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Isn’t this easy, 5-minute strawberry jello salad pretty? With an abundance of strawberries, peaches, and pineapple tucked inside, it’s a perfectly refreshing fruit salad for the warm months ahead!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for even more easy recipes with strawberries, try this strawberry tres leches cake (with cake mix), strawberry freezer jam, an old-fashioned strawberry pie, and this strawberry cream cheese icebox cake, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. With about 5 minutes of hands-on prep time, this salad is about as easy as it gets! There’s no need to haul out an electric mixer, fuss with tedious layers, make a crust, or fiddle with molds.
- Versatile. Offer the fruit salad as a side dish at summer cookouts, add it to the Easter or Thanksgiving table, or keep it in the fridge for a light, make-ahead dessert when entertaining.
- Refreshing. Thanks to its cool texture and an abundance of fruit, this sweet treat tastes so refreshing on hot days.
This was so easy and delicious! Perfect for our family potluck. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
– Alayna
What happened to Jello salads?
Jello salad is not what you’d normally think of when you hear the word “salad.” It’s a sweet side dish consisting of either fresh, frozen, or canned fruit that’s suspended in jello. Once a staple at family gatherings and potlucks, the dish seems to have fallen out of favor in recent years. Maybe it’s a preference for fresh fruits and vegetables, maybe folks prefer more adventurous, global flavors, or maybe the current generation has just forgotten about grandma’s gem!
While it may not be as popular as it once was, there’s still a nostalgic charm associated with jello salad, and I’m here to give it another moment in the spotlight. The side-dish is totally “retro,” but it’s still really tasty! This strawberry jello salad is essentially a quicker and easier version of my grandmother’s famous Jell-O molds, which made regular appearances at her dinner parties and on her holiday tables throughout the 60’s and 70’s.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this simple strawberry jello salad recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Strawberry Jell-O: you’ll need two small boxes (the 4-serving size).
- Boiling water: to dissolve the Jell-O.
- Strawberries: pick up a package of frozen sliced strawberries for convenience (you don’t even have to thaw them). If you have good fresh strawberries available, those will work too!
- Crushed pineapple: drain the can before adding the pineapple to the jello.
- Canned sliced peaches: do not drain the can. The peach juice contributes liquid and flavor to the jello mixture.
Directions
This simple strawberry jello salad comes together in minutes, but looks, feels, and tastes fancier than your average fruit side dish. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the strawberry gelatin and boiling water in a large bowl until the Jell-O dissolves.
- Stir in the fruit.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until set.
- Slice into squares and serve with a dollop of Cool Whip on top.
Serving Suggestions
While the recipe calls for a dollop of Cool Whip on top, homemade whipped cream, canned Reddi Wip, and sour cream also work well as a garnish. You can be like my mom and serve it on a bed of lettuce with cottage cheese instead! Now that’s retro.
Whether you’re headed to a church potluck, attending a cookout by the pool, or serving up a holiday brunch, this strawberry jello salad is a must on your menu! We love it as a sweet, special side dish, but you can also offer it as a light dessert. I’ve got my grandmother to thank for this inspiration, and I know that it will be passed along for many generations to come!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: this is a convenient prep-ahead option for busy weeknights or for hosting guests. Allow at least 4 hours for the jello to set in the fridge (or overnight is fine, too).
- How to Store: leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days; however, the fruit will release liquid as it sits, so the texture may be a bit softer.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this salad. The texture of the gelatin will change, and the fruit will release liquid when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- I have also prepared this Jello Salad in a deep 11 x 7-inch dish. The smaller dish yields thicker slices, so choose your preference. If you go with the smaller dish, just make sure that your dish is relatively deep so that it can accommodate all of the fruit.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the salad in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- If you have access to in-season fresh strawberries you can slice them and use them in lieu of the frozen strawberries.
- Try a different flavor of Jell-O. Good options include orange jello, raspberry jello, lemon jello, and cherry jello.
- Swap out the sliced strawberries and use other berries (like blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries), mandarin oranges, or sliced bananas.
