Retro Raspberry & Pineapple Layered Jello Salad
A little campy and very retro, Jellies, Jell-O, gelatin, congealed salads are having a moment. Make this uber fresh and bright raspberry-pineapple gelatin mold with a tart layer of sour cream and cream cheese for your Easter table. Yum!
This recipe was so much fun to make. It took me back to my childhood when green bean casseroles, and Stouffer’s Dinners were all the rage. When I was growing up, every holiday table had a gelatin mold. Our home always had a celadon green “Country Club Salad” with pineapple, slivered almonds, lime gelatin and Fresca. My mother-in-law makes a cranberry salad every Christmas.
If tall, thin flutes of green, orange or bright red Jell-O were in your fridge, tilted and filled with Cool Whip, your mom was a “gourmet” and company was coming over for dinner.
Jellies or gelatin molds have been rising in popularity with the inventive sculptures of the Eton educated culinary team of Bompas & Parr. Check out some of their fantastical sculptures here. They recommend using plastic or copper molds for the sharpest lines, but I managed fine with a classic bundt pan.
I used traditional Jell-O brand and not gelatin sheets or unflavored gelatin. I wanted this mold to be as retro and nostalgic as possible. Definitely give it a try. You might be surprised how much fun it is to have this glistening, giggly sculpture in the fridge to snack on or enjoy with a fresh Spring meal.
Retro Raspberry & Pineapple Layered Jello-O Salad
Ingredients
- 6 Oz Box raspberry Jell-O
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 20 oz. frozen raspberries, (do not drain)
- 15 oz can pineapple tidbits in juices, (do not drain)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 pint full fat Sour Cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- Cooking spray
Topping
- 1 container Cool Whip, whipped topping OR 1 cup heavy whipped cream
- 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl , completely dissolve the Jell-O in BOILING water and stir until well mixed.
- To the bowl, add in the thawed raspberries, undrained pineapple, their juices and salt. Mix well.
- Pour half of this Jell-O and fruit mixture into a bundt pan or mold sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes until this layer is set.
- While the Jell-O mixture is chilling in the fridge, whip the sour cream and cream cheese together until light and airy- about 30 seconds on high speed. Spread the sour cream mixture over the now set Jell-O and fruit layer in the bundt pan. Pour over the remaining jello and fruit mixture cover with plastic wrap and chill four hours or preferably, overnight.
- To unmold the Jell-O salad from the mold/pan, hold the mold/pan in a large bowl filled with hot water for about 20 seconds-leaving about a 2-3″ rim above the water line. Remove the mold from the water, wiping away any water on the outside of the pan so it does not drip on the serving platter), place a large serving plate over the mold. Invert and giggle the mold. You will hear a plop when the mold releases the Jell-O salad.
- Combine the Cool Whip topping or Whipped Cream with the remaining 4oz of Cream Cheese. Serve on the side in an addition small bowl. Fill the center of the Jell-O mold with the fresh berries as pictured above. If you use fresh heavy whipping cream, whip on high until loose peaks form, then add in the cream cheese, whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Chill under ready to serve.
Nutrition
The cream cheese and sour cream never really set, despite the fact that I put in extra cream cheese. Also the jello mixture was too seedy and the combination of flavors weren’t tasty. I threw it away and made something else.
Hi Pat, I am o sorry you had trouble with this recipe. You need to use full fat sour cream and cream cheese and it really needs to set overnight per my instructions. The raspberries do have seeds, which you can strain out if desired. I hope you will try it again. I tested the recipe multiple times and never had any problems with it setting up.
I have been searching for this recipe. Thank you . I grew up with this and loved it so much. My mother passed away recently and my sister took all of her old cook books . I want to make this for Christmas. I could eat this all year long . It is delicious but you are correct. My mother always used full fat sour cream, no diet mess or sugar free mess. That will ruin oldtime recipes. This was always a festive holiday treat not for every day living . We are all going to die from something. Lol.
Thank you Mark, I love these vintage recipes. They take us back to the happiest of memories. I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother. I hope this little jello salad brings you some comfort. Meggen