This simple and delicious Thanksgiving Jello Salad recipe is sure to be a hit at your holiday gathering. With just a few ingredients, you can create a festive treat that everyone will love. Also check out my Layered Jello for a Christmas dinner favorite!
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Each year when I was a kid, my mom would make this Jello Salad for Thanksgiving and it was always my most favorite dish on the table. Black cherry jello mixed with crushed pineapple, blueberry pie filling, and a cream cheese topping that is creamy and delicious, what’s not to love?! We often served this with our Thanksgiving dinner versus saving it as a dessert option, but this could also be considered a sweet treat!
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What is Jello Salad
Jello Salad is a classic American dessert or side dish made with flavored gelatin, fruit, and typically includes other ingredients like marshmallows, nuts, pretzels, cottage cheese, or cream cheese. It is known for its colorful, speckled appearance, with bits of different colors against a colored, flavored gelatin. Gaining it’s fame in the 1930’s and 1960’s, it is now considered a retro dish, aka vintage. There are so many different jello salad recipes from Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Layered Jello, orange gelatin jello salad, cranberry salad, etc.
Thanksgiving Jello Ingredient Notes
Below is a brief overview of each ingredient needed. To see printable recipe card, scroll to the bottom of this post.
JELL-O
- Black Cherry Jello– I use 2 boxes of the 3 ounce size, so 6 ounces total. If you can’t find this flavor, you can also use raspberry to make a raspberry jello salad.
- Water– you’ll need boil the water before combining with the jello mix.
- Pineapple– 15 ounce can of crushed pineapple, be sure not to drain.
- Blueberry Pie Filling– you will need one can, 21 ounce size, any brand works.
FROSTING
- Cream Cheese– use full fat so it adds the most flavor and be sure to let this sit out to soften.
- Sour Cream– any brand works, this will combine with the cream cheese to create a topping.
- Sugar– white granulated sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the frosting.
- Nuts– although optional, the chopped nuts add a crunch to each bite. Chopped walnuts or pecans work great.
How to make the best Thanksgiving Jell-o Salad
- Mix jello mix with boiling water in a 9×13 glass pan.
- Add in pineapple and pie filling into the jello mixture and stir together well.
- Place in refrigerator and chill until set.
- While setting, mix cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar together in small bowl using an electric hand mixer.
- Once jello is set, spread frosting on top and sprinkle nuts (if using) on top.
- Chill in refrigerator until serving! Enjoy!
Preparing in Advance and Storing Tips
- To save on time, you can make this jello casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Simply cover the pan and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If you have leftovers, cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator up to 4 days.
- I don’t recommend freezing this as the texture doesn’t hold and ends up a mushy, liquid mess.
More Dessert Recipes for Thanksgiving
Although I specify Thanksgiving, each of these desserts are perfect any day of the year!
- Easy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
- Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Slab Pie
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Easy Thanksgiving Jello Salad
Ingredients
Jello
- 2 boxes Black Cherry Jello 3 oz. boxes
- 2 cups water *boiling
- 15 oz crushed pineapple *do not drain
- 1 can blueberry pie filling *21 oz can
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz sour cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup nuts *chopped, optional
Instructions
- Mix jello with boiling water in a 9×13 glass pan.
- Add in pineapple and pie filling into the jello mixture and mix in well.
- Chill until set.
- While setting, mix cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar together in small bowl.
- Once jello is set, spread frosting on top and sprinkle nuts on top.
- Chill in refrigerator until serving! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Theresa says
This recipe fits the bill for Thanksgiving. My brother wants to make something simple but tasty for his dinner at his daughters house, when I saw this recipe I knew it was the one he has to make. It looks so good. It will make a great addition to their holiday meal.
Kristin says
Yay!! Hope you enjoy as much as we do! It is one family tradition we all LOVE at the Holidays!
Bob Hutc says
how much water?
Kristin says
You’ll need 2 cups water! Enjoy!
Joan Schaller-Bauer says
HUH! No comments! Well let me be the first then! I make this often, however, I use raspberry or regular cherry jello. We always use a can of berry cranberry sauce, a small can [ undrained] or single serving of mandarin oranges, and mix in walnuts on top as it’s setting. [ As well as the UNDRAINED pineapple and thus, -less then 2 cups of water!]
It’s a very old Thanksgiving jello ” salad” recipe from the ’50’s! I really like your ” frosting” recipe, which we don’t do. I will have to try it for other desserts! [ Not a sweet eater or baker, really, so this sounds good!] Thanks for sharing this old time recipe! p.s. it is dirt easy to make!
Kristin says
Yay for first comments! I love the sounds of your version as well, yum!! Hope you enjoy the frosting addition, that is definitely my favorite part, haha!