegetable, or eggs.
Why is Jell-O served in hospitals? ›Why Do They Give Hospital Patients Jell-O? Considering how easily digested Jell-O is because of it's smooth, liquid characteristics, patients in hospitals are given the nutrient dense protein for more reasons than just taste and digestion. It also proves to be a good source of calories because of the sugar content.
Why is my jello salad not setting? ›
While making the jello, it is essential to dissolve the gelatin mixture in boiling water before adding the correct amount of cold water to the mix. Gelatin must dissolve entirely before adding cold water; otherwise, the jello will not set.
Why do we eat Jell-O when sick? ›Jell-O, or gelatin, is another virus-friendly food. Gelatin is easy on the stomach, and it helps keep your blood sugar regulated, giving you the energy you need to fight off your sickness.
What state eats the most Jell-O? ›Utah eats more Jell-O than any other state
The state has an entire holiday week dedicated to the jiggly treat, and it's even Utah's official state food.
Jell-O began to pivot into new products such as single-serve cups, ready-to-eat Pudding Pops and frozen Gelatin Pops. It transitioned from targeting moms to marketing the product as a snack for kids and one time-starved parents could bond with their kids over making together.
What is the secret ingredient in Jell-O? ›The primary ingredient in jello is gelatin. Gelatin is made from animal collagen — a protein that makes up connective tissues, such as skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
What happens if you use milk instead of water in jello? ›Some people use milk in their jello instead of water because it gives it a cloudy look and an even sweeter taste possibly as well. What is this? This can be great when you want to add extra creaminess and flavor to your jello layers, or even change the colors.
How long do you wait to add fruit to jello? ›If you do decide to mix cut up fruit into your jello, make the gelatin as directed in the recipe. After you've put the gelatin in the fridge to set, start a timer. Check on it after about 15 minutes. If it's slightly cooled and beginning to thicken, add the fruit.
Why do you put cold water in jello? ›"Gelatin is relatively insoluble in cold water but hydrates readily in warm water. When added to cold water gelatin granules swell into discrete swollen particles absorbing 5-10 times their weight in water.
Can you spray Pam in a Jello mold? ›Spray it with Pam before you put the Jello in it. Once it's set, slide a knife around the edge to break the seal, and invert it on the plate you want to serve it on. Then just let it sit until it drops.
How do you keep jello from sticking to jello molds? ›Fill a large pan with hot water and set the mold in the water for about ten seconds. This will loosen up the gelatin and encourage it to release from the mold.
What is the best container to make jello in? ›
Glass containers are a good choice for gelatin art as they offer great transparency and a firm mold for gelatin.
What fruit should you not put in Jell-O? ›If you like making gelatin for dessert, the box often recommends not adding certain kinds of fruit, including pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs or guava. People have a hard time getting the gelatin to solidify when they add these fruits.
What fruit is best to add to Jell-O? ›Some fruits like berries, apples, and bananas can be added to Jello perfectly fine when fresh but fruits with a higher acid content like pineapple, citrus, and kiwi will prevent you Jello from setting. Canned or jarred varieties are better because the acidy has had time to mellow out.
What are the guidelines in preparing gelatin salad? ›Guidelines in Preparing Gelatin Salad: Gelatin and liquid should have a good proportion. Too much gelatine will make it stiff, too little gelatine will not form once unmold. Stir and dissolve the unflavored gelatin in a cold liquid to avoid lumping or grouping into chunks.
What is the secret to making a good salad? ›- Be gentle with lettuce. Balsamic dressing. ...
- Serve up perfect avocado. Forget lemon juice or cold water – the only way to stop an avocado going brown in a salad is to peel and chop them right before serving. ...
- Say goodbye to onion tears. ...
- Adore your dressing. ...
- Sprinkle in some protein.
A typical salad starts with raw greens, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, mixed greens or arugula. However, you can also add several other raw vegetables. Some popular raw veggie toppings include chopped carrots, onions, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms and broccoli.