I’m making this for the 3rd time today, it’s a wonderful recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
– Kacy
Expert Tips
- You’ll need two of the small boxes of strawberry Jell-O (the 4-serving size). You can use the 3-oz boxes of regular Jell-O or the 0.3-oz boxes of sugar-free Jell-O.
- Boil the water on the stovetop or put it in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for about 3 minutes (or until boiling).
- You do not need to thaw the frozen strawberries before adding them to the Jell-O mixture. Make sure that you’re using unsweetened frozen strawberries.
More Fruit Salad Recipes to Try
Honey Lemon Fruit Salad Recipe
15 minutes mins
Easy Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding
15 minutes mins
Ambrosia Salad Recipe
5 minutes mins
Strawberry Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 2 small boxes strawberry Jell-O (use 3-ounce boxes of regular strawberry Jell-O, or 0.3-ounce boxes of sugar-free strawberry Jell-O)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 (14 ounce) package frozen, sliced strawberries (or about 3 cups fresh sliced strawberries)
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can sliced peaches, NOT drained
- Optional, for serving: frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed
Instructions
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together the Jell-O and boiling water until the Jell-O dissolves. Stir in the strawberries, pineapple, and peaches (with peach juice).
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until set.
- Cut into squares; dollop with whipped topping just before serving.
Notes
-
- I have also prepared this Jello Salad in a deep 11 x 7-inch dish. The smaller dish yields thicker slices, so choose your preference. If you go with the smaller dish, just make sure that your dish is relatively deep so that it can accommodate all of the fruit.
-
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the salad in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- You’ll need two of the small boxes of strawberry Jell-O (the 4-serving size). You can use the 3-ounce boxes of regular Jell-O or the 0.3-ounce boxes of sugar-free Jell-O.
-
- Boil the water on the stovetop or put it in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for about 3 minutes (or until boiling).
Nutrition
This post was originally published in April, 2018. It was updated in April, 2024.
Fabulous, delicious and super easy! Made with the right fruit this is a perfect 0 point dessert on the Weight Watcher’s Flex points program.
Thanks, Debbie! I love this treat, too! And yes — it’s such a light option for those who don’t want heavy, high calorie desserts. 🙂
When our (extended) family gets together, we ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE a jellied Salad! So many people think that because it is “sweet”, it has to be for dessert only but it is so good to have it as part of the meal.
Yes!! We’re the same way — it makes an appearance at every holiday in some form! 🙂 It’s definitely not just for dessert!
This was so easy and delicious! Perfect for our family potluck. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks, Alayna!
Can u make it without the strawberries?
Yes! Feel free to swap them out with any other berries you prefer.
So, do you thaw the frozen strawberries if the other fruit isn’t frozen? Ever used fresh peaches (since they’re in season now) instead of canned peaches?
This is going to taste so refreshing alongside dinner this dreadfully hot, July weekend!!
Thank You!
Liz
Hi, Liz! No need to thaw the strawberries first. You can definitely use fresh peaches. Enjoy! 🙂
Can you make this in layers? Like jello then whipped cream then another jello layer on top? Also can I make this with strawberry soda instead of the cold water?
Hi, Susan! I don’t know — I’ve never tried it with the layers or with the soda, so I can’t guarantee that it would work. I know that other Jello salad recipes use soda sometimes, so I think that would probably work fine. If you want to use a creamy layer in the center, you might look to this recipe as an example: https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/jello-rainbow-salad/ She uses sweetened condensed milk in that middle layer, rather than whipped cream. Just a suggestion, but feel free to give it a shot and let me know how it works!
I’m making this for the 3rd time today, it’s a wonderful recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
That’s awesome to hear, Kacy! Thank you! I love it in the spring and summer especially, so thanks for the reminder. I need to make it again with spring around the corner! 🙂
Could I make with frozen mashed strawberries? Maybe if I drain them or not? What do you think?
We haven’t tried it, but it should work! We would recommend draining excess liquid. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!