Strawberry Jello Salad with Cool Whip Recipe (2024)

This strawberry jello salad with cool whip offers a fresh take on jello salad is a go-to side dish all spring and summer long! It’s delicious, easy to make, and will please everyone at the dinner table. Our family loves this salad, and with three ingredients, it’s a simple dish we can make for dinner or dessert all the time.

We all have memories of potlucks or family gatherings with interesting jello salads: mystery toppings and random fruit suspended in green gelatin. This is NOT that salad! This salad is light, refreshing, delicious, and pretty.

I served it as a dessert at dinner parties, with a little whipped cream, and received rave reviews! And my picky four-year-old loves it because it’s bright pink and has fresh strawberries.

It’s perfect all spring and summer because it’s cool and fresh and doesn’t require a lot of prep or time over a hot stove. It stores well for days, doesn’t go bad at a picnic, and can be dressed as a fancy dessert. It makes a perfect family-friendly side dish.

What is Jello Salad?

Jello salad is a type of salad that incorporates gelatin (commonly in the form of flavored gelatin, such as Jell-O) along with various ingredients to create a colorful and fruity dish.

Jello salads come in various flavor combinations and often make appearances at potlucks, holidays, and family gatherings. The versatility of ingredients allows for creative variations to suit different tastes and occasions.

Ingredients

• one 6 oz box of regular (not sugar-free) strawberry jello, prepared according to the instructions below
• one 8 oz container of Cool Whip
• 2 cups or 1 pound of fresh strawberries, diced or sliced how you prefer
• optional add-ins include: whipped cream for topping, strawberry jam at the bottom, or mini marshmallows to mix in

How to Make Strawberry Jello Salad

1. Boil one cup of water on the stovetop, and mix into the bowl with jello powder in the mixing bowl.
2. Add one cup of cold water and stir. (These are the instructions on the side of the box.)
3. Chill jello, preferably in a shallow pan, for about 45 minutes or until it is cool and just starting to set.
4. Pour the jello into a large mixing bowl.
5. Mix the jello up vigorously for about one minute. Using an electric mixer is excellent for this step.
6. But watch out, it splashes. This breaks up any jello bits that have started to set and adds air to the mix.
7. Then fold in the Cool Whip and the strawberries.
8. Mix thoroughly, but be gentle, and don’t deflate the mix by stirring too aggressively.
9. If you want to add mini marshmallows, do it now. Add them in about 1/2 cup at a time to ensure you don’t overdo it. Transfer to a 9×13 pan for serving or into individual dishes. You can top it with whipped cream and sliced strawberries if you prefer.

How long do I chill the jello?

From start to finish, the salad requires about ten minutes of effort, but you should plan because it requires two trips to the fridge to chill and set. For the first step, make the jello according to the instructions on the box, then chill for about 45-60 minutes or until the jello barely begins to set. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s not runny and is thoroughly chilled.

It shouldn’t be set. Otherwise, it will not mix in with the Cool Whip correctly. You must chill it for at least another hour the second time until the jello is firm and set. You can tell it’s ready when it’s firm to the touch. You can also try a different type of salad, perhaps a fresh and vibrant fruit salad would be a great choice. This is a great way to enjoy a healthy and colorful mix of fruits. They’re easy to make and perfect for any occasion.

How long do you wait to add fruit to jello?

You don’t have to wait very long – just right after you mix the jello for a minute with your electric mixer or whisk.

Can you use sugar-free jello?

Yes, you can use sugar-free Jello in Jello salad. Using sugar-free Jello is a great option for those who are looking to reduce their sugar intake or for individuals with dietary restrictions.

What other add-ins can I use?

Jello salad is a versatile dish, and you can add a variety of ingredients to customize it to your taste.

Pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, and fruit co*cktails are popular choices.

Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), sliced kiwi, grapes, or diced apples can add freshness.

Sliced bananas add a creamy texture to the salad.

Some Jello salads include cottage cheese for a creamy element

Adding mini marshmallows can bring a sweet and soft texture.

Should I use fresh or frozen berries?

This recipe calls for fresh berries, diced into small pieces, so they suspend nicely in the solution and aren’t too big to eat. Frozen berries will work in a pinch, but they’ll be chunkier, and add a bit of water as they thaw in the salad. The upside to frozen berries is they will chill the salad faster.

You don’t need to dice the berries. If you prefer, slicing them into thin strips or julienne pieces will also be attractive. Always be consistent throughout the salad so they mix well and look uniform.

Is jello salad a dessert or a side dish?

This was created as a side dish. It’s perfect for bringing to a family-friendly event like a birthday party, church dinner, or another group event. Sometimes for this, I’ll toss in a bunch of mini marshmallows. It makes it kid-friendly, so even the pickiest eater will be happy.

It can be a fun dessert dish and is perfect for a ladies’ lunch, book group, or another event where a refreshing, light dessert will hit the spot. For this, I whip it up according to the recipe and add a little strawberry jam (here’s a great, no pectin, low-sugar strawberry jam recipe), or a big dollop of fresh whipped cream, or both! Some sliced whole berries on top take it to the next level.

That’s why this is a great recipe; it is excellent as a basic recipe but is so easy to adapt to different audiences to make everyone happy without making you work extra long or hard in the kitchen!

How can I make this salad fancier?

If you want to dress up this dish, spread a spoonful of strawberry jam in the bottom of a dessert dish or shallow glass. Then add the salad mix. After the dish has chilled, dollop it with fresh whipped cream and a slice of strawberry.

How long does jello last in the fridge?

It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days. It can stay fresh at a picnic for a few hours (due to the gelatin and sugar content). It will get soft if it’s outside in the heat for too long.

Can I freeze this jello salad?

This is not an ideal dish to freeze, as jello loses its structure when it thaws from being frozen.

How many does this serve?

This dish serves 12, give or take a little bit.

Strawberry Jello Salad with Cool Whip

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chill Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Everyone loves an heirloom recipe - and it doesn't get more traditional than this strawberry jello salad with cool whip. It has great flavor and is super easy to whip together!

Ingredients

• 1. one 6 oz box regular (not sugar free) strawberry jello, prepared according to instructions
• 2. one 8 oz container of Cool Whip
• 3. 2 cups or 1 pound fresh strawberries, diced or sliced how you prefer
• optional add-ins include whipped cream for topping, strawberry jam at the bottom, or mini marshmallows to mix in

Instructions

1. Boil one cup water on stove top, and mix into bowl with jello powder in mixing bowl.
2. Add in one cup cold water and stir.
3. Chill jello, preferably in a shallow pan, for about 45 minutes or until it is completely cool, just starting to set.
4. Pour the jello into a large mixing bowl.
5. Mix the jello up vigorously, for about one minute.
6. Using an electric mixer is great for this step. But watch out it splashes.
7. This breaks up any jello bits that have started to set, and adds air to the mix.
8. Then fold in the Cool Whip and then strawberries. Mix completely, but be gentle and don’t deflate the mix by stirring too aggressively.
9. If you want to add in mini marshmallows, do it now.
10. Add them in about 1/2 cup at a time to make sure you don’t overdo it.
11. Transfer to a 9×13 pan for serving, or into individual dishes if you prefer.
12. You can top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries if you prefer.
13. If you want to dress up this dish, spread a spoonful of strawberry jam in the bottom of a glass dessert dish or shallow glass.
14. Then add the salad mix. After the dish has chilled, dollop with some fresh whipped cream and a slice of strawberry.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 90Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 19mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g

Please verify this information with your preferred nutrition calculator.