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Cranberry Jello Salad is a classic dish that has been enjoyed for generations. This tasty and refreshing salad combines the tartness of fresh cranberries with the sweetness of jello and other fruits. It is a perfect dish for holidays and special occasions.
I love special dishes around the holidays. From the smoked turkey to roasted duck and all the beautiful special sides we grace our Thanksgiving table and Christmas table with, this cranberry jello salad is my favorite.
A great option for your holiday table it’s inexpensive, easy to prepare, and combines the tart cranberries with the sweet jello and other fresh fruits to make a delicious dish that is perfect paired with turkey.
We have made this recipe for years, I remember the first time I made it with my grandmother when I was a child. I carry on that tradition by having our children help make the salad each holiday season to serve alongside our Thanksgiving dinner.
How to Make Cranberry Jello Salad
This easy recipe is simple to put together and is best made at least the night before your holiday dinner for the best flavor and to give the gelatin time to set up. It’s our favorite recipe at holiday dinners and I’m sure it will be yours, too!
This festive side dish is perfect for not only serving alongside your Thanksgiving turkey, but it also pairs wonderfully with ham, chicken, Christmas goose, or roast duck!
Cranberry Jello Salad Ingredients
Note: A full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Fresh Cranberries – The star of the dish, of course, whole cranberries are chopped up to add tartness to the dish.
Sugar – to help mellow the tartness a bit.
Red Jello – any red jello will work in this dish. I prefer strawberry jello or raspberry jello but you could also use cherry jello. I usually purchase two small boxes of gelatin, but one large box will work as well.
Vinegar – regular distilled white vinegar is used to cut the sweetness of the flavored gelatin.
Salt– to bring out the flavors.
Navel Oranges– a great balance of sweet, tart, and tangy that pairs well with cranberries to help cut their tart flavor.
Celery– to help cut the tart flavor and bring a little crunch to the salad.
Walnuts– walnuts bring the sweet, and bright flavors down to a more manageable flavor and add texture to the salad. However, you can make this nut free by simply omitting them. It will not affect the final product.
Jonagold apples– perfect for use in sauces, these apples have a tangy-sweet, honeylike flavor and perform best in this salad.
Easy Cranberry Jello Salad Recipe
Note: for this recipe, I use a Food Grinder, but you can use a blender on course chop or a food processor.
Chop the ingredients. Begin by placing fresh cranberries in a food grinder, blender, or food processor and grind them into a large mixing bowl.
Then, grind up two oranges and the rind of half an orange into the same bowl. Add the two cups of sugar and stir. Place this mixture in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or a lid, for a couple of hours while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Meanwhile, grind together celery, apples, and walnuts in a separate, small bowl. Chill this separately, tightly covered, while you prepare the jello.
Make the jello. Using the container you will put the final salad in, combine vinegar, salt, and jello powder. Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir to dissolve the gelatin.
Place it in the refrigerator to chill just until it begins to set with a thin layer over the top. Do not allow the gelatin to set completely! You want just a hint of it setting on the top layer of the jello.
Combine ingredients. Combine the cranberry mixture with the apple mixture. Once the jello has begun to set on top, add the salad mixture to it and stir gently to incorporate.
Chill the mixture. Set the jello mixture in the refrigerator and allow it to chill, covered, preferably overnight.
Serving and Storing Cranberry Jell-o Salad
This delicious side dish is best served a day or two after it is prepared. I prepare it in a tall casserole dish and we spoon it out onto plates instead of trying to cut it out in slices.
However, a trifle dish would work well here and give a beautiful display of this festive cranberry jello salad to your holiday meal.
Another beautiful way to serve this would be to combine everything in a bowl and then pour it into a jello mold! To release, simply place the jello mold in a pot of hot water for about ten seconds to release the gelatin.
I like to top this delicious recipe with freshly whipped cream, but using reddi-whip or Cool Whip is also an easy option.
This easy cranberry salad recipe is a great make ahead dish as it can be stored, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Again, making it a day or two in advance will result in the best flavor.
This recipe will not freeze, however, so make sure not to make it too far in advance.
Other Cranberry Recipes to Try Next
- Canning Cranberry Sauce
- Easy Spiced Cranberry Jam for Canning
- Cranberry Juice for Canning – two methods!
Yield: serves 15
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Fresh cranberries and other seasonal fruit is blended together to make this delicious, sweet-tart cranberry salad perfect for serving alongside holiday meals or as a delicious dessert.
Ingredients
- 12 Oz Fresh Cranberries
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 Cups Boiling Water
- 6 Oz Red Jello (strawberry, raspberry, or cherry)
- 1 Tbsp White Distilled Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Navel Oranges, rind of 1/2 of one orange
- 1 Cup Celery
- 1/2 Cup Ground Walnuts (optional, see notes)
- 2 Apples (Jonagold or similar works best)
Instructions
- Wash and grind cranberries, and oranges and rind of half an orange into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add sugar to the cranberry-orange mixture and stir. Place the bowl in the refrigerator, covered, while the rest of the recipe is prepared.
- In a separate bowl, grind together washed celery, apples, and walnuts and set in fridge, covered.
- Combine jello, salt, and vinegar in the dish you will be serving the salad in. Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir to dissolve the jello. Place the jello in the fridge and allow it to just begin to set.
- Once the jello has begun to set on top, combine the cranberry and celery mixtures together, then pour that into the jello, stirring gently to combine.
- Allow mixture to chill, covered, preferably overnight.
- Serve cold, topped with cool whip or whipped cream.
Notes
You can omit the walnuts from this recipe if you or your guests are allergic. The recipe is still delicious and will still set up perfectly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1/2 Cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 164Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 33gProtein: 1g
