Thanksgiving Jello Salad with Cranberries

This recipe is the easiest Thanksgiving side dish or dessert you can make ahead of time. The cranberries give this simple dessert the perfect holiday taste, which we all love. It will be a great addition to your holiday tradition.

Don’t you love the holiday season? I love Thanksgiving. Spending time with family and thinking about everything I’ve been blessed with makes me feel so good. My favorite part of this special time is eating the traditional foods prepared during the season! I especially love making a delicious side dish that I know everyone will love!

Along with the classic dishes and recipes, I like experimenting and trying new things that may make it into the traditional menu. This easy Thanksgiving jello salad recipe is one of those new dishes that I now make every year for Thanksgiving Dinner. Your family will love it too and will be so excited to see it on the holiday table year after year. 

Ingredients

• Large box of raspberry gelatin mix
• 3 ounces vanilla pudding
• 14-ounce can of whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 8 ounces cool whip

Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups of cold water to a boil.
2. Dissolve jello and pudding in the boiling water.
3. Pour the jello mixture into a glass baking dish.
4. Add walnuts and cranberry sauce and mix well.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set for a couple of hours – about four hours.
6. Once set, put jello into a large mixing bowl and mash up.
7. Fold together with the cool whip.
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

• You can for fresh cranberries vs. canned
• Cranberries can be tart, so it’s important to balance their flavor with sweetness. You can adjust the amount of sugar or other sweeteners in the recipe to suit your taste preferences.
• Enhance the flavor of the cranberry Jello salad by adding the zest of citrus fruits like orange or lemon. The citrus zest adds brightness and complements the tartness of the cranberries.
• Allow the cranberry Jello salad to chill thoroughly in the refrigerator until it sets completely. This ensures that the salad holds its shape and maintains its texture when served.
• Use a different flavor of JELL-O
• Add cottage cheese for extra texture
• Add a touch of sour cream for a tangier flavor
• Add other fruit, such as blueberries
• Leave out the nuts
• Add canned or fresh pineapple
• Mix in some fresh orange zest
• Add in some fresh pineapple juice or orange juice
• Make this recipe the night before – it’s a great recipe to prepare beforehand because the flavors almost always taste better the next day!
• You can easily double this recipe
• Top with homemade whipped cream
• We do not recommend using sugar-free jello, as it tends not to be set up very well. 

Storage Recommendations

After making the cranberry Jello salad, cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container with a lid.

Immediately after making the cranberry Jello salad, store it in the refrigerator. It should be kept at a consistent temperature of 40°F (4°C) or below to prevent bacterial growth and maintain its quality.

Use a shallow dish or container to store the cranberry Jello salad. This helps it chill more quickly and evenly in the refrigerator.

To prevent the Jello from sticking to the plastic wrap, lightly spray the wrap with cooking spray before covering the dish. Alternatively, place a layer of wax paper or parchment paper directly on the surface of the Jello salad before covering with plastic wrap.

Cranberry Jello salad can typically be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

We do not recommend freezing this recipe. 

This easy cranberry salad recipe is the perfect side dish for all special occasions, but it will especially be a hit at Thanksgiving. Because it’s so easy, it will save you time and quickly become one of your family favorites! This also goes well with my Thanksgiving fruit salad which I love to make together with it. Try it for your next holiday dinner!

Related Recipes

• Easy Strawberry Jello Salad
• Easy Watergate Jello Salad
• Simple Lime Jello Salad Recipe
• Simple Layered Blueberry Jello Salad
• Creamy Orange Jello Salad with Mandarin Oranges