20 Creative Jello Recipes That Make Delicious Snacks

Pretzel Jello Dessert

This layered dessert bar is hard to pass up, even by adults who think they’re too old for Jello. And it’s quick to make, so it’s a good recipe to remember for parties.

You can use different colors of Jello, like red and green, to make an easy holiday dessert that’s always in season.

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Sour Patch Grapes

Believe it or not, flavored gelatin has more creative uses than just making different shapes of Jello. And you don’t even have to work that hard.

To turn ordinary grapes into a healthy replacement for candy, rinse them off, and coat them in your favorite flavors of Jello. Stash them in the fridge or the freezer for a quick snack.

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Layered Jello Mousse Cake

This make-ahead dessert looks spectacular, but it’s extremely easy to make. You don’t need baking skills of any kind. Mix up the creamy filling, layer with graham crackers, and garnish with fresh or dried fruit. And to change the flavor, just start with another kind of Jello, and pick a topping to match.

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Caramel Apple Jello Shots

Jello shots are a fun way to serve your friends drinks at a party, but they’re often loaded with as much sugar as liquor.

These take it easy on both, so you can enjoy a few slices without getting tipsy. Since these have the natural sweetness of green apples paired with caramel flavors, it’s probably a good thing that one apple equals less than a shot of butterscotch Schnapps.

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Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots

Who knew fresh strawberries could be nature’s shot glass? Cut off the stem, make space in the middle, and a large strawberry is the perfect size for Jello shots.

And you can even get lime and sugar to stick to the rim. This serving idea is also delicious with other flavors, like strawberry daquiri Jello shots with rum or lime Jello with vodka.

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Creamy Lime Jello Parfaits

There’s more you can do with a box of Jello than make a basic gelatin dessert. This layered parfait is made mostly by mixing, so the only tough requirement is patience.

Once the simple Jello dessert is prepared and chilled, the gelatin is combined with cream cheese and Cool Whip. Then it has to be refrigerated again for another couple hours.

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Orange Creamsicle Protein Gelatin Squares

Post-workout snacks don’t get simpler than this, and it’s hard to beat the nutrition too. This orange Jello is made with real orange juice, so there’s only wholesome ingredients. You’re getting vitamin C, natural sugars, and a lot of protein all at the same time.

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Cottage Cheese Jello Salad

This quick salad is an old-school potluck recipe, but it’s great for snacks at home too.

And even if you don’t love cottage cheese and fruit on its own, mixing in a box of Jello and some Cool Whip will change the texture. That way you can just dig in and enjoy the cheesecake-like flavor.

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Blackberry Slush Punch

For a fun punch to serve at a party, just add Jello. Actually, frozen Jello. Mix it up the day before with fresh berries, and leave the Jello mold in the freezer.

When it’s close to party time, finish making the non-alcoholic punch by pouring bubbly soda over the block of ice. The Jello punch is ready to serve when it starts to get slushy.

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Strawberry Poke Cake

Upgrade a classic Jello cake by using real fruit puree instead. This method can be used for almost any kind of cake. Bake as usual, and once it’s cooled, poke holes randomly throughout it.

Yeah, go ahead and destroy the cake because then you’ll fill those spaces with flavor. Poke cakes are often made with Jello, but this one uses a vegetarian alternative, thickened with xanthan gum instead of gelatin.

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Sparkling Grapefruit Jello

For a fun way to serve grapefruit at brunch, juice the fresh citrus to turn it into Jello. It’s refreshing when made with soda water. Or, make an adults-only version with grapefruit and champagne. It’s a tasty twist on a mimosa that you can serve for dessert.

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Fresh Strawberry Jello

If you’re looking to avoid artificial flavors and colors, it’s best to skip any food that comes in a cardboard box. Luckily, you can make an even better gelatin dessert with fresh fruit.

Homemade Jello is delicious with fruit juice, but you can get even more nutrients if you use a puree. The extra work is worth it, especially since this healthy dessert only takes about 15 minutes to make.

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Homemade Instant Pudding Mix

Ever wish you could make instant Jello pudding, but from scratch? Skip the cardboard box, and pick up a few basic ingredients instead. You probably already have salt, cornstarch, and your favorite granulated sweetener.

Then for the ultimate vanilla pudding, use real vanilla bean. Once you mix it all up, you’ll have a homemade pudding mix to use anytime, including for other recipes like cookies, cakes, and protein shakes.

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Easy Chocolate Pudding

Boxed pudding mixes come in two kinds: the one you can just stir and eat, and the more traditional pudding that still gets cooked on the stove.

This is the second kind. Make it all at once, or combine everything but the milk and gelatin for homemade chocolate pudding mix. The powdered gelatin will get mixed in a small amount of milk right before stirring it all together.

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Easy Homemade Jello

When you have unflavored gelatin powder, it’s as easy to make healthy Jello as it is to make the kind from a cardboard box. You only need three ingredients: gelatin powder, fruit juice, and your sweetener of choice.

These macros have pomegranate juice, which is tart. You may need to adjust the sweetness depending on what fruit flavor Jello you want to make.

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Peaches & Cream Protein Jello Dessert

One of the best ways to upgrade an easy Jello recipe is to add fresh fruit. But that’s not all. You can also add whey protein powder for a healthy snack.

And this peach Jello can be extra-delicious if you use coconut cream or milk in place of water, or even just half the liquid.

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Strawberry Gelatin Protein Smoothie

Gelatin is usually just thought of as a thickener, but it has great health benefits tool. It can reduce joint inflammation, improve digestion, and deliver pure protein at the same time.

You can even use gelatin as a supplement in a smoothie. Just two tablespoons of unflavored gelatin puts this simple fruit smoothie over 20 grams of protein.

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High-Protein Gelatin Cups

It’s almost as easy to make single-serving snacks as it is to buy the prepackaged kind. These make-your-own Jello cups only require a few minutes in the kitchen.

If you want to take these snacks on-the-go, pour the mixture into individual containers, or use a silicone ice cube tray for bite-sized Jello jigglers.

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Whey Protein Cheesecake

If you’re looking for an easy cheesecake recipe, try one that has gelatin. The best part is there’s no baking required. The crust is a simple blend of oats and almond butter.

And a box of gelatin makes it an adaptable dessert recipe, so you can make lemon Jello cheesecake or any flavor you want.

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Chocolate Whey Protein Flan

Protein-packed desserts don’t have to be boring. This one only takes three ingredients, and yet when you pour it into a Jello mold (or any silicone mold), it’s fancy enough to serve to guests.

The recipe is versatile too. Change the type of milk and the flavor of whey protein powder, and you can tailor it to your cravings.

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