This scrumptious Cranberry Jello Salad is always on our holiday table. The combination of tart and sweet go perfectly together.
This is the perfect side dish to my Thanksgiving Turkey recipe and bacon green bean salad.
Table Of Contents
Cranberry Jello Salad Recipe Details
Cranberry Jello Salad is a must for our family on Thanksgiving because we love the way it tastes with turkey. You are going to adore this festive recipe.
- TASTE: Sweet, tart, and a little nutty, this dish has a lot of delicious fruity flavor.
- TEXTURE: Smooth and light, this Cranberry Jello Salad has plenty of chunks of juicy fruit and crunchy walnuts.
- TIME: This recipe will only take you 12 minutes to make.
- EASE: Super easy and with only 4 ingredients, you can even make it ahead of time.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Walnuts- These little nuggets of crunchy, nutty flavor are the perfect complement to the smoother, fruitier flavors here. They can aslo be replaced with pecans as well.
- Crushed pineapple- Because this is crushed, it mixes seamlessly into the jello and adds just enough texture. The bright, sweet taste of pineapple is amazing here. Just make sure NOT to get pineapple chunks. There is too much liquid in there.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add orange zest- Zest packs a lot of bright, strong flavor, so adding this to the Cranberry Jello Salad will enhance the citrusy notes with delicious results.
- Make it with celery- This is an alternative that some people really like because of the added texture the celery gives. Just remember to chop it fine.
- Use another jello flavor- In place of raspberry jello, you can also make this with other jello flavors, such as cherry and cranberry and it will taste equally good.
- Make it in a mold- If you like the look of a mold, you can pour the mixture into one and let it set. If you’re having trouble getting it out, use hot water on the outside to loosen it.
How to Make Cranberry Jello Salad
- Dissolve the jello. In a large measuring cup, dissolve the raspberry jello powder with hot water. Then add cold water.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the whole berry cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, and chopped walnuts. Then pour in the jello and stir until mixed thoroughly.
- Let it set. Pour the jello into either a large pan with raised edges or individual cups. Refrigerate overnight until it sets.
Pro Tip: Use boiling hot water to dissolve the jello powder because it will mix faster and you’ll have fewer clumps to break up.
Recipe Tips
- Dissolve the gelatin in hot water- This helps it break up more quickly and thoroughly so there are no clumps left. Then add the cold water once this is done.
- Use crushed pineapple- When it’s crushed, the pieces are a lot smaller and it’s easier to mix into the jello mixture than tidbits or rings you’ve cut. It also incorporates lots of juice. If you leave some of the liquid from the crushed pineapple. Then it is better to enjoy this recipe cold. Since it can be a little runny from the additional liquid.
- Chop the walnuts finely- While this Cranberry Jello Salad is chunky, you don’t want to overwhelm it with walnuts. Chop them small so they mix and blend with the fruit.
- Let it set overnight- Don’t rush this or the texture will be too watery. If you’re worried about time, make this a day or two ahead so it’s fully set and ready to be served.
FAQs
Yes, you can make this with cranberry jello to give it a really strong sweet-tart flavor. I like the combination of the cranberry sauce with the raspberry jello, but you can make it either way.
Jello usually sets in about 2-4 hours, but for this recipe, you want to be sure to give it extra time since there are other ingredients inside that will cause it to break if it’s not fully set. Let it set overnight whenever possible.
Serving Suggestions
This Cranberry Jello Salad is a tasty side dish that works great at holiday meals. Here are some ways to serve it.
- Meats: This sweet-tart side dish is delicious with Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey, Garlic Herb Crown Roast of Pork, and Roasted Chicken.
- Vegetables: Serve this Cranberry Jello Salad with Bacon Green Bean Salad, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.
- Potatoes: Try this side dish alongside Scalloped Potatoes Recipe, Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes, or Air Fryer Baked Potatoes.
- Dessert: This makes an elegant dessert, so you can dress it up with some Chantilly Cream and serve it with Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO) and Homemade Apple Pie.
Make This Cranberry Jello Salad in Advance
Make ahead: You can make this a couple of days in advance. Just cover it with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. If you’re using a mold, leave it in the mold until you are ready to plate and serve it.
Storing: Store this Cranberry Jello Salad in the refrigerator, covered, for up to one week. After that, the texture will begin to change.
Freeze: It’s not a good idea to freeze this dish because as it thaws, it becomes watery and clumpy. Best to keep it in the fridge.