What part of the pig is used in Jell-O? ›The gelatin used to make Jell-O can be made from pig skin. Gelatin is sourced from the skin, bones and other connective tissues of pigs, cows and other farmed animals.
What is the jelly stuff in spam? ›Natural gelatins cause the jelly-like substance that surrounds spam in the meat that solidifies when cooled (like an aspic). Depending on the variety of Spam, other ingredients, including chicken or turkey, may be added. There are numerous different flavors of spam.
What is pig gelatin called? ›Pigs and cattle are mammals, and gelatin derived from them contains alpha-gal. Gelatin made from cows is called bovine gelatin. Gelatin made from pigs is called porcine gelatin.
How long do Jello jigglers last in the fridge? ›How should I store leftover Jello Jigglers? Store jello in the refrigerator in an airtight container or storage bag. Jello can be kept in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.
How long does gelatin dessert last in the fridge? ›
The Classic Dessert
All you need is water, gelatin, and the most crucial ingredient: time. As long as you're patient, your jello will come out perfect every time. You can also opt to make your jello well in advance. It will keep in a refrigerator for up to 10 days.
In general, standard Jello Shots with one and a half cups of water to half a cup of liquor will set after spending two to four hours in the refrigerator. Try to take it out sooner, and you'll have a liquidy, watery mess. The shots will stay good in the fridge for three to four days, so there's really no rush.
Does refrigerated gelatin go bad? ›The short answer is that gelatin will go bad. After all, they are still packaged products, which mean they will lose their potency (aka, go bad) after some time. It is not rocket science, really! You will usually find a best-before date label on any gelatin products.
Do you cover jello when you refrigerate? ›Then as it begins to thicken, stick it in the fridge to finish setting up. CAN YOU COVER JELLO BEFORE IT SETS? You can cover it with plastic wrap, but just know that it may take it longer to set up if it's covered, especially if the Jello is still warm.
Does boxed jello go bad? ›When stored in a cool, dry place, like the pantry, an unopened package of powdered jello can last for years. Just be sure it doesn't come into contact with any moisture. Once the package of jello has been opened, it's best if used within three months.
Why does my jello get rubbery on the bottom? ›A rubbery or tough layer at the bottom of your dish indicates that the gelatin was not completely dissolved during preparation. This can also occur if the water not hot enough, not enough boiling water was used, or the gelatin was not stirred long enough to completely dissolve the crystals.
Why didn't my jello set? ›While making the jello, it is essential to dissolve the gelatin mixture in boiling water before adding the correct amount of cold water to the mix. What is this? Gelatin must dissolve entirely before adding cold water; otherwise, the jello will not set.
Can you put lids on jello shots before they set? ›Refrigerate the shots for 2-3 hours or until set. Put a lid on each cup and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
How far in advance should you make jello shots? ›Jello shots are their best for 3 – 5 days after making them. So you can definitely make them a bit in advance to save time, but it's best if you can make them only a day or two in advance.
Can I make jello shots 2 days in advance? ›Jello shots are freshest the day they are made. They can be made 1-2 days in advance. Any longer, and they tend to shrivel and shrink in the fridge. Don't serve them if they're older than a week.
Can bacteria grow on gelatin? ›
Gelatine is an animal protein with many industrial applications. Previous studies pointed out that endosporeforming bacteria, belonging to the genus Bacillus or related genera, might contaminate and survive the production process of gelatine, leading to products of low quality and safety.
How can you tell if gelatin is bad? ›You will almost always notice a color change or mold if gelatin has gone bad. A change in color means that gelatin is degrading, so think twice if you want to eat it. You might notice mold specks within the powder or as a layer on top of your pre-made gelatin snack.
Can you remelt and reuse gelatin? ›Once gelatin has set it can be melted again and used multiple times. Gelatin has a fairly low melting point and will become liquid if left in a warm environment. Small amounts of gelatin can be melted in a container placed in warm tap water. Larger amounts can be re-heated over a pot of boiling water.