Cranberry Jello Salad
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.
Print
Pin
Servings: 9 slices
Ingredients
- 3 ounces black cherry jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained well
- ½ cup mandarin orange slices, drained well and patted dry
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Optional Topping
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- 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.
- 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. Stir to mix everything together.
- Lightly grease an 8x8 dish. Pour jello mixture into the dish and Cover and refrigerate for an additional 4 hours or until set.
- 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.
Notes
- If you don't have an 8x8 baking dish, this salad is stunning in a 9 inch glass pie plate with a dollop of topping in the center. An 8x8 dish can also be subbed out with a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan.
- 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.