More Delicious Holiday Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Cranberry Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (6 oz) packages raspberry jello
- 2 cups boiling hot water
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 14 oz cans whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 20 oz cans crushed pineappple (NOT pineapple chunks)
- 1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup, mix the 2 (6 oz) packages of raspberry Jell-O powder with 2 cups of boiling water using a whisk. Then add 2 cups of cold water and whisk until everything is dissolved.
- In a large bowl, combine the 2 (14 oz) cans of whole berry cranberry sauce, 2 (20 oz) cans of crushed pineapple (lightly drained), and 1 cup of toasted chopped walnuts. Then pour in the jello and stir until well mixed in.
- Pour the cranberry jello into either a large pan with raised edges or individual cups. Refrigerate overnight until it sets.
Notes
- Make sure to use crushed pineapple and NOT pineapple chunks. The cans look very similar but they are not the same thing. The chunks have more liquid which can result in soupy jello.
- Don’t skip out on toasting the walnuts. It adds a more nutty flavor to the dish.
- If you can’t find raspberry jello, you can use cherry, cranberry, or even strawberry jello instead.
Nutrition
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April B says
I have made these as a salad and dessert with whipped topping. Loved it both ways. I also made in 5 oz. Cups with a lid as a snack. How much is one serving?
Dina says
Hi April, the serving size here is a guess since the dish is made in a 9×13. So it really depends on how many pieces you cut it out to or how much each person puts for themselves.
Sandi Krajnek says
We really enjoyed. Will make this again
Dina says
Hi Sandi 🙂 Glad to hear that you enjoyed this cranberry jello salad! Thank you so much for your support and for keeping this recipe as a family favorite! 🙂
Z says
This is my go to cranberry jello salad recipe! I have it saved so I can easily pull it up not only for Thanksgiving but any other time during the year I get a craving for it. Even if it’s a “huge amount” as others have said, even as just one person I can usually smash the whole thing within a week.
Dina says
That’s amazing! I am so glad that you came across my recipe! Thank youn so much for taking the time to write your kind feedback 🙂
Bri Stevens says
I’m using 1lb of the cranberry celebration salad instead of cranberry sauce . Also 1, 6 oz box of jello says to use 2 cups of boiling water and 2 cups of cold water. Should I just use 1 cup of each instead or 2 boxes of jello with just 2 cups of each cold and hot water? Thank you so much!
Dina says
Hi Bri, I am not too sure on the amount of liquid in the cranberry celebration salad that you are using, but I am assuming its not super runny? I would stick with the same ratio. So if you are using only 1 box of jello, then do 1 cup hot and 1 cup cold water. I hope that helps 🙂
Claudia Bliss says
If I didn’t want to use a large dish to serve the cranberry salad, what other kind of cups could I use.
Dina says
Hi Claudia, you can use any kind of glass cups you like.
Phyllis Grover says
Delicious
Jean says
Just confirming, is there no sugar added to the jello? Or should it be made with the recommended amount of sugar from the jello box?
Dina says
Hi Jean, you are correct. I do not add ant sugar to the jello. I just make it as instructed on the box.
Harriet says
M grand daughter is allergic to pineapple can I replace that with something else? Peaches chopped or meandered orange?
Dina says
Hi Harriet, you can use chopped mandarin oranges instead 🙂
Jennifer Mancke says
This paragraph is a bit of a mess. Did you relegate it to AI?
Use crushed pineapple- When it’s crushed, the pieces are a lot smaller and it’s easier to mix into the jello mixture than tidbits or rings you’ve cut. It also incorporates lots of juice. If you leave some of the liquid from the crushed pineapple. Then it is better to enjoy this recipe cold. Since it can be a little runny from the additional liquid.
Dina says
No, I choose not to use AI in on my website. I believe that it loses the personal touch between the content creator and user. This is just a really old recipe that may need to be freshened up a bit 🙂
Angie says
Can I use my homemade crushed cranberries?
Dina says
Hi Angie, it depends. Are your crushed cranberries mixed with some sort of sweetener like the ones from the can? I used the canned kind which has sugar added to it. If you use straight crushed cranberries, it might be too tart.
Kitty "spectrekitty" Byrne says
My mom used to make this, but with *pecans,* until I told her I didn’t like it with nuts. Moms! ❤ I have to chuckle, tho, because she made it *old school:* She used a hand-cranked meat grinder, and she’d put whole, fresh cranberries thru it, as well as a whole orange. The orange went thru, seeds, peel, & all! So of course it had orange zest. But it came out wonderfully well, & I’ve missed it ever since I lost my recipe…
Dina says
Thank you for the comment and for sharing your sweet family memories 🙂
AJ Harrison says
Can you half the recipe?
Dina says
Hi AJ 🙂 Yes you can half this recipe. You may want to use a slightly smaller dish though. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