Description
Christmas Jello Salad is a festive layered dessert featuring vibrant cherry and lime jello cubes combined with pineapple chunks and a creamy coconut milk gelatin layer. This refreshing, colorful salad is elegantly garnished with maraschino cherries, sliced strawberries, lime slices, and fresh mint, making it a perfect holiday treat that’s both visually appealing and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Jello Layers
- 3 ounce package cherry jello
- 3 ounce package lime jello
Fruit and Gelatin
- ½ cup canned drained pineapple chunks, diced small
- ¼ ounce (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
Sweetened Coconut Mixture
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons canned unsweetened coconut milk
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 ¼ cups boiling water
Garnishes
- Maraschino cherries
- Sliced strawberries
- Lime slices
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Prepare Cherry and Lime Jello: Mix the cherry and lime jello powders separately according to the package instructions to create two distinct jello layers.
- Chill Initial Jello Layers: Pour each prepared jello into separate loaf pans and refrigerate for 1 hour until partially set.
- Add Pineapple to Lime Jello: Remove the lime jello from the fridge and gently stir in the diced pineapple chunks. Return both the lime jello and cherry jello to the refrigerator and chill for an additional 3 hours until fully set.
- Make Coconut Gelatin Mixture: Near the end of the 3-hour chilling period, combine the unflavored gelatin and sugar in a medium bowl and stir to mix evenly.
- Add Liquids to Gelatin: Pour in the coconut milk and ¼ cup cold water, whisking until the gelatin and sugar dissolve completely, about 2 minutes.
- Incorporate Boiling Water: Stir in 1 ¼ cups boiling water and continue whisking until fully combined. Let the mixture cool to room temperature so it won’t melt the jello cubes later.
- Cube Set Jello: Remove the fully set cherry and lime jello from the pans and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Layer in Mold: Arrange a layer of jello cubes evenly in the bottom of a jello mold ring pan.
- Pour Coconut Mixture: Carefully pour the cooled coconut gelatin mixture over the layered jello cubes.
- Final Chill: Refrigerate the mold for at least 4 hours or overnight until the entire salad is firm.
- Unmold and Garnish: Carefully unmold the salad onto a serving plate. Decorate the top with maraschino cherries, sliced strawberries, lime slices, and fresh mint leaves before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Ensure the coconut gelatin mixture is cooled to room temperature before pouring over the jello cubes to prevent melting.
- Use a sharp knife to cut jello cubes cleanly for neat layering.
- This salad can be made a day ahead to allow flavors to meld and simplify holiday preparations.
- For a dairy-free option, the recipe already uses coconut milk, making it suitable for those avoiding dairy.
- Chilling times are essential for proper gelatin setting; do not rush the refrigeration steps.
