Name: Cranberry Jello Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 ounces black cherry jello; 1 cup boiling water; 1/2 cup cold water; 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce; 8 ounces crushed pineapple, (drained well); 1/2 cup mandarin orange slices, (drained well and patted dry); 1/2 cup chopped pecans; 1 cup sour cream; 2 tablespoons sugar

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Deliciously sweet and festive, cranberry jello salad is filled with little mandarin orange slices, crushed pineapple, the crunch of chopped pecans and tart whole berry cranberry sauce suspended in a vibrant black cherry jello. Top it with a dollop of sweetened sour cream for the perfect Thanksgiving side dish or dessert!

If you’re family is a fan of fun jello salad recipes that are truly tasty, then you need to check out Layered Strawberry Jello Salad, Tropical Orange Jello Salad and Cherry Coca Cola Jello Salad.

A slice of old fashioned cranberry jello salad garnished with fresh cranberries.

With its punchy fruit flavors and sweet gelatin, some might believe jello salads to be more dessert than side dish. And that’s okay. The longstanding Southern tradition of congealed fruit salads doesn’t mind when it’s enjoyed just as long as it enjoys its rightful place on the holiday table.

For More: Sweet & Savory Cranberry Recipes for the Holidays

A slice of cranberry jello salad with a dollop of sweetened sour cream on top.

Combine that with the classic Thanksgiving must-have, cranberries, and you have a holiday recipe that just can’t lose! So this year, along with your turkey and your homemade cranberry sauce, serve this old fashioned Cranberry Jello Salad. It’s what good holiday recipes are all about!

It’s an incredibly delicious fruit salad.
It is so easy to make with just 5 ingredients + a very simple topping.
It all about traditional holiday flavors.

Ingredients & Recipe Overview

All of the ingredients needed to make cranberry jello salad, like black cherry jello, whole cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, chopped pecans, sugar and sour cream.

I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!

Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.

whole berry cranberry sauce (not the jellied cranberry sauce)
black cherry jello
crushed pineapple
mandarin oranges
chopped pecans
sour cream
sugar
water

Substitutions: For a brighter red color (and a more tart taste), use raspberry jello. And, of course, if you can find cranberry jello, go for that. You can also use regular cherry jello and walnuts instead of pecans.

For extra crunch and true retro flair, add about ⅓ cup finely diced celery.

How To Make Old Fashioned Cranberry Jello Salad

Cherry gelatin whisked with mandarin oranges, whole cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple and chopped pecans and ready to pour in a dish to set.

Dissolve the Gelatin. In a large bowl, whisk jello and boiling water together until all of the gelatin is dissolved. Once completely dissolved, whisk in cold water. Refrigerate the jello for 45 minutes.

Add the Fruit. After 45 minutes, skim any foam from the top of the jello left from whisking it. Add cranberry sauce, drained pineapple, orange slices and chopped pecans to the jello. Gently stir to mix everything together.

Chill & Set. Lightly grease an 8×8 dish. Carefully pour your jello mixture into the dish. Cover and refrigerate for an additional 4 hours or until set.

Make the Topping. Before serving, lightly mix together sour cream and sugar for a creamy topping, if a topping is desired. Serve slices of cranberry jello salad with a dollop of sweetened sour cream topping as a side dish or holiday dessert.

A white dish filled with cranberry jello salad and orange slices ready for the Thanksgiving table.

Tips for Making Delicious Cranberry Jello Salad

If you don’t have an 8×8 baking dish or would just like to use something different, this salad is stunning in a 9 inch glass pie plate with a dollop of topping in the center. An 8×8 dish can also be subbed out with a 2 quart casserole dish.
Double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan.
Be careful to follow the cold water and the initial 45 minute chilling steps; they make sure your fruit is suspended nicely throughout the jello salad. Both the cold water and the 45 minute chill time work to activate the gelatin enough to float the fruit (especially the orange slices).
Put down a paper towel when pouring the jello into its serving dish to set. No matter how slow or careful the pour is, there is always some splash.
Fresh pineapple has an enzyme in it that keeps gelatin from setting, so make sure you always used canned pineapple that is well drained in a jello fruit salad recipe.
Additionally, jellied cranberry sauce does not work in this recipe. The jelly dissolves and the jello won’t set. Whole berry cranberry sauce is a must.

What To Serve with This Festive Salad

Jello Cranberry Salad is a star from Thanksgiving all the way through New Year’s Day and even on into winter. For the holidays, serve it with all your holiday favorites, like Creole Roasted Turkey Breast and Southern Chicken and Dressing or put it on the dessert buffet as an extra dessert.

During those winter months, serve it Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin and Creamy Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin for a delicious comfort meal.

An overhead view of a slice of cranberry jello salad to show the texture and suspended fruit in the jello.

Making Ahead, Storing & Freezing

This recipe is perfect for making a day or two in advance, taking a bit of pressure off of holiday preparations.

Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days if covered tightly or stored in an airtight container.

Jello does not hold up to freezing and thawing. As a result, freezing this recipe is not a good idea.

More Holiday Fruit Salads to Love