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a shiny red jello salad ring sits on a silver platter surrounded by berries and fresh green mint.
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4.54 from 28 votes

Old Fashioned Raspberry Cranberry Jello Salad Recipe

Raspberry cranberry jello salad is a classic holiday dish that can be made in advance and refrigerated until you're ready to serve it. The recipe will take you 10-15 minutes to make, but the finished product is worth the time investment.
Prep Time15 minutes
Time for jello salad to set in refrigerator1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas, holiday side dish, jello, jello salad, quick, Thanksgiving
Servings: 12
Calories: 285kcal

Equipment

  • bundt pan or vintage jello molds

Ingredients

  • 6 oz raspberry jello
  • 6 oz cranberry jello sometimes finding 2 (3 oz) boxes is easier for this flavor
  • 2 cups water boiling
  • 6 oz pink lemonade frozen concentrate, thawed **You will only use half of the can
  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream softened
  • 14 oz whole berry cranberry sauce canned or homemade
  • 14 oz raspberries frozen
  • whipped cream optional for decorating
  • nuts optional

Instructions

To make the jello mixture:

  • Empty the jello packets into a large mixing bowl. Pour over 2 cups of boiling water. Stir with a whisk for two minutes until completely dissolved.
  • Stir in *HALF* of the pink lemonade can (if using a 12 oz size) and the softened vanilla ice cream. The ice cream will melt and distribute evenly.
  • Next stir in the cranberry sauce. It will also break apart and un-gel in the warm jello mixture.
  • Follow this by folding in the raspberries. You may need to change from a whisk to a large spoon at this point.

Making the jello ring mold:

  • Spray the bundt pan or chosen dish well with nonstick cooking spray. We found a six cup capacity pan worked the best, with a little extra jello mixture left over. You can place any extra in smaller bowls also sprayed with nonstick spray.
  • If using a flexible mold you should place it on a plate. Since it's not rigid it moves around a lot when trying to move from counter to the fridge!
  • Pour or scoop in the jello mixture into the containers.
  • Cover with cling film to avoid the jello absorbing any odors from your refrigerator. Sometimes Saran Wrap doesn't stick well and you may have to place aluminum foil on top of it to get a nice seal.
  • Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I like to go for 2 to 3. Overnight is great too!
  • Once the jello is set, place in a warm water bath for 10 seconds to help loosen the edges. Invert on a plate. If it doesn't slide out, maintain a firm grip on both the plate and the back of the bundt pan and shake vigorously. You may have to repeat the water bath. See notes in the post for more information on this.
  • Once on the platter, garnish as you desire. Use nuts, whipped cream, berries and fresh herbs like mint.

Video

Notes

Top tip- thaw both your frozen lemonade concentrate and ice cream in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before making the jello salad to allow it to stir in easily. 
See blog post for more FAQ's on using nuts, decorating, removing from molds, and suggested pans to use.

Nutrition

Serving: 12g | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg