Our Best Jell-O Mold Recipes (2024)

Home Recipes Salads Jello Salads

Katie BandurskiUpdated: Jan. 05, 2022

Craving a recipe from your childhood? Step back in time with these vintage Jell-O mold recipes. They're just like the ones mom and grandma used to make!

1/19

Molded Strawberry Salad

This refreshing salad has two layers – a pretty pink bottom that includes sour cream, and a ruby red top with strawberries and pineapple. For years, Mom has included this salad in meals she prepares for our family. -Gloria Grant, Sterling, Illinois

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2/19

Grandmother's Orange Salad

This orange salad dessert is slightly sweet and tangy, too. It adds beautiful color to any meal and appeals to all ages! —Ann Eastman, Santa Monica, California

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3/19

Molded Cranberry-Orange Salad

When I take this dish to potlucks during the holidays, people always ooh and aah. Feel free to top with whipped cream for added appeal. —Carol Mead, Los Alamos, New Mexico

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4/19

Taste of Home

Peach Bavarian

Fruit molds are my specialty. This one, with its refreshing peach taste, makes a colorful salad or dessert. —Adeline Piscitelli, Sayreville, New Jersey

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Pina Colada Molded Salad

My gelatin ring gets a tropical twist from coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts. It's a wonderful anytime treat. Now that I'm retired from teaching, I have more time for kitchen experiments. —Carol Gillespie, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

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8/19

Cran-Raspberry Gelatin Salad

Just like Grandma’s, this pretty gelatin salad has full berry flavor without being too tart. It’s perfect for any holiday dinner. —Rosemary Burch, Phoenix, Arizona

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9/19

Orange Buttermilk Gelatin Salad Mold

A dear friend shared this recipe with me years ago. Now it's my favorite dish to take to a church meeting, shower or any potluck event—it's always a hit. Whenever I serve this salad, people ask for the recipe. They find it hard to believe it's really made with buttermilk! —Juanita Hutto, Mechanicsville, Virginia

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10/19

Snowy Raspberry Gelatin Mold

This mold is always on our holiday table. The raspberry layer makes an attractive base for the creamy cream cheese layer. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Sangria Gelatin Ring

This gelatin is enjoyed by everyone because you just can't go wrong with fresh berries. —Nicole Nemeth, Komoka, Ontario

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12/19

13/19

Taste of Home

Simple Lime Gelatin Salad

Looking for a festive dish to light up the buffet? This pretty green gelatin salad is eye-catching and has a delightful, tangy flavor. —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa

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14/19

Taste of Home

Apricot Gelatin Mold

After my husband and I got married, he asked me to get this special holiday recipe from my mother. Mom prepared it for every family celebration, and now I make it for my family! You can replace peach with orange gelatin if you prefer. —Suzanne Holcomb, St. Johnsville, New York

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15/19

Cranberry-Eggnog Gelatin Salad

Refreshing and bursting with flavor, this festive jello salad is a great choice for a holiday potluck or make ahead Thanksgiving side. The sweet pineapple-eggnog layer contrasts nicely with the cool and tangy gelatin on top. Since it has to chill overnight, it’s a good pick for those dishes you want to prepare a day ahead. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania

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16/19

Taste of Home

Fluffy Cranberry Mousse

This is a delicious and pretty salad for the holidays, but it's so good that I serve it at other times, too. I got the recipe from a neighbor who had served it with a traditional turkey dinner. —Helen Clement, Hemet, California

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17/19

Taste of Home

Rosey Raspberry Salad

Whenever I make this pretty raspberry salad, people talk! It's a festive side dish that works well for celebrations throughout the year. —Jane Vanderground, Macedonia, Ohio

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18/19

Taste of Home

Mango Gelatin Salad

My Aunt Nannette often made this salad as a convenient make-ahead dish. The mango mold has hints of apricot and can be served with pork, chicken and beef—or for dessert. —Debra Sult, Chandler, Arizona

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19/19

Taste of Home

Molded Cranberry Nut Salad

We try lots of cranberry recipes, and this one is always requested when we have family get-togethers at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has also been a favorite dish at every church potluck I've taken it to! —Eleanor Arthur, Seattle, Washington

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Originally Published: September 18, 2020

Katie Bandurski

As Senior Shopping Editor, Katie connects Taste of Home readers with the best gifts, deals and home products on the market. An avid foodie and a holiday enthusiast, Katie is an expert at cultivating meaningful moments.When she’s out of the office, you’ll find her exploring Wisconsin, trying out new vegetarian recipes and watching Christmas movies.

FAQs

Should I use Pam in Jello mold? ›

Rinsing the mold with cold water before filling it with Jell-O can also make it easier to unmold. Spraying the mold with Pam or some other cooking spray is another common trick, but one that may leave a residue and flavor on the Jell-O, which you may not want depending on what you are making.

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How much Jello do you need for a mold? ›

Purchase as many boxes of Jello as colors you would like to be layered in your mold. You will need about five boxes of Jello to fill a standard Bundt pan. You will need one and one-fourth cups of boiling water and a bowl for each color of gelatin.

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How do you keep Jell-O from sticking to Jello mold? ›

Grab your 5-cup ring mold and give it a good coat of cooking spray. You really want to get into all the nooks and crannies so nothing sticks. Pour in the fruit and gelatin mixture, cover and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes. Don't let it sit any longer or the second layer will not stick to this base.

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Do I need to oil a silicone Jello mold? ›

Use the silicone mold for jello the same way you would use it for cake batter. I would not grease it though. Just make sure it's on a cookie sheet or a plate first, so you can move it to the refrigerator. I would also short the water by about half a cup.

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How do you get Jell-O out of a mold without breaking it? ›

Dead simple. Fill a pyrex bowl full of boiling water put the jelly mould into the water and it should slide out easily after a minute or so. Never fails! If its a bit sticky to come out run a knife round the edge of the mould but normally it comes out fine with the hot water.

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How long does it take for Jell-O to set in molds? ›

Consistency Chart:

If the recipe says:	The gelatin should:	Keep it in the fridge for:
Refrigerate until firm	Not stick to your finger if touched. Be immobile.	Individual molds: minimum of 3 hours. 2-6 cup molds: at least 4 hours. 8-12 cup molds: at least five hours or overnight.

2 more rows

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How do you thicken Jell-O for molds? ›

First, the gelatin is dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water. Then, combine 1/2 cup cold water and enough ice cubes to make 11/4 cups when using a four (1/2-cup) serving package. Add to dissolved gelatin, stirring until thickened. Remove any remaining ice.

Can I use a bundt pan as a Jello mold? ›

Gently fold the thawed fruit into the thickened mixture. 5Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with cooking spray. Pour the thickened fruit mixture into the bundt pan. Chill, uncovered, until just set, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

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Why did people make jello molds? ›

Gelatin-based dishes were a staple of this genre, especially since shaped molds allowed for elaborate presentations. Cooks could showcase ingredients with a clear gelatin or aspic, using "sinkers" and "floaters" to achieve a certain look, or fold cream or mayo into the gelatin for an opaque appearance.

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Can I use a cake mold for Jello? ›

All you need is a fun shaped vessel – I like decorative cake pans (Nordicware makes great ones) but you could totally just use a regular glass or stainless mixing bowl, gelatin, juice, and some time.

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How long is a Jello mold good for? ›

The Lifespan of Prepared Jello

There's no need to be in a rush to gobble up all that jello. When stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, this jiggly treat can last for up to seven to 10 days.

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What can be used for Jello molds? ›

You can also use metal round, tube or bundt cake pans. They work beautifully to make layered ring-molded gelatins too. You should be able to find ring-shaped molds and individual-portion molds at your local cookware store.

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What can I use instead of a Jello mold? ›

Jello molds are collectables for some folks, but you actually don't need any special mold for molded desserts. You can use a Bundt pan, a loaf pan, or even a mixing bowl to set large molded desserts, or small cups, ramekins, or even espresso cups for individual servings.

How do you keep Jello shots from sticking? ›

The next time you are adulting and making pistachio-amaretto Jell-O shots or some other artisanal version of these babies, lightly spray the sides of the cup with a flavorless, non-stick cooking oil — save the butter and olive oil for making pancakes or eggs — or take a little vegetable oil on your clean fingers and ...

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Do you use cooking spray on silicone molds? ›

Generally, good old greasing is not really necessary with silicone molds. However, using cooking sprays or even greasing before baking and cooking can make your life a lot easier when it comes to washing them later on. Think of this as a means of prevention – you'll spend much less time doing the dishes afterward.

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Is it necessary to spray silicone molds? ›

Silicone bakeware is designed to be non-stick, so it is generally not necessary to grease or flour the inside of the pan before baking. However, there are some cases where a light coating of cooking spray or a small amount of butter or oil may be beneficial.

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How do you keep food from sticking to silicone molds? ›

Even though silicone molds are non-stick champions, a light spritz of cooking spray or a tiny bit of butter or oil can provide an extra safety net, especially for more intricate designs.

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