Homemade jello is an easy, healthy, and delicious treat. Best of all, you get to decide exactly what goes into it. Make 100% fruit juice jello for a fruit-sweetened treat. Or mix in kombucha, water kefir, or milk kefir for a bit of probiotics!
Fruit juice jello is every bit as easy to make as instant jello. However, you can skip all that added sugar, artificial flavor, and food coloring. The result is a healthy, naturally sweetened dessert that is wiggly, jiggly, and fun!
The recipe below involves making several layers, but that’s not necessary. Homemade jello can be as easy or as complicated as you want!
Fun Fruit Juice Flavors
The recipe includes the option for several layers. The photographed jello involved a layer of berry juice, a layer of flavored cream, and a layer of kombucha. Exactly which flavors you use for your jello is entirely up to you!
Here are some fun suggestions:
- Berry Bash: Use grape, apple, or mixed berry juice for the jello, then add blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries into the bottom layer. This is pretty tasty with a whipping cream layer.
- Raspberry Tea: Use 1 cup of double-strength brewed black tea with 4 cups of grape juice. Stir in 1 cup of raspberries. These will float on top to create an extra fruity layer.
- Coconut Cream: For a dairy-free jello use coconut cream instead of whipping cream. This is particularly delicious with tropical fruit juice.
- Orange Julius: Use orange juice mixed with 1 1/2 tsp of orange zest and 2 tsp vanilla into the whipping cream layer.
Probiotic Jello
Adding a bit of cultured liquid into jello is a fun way to get your daily dose of probiotics. Here are a few notes on making probiotic jello:
- Since gelatin and pectin need to be stirred into boiling hot liquid, it’s important to allow the liquid to cool to just above body temperature before mixing in the probiotic beverage. The ideal temperature is 105 F (40 C).
- Probiotic beverages will continue to ferment, even after being set into jello. So don’t be surprised if you have a bit of sparkle in your jello!
Probiotic Flavors
I always have a few probiotic beverages in my fridge. The jello in the photographs is made with kombucha and milk kefir cream. Yum!
- Apple Ginger Beer: Mix homemade ginger beer with apple juice.
- Berry Kombucha: Unflavored kombucha tea is delicious with berry juice.
- Sweet Water Kefir: Water kefir is the sweetest probiotic pop, so it is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
- Kefir Cream: Make milk kefir cultured cream.
- Cultured Coconut: Cultured coconut cream is a delicious dairy-free alternative.
- Yogurt: Yogurt is a simple option for anyone who doesn’t regularly brew their own soda pop. It isn’t as creamy, but it’s still delicious!
Fruit Juice Jello
Fruit juice jello is perfect for all sorts of fun flavors and doesn’t require any additional sugar. See the section above for some flavor options, including fermented beverages, like kombucha, for a probiotic treat!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: Vintage
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp gelatin (or pectin to set 6 cups, see notes for details)
- 3 cups of juice
- 2 cups of cold juice or probiotic beverage
- 1 cup of cream (either whipping cream or coconut cream)
- 1 cup of fresh fruit (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of juice to a boil. Remove from heat and add pectin or gelatin according to the directions on the package. Follow the proportions on the package for setting 6 cups of liquid. Stir until the powder is fully dissolved.
- Leave the juice to cool slightly, then mix in the remaining 3 cups of liquid. This can be juice, kombucha, cream, etc.. See the section above for flavor suggestions. Pour the mixture into a 6-cup Jello mold or individual serving cups.
- To make a layered dessert, mix 1 cup of jello juice with 1 cup of cold juice or kombucha. Pour into the mold and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then mix 1 cup of jello juice with 1 cup of cream. Pour over the set jello, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Mix the final layer with 1 cup of jello juice and 1 cup of cold juice or kombucha. As long as you leave the warm juice out of the fridge while the layers set, then you won’t have to reheat the jello.
- If you are using fresh fruit, I recommend adding them to the bottom or middle layer, as they will float until the jello is set.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so that it sets nicely.Â
Notes
- I’ve used both organic gelatin powder and Pomona’s pectin to make sugar-free jello. The jello comes out perfectly either way. Just follow the jelling instructions on the package for 6 cups of liquid.Â
- Avoid using fresh pineapple, kiwi, peaches, figs, mango, or papaya, which all contain an enzyme that will prevent the jello from setting properly. If you really want to use one of these fruits then either use processed juice or canned fruit, which won’t contain the enzymes.
- A bundt pan works great as a jello mold. However, I find individual bowls or mason jars are easier for serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 147
- Sugar: 22.8g
- Sodium: 36mg
- Fat: 2.4g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4g
- Carbohydrates: 25.6g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 6.4g
- Cholesterol: 8mg
Nikky
This is really tasty.
SALINA JIVANI
Can I make this jellow using agar agar? If so, how would you recommend I make it?
Emillie Parrish
Hello, I have used pectin to make jello, but not agar agar. Sorry, I can’t help you with that. Cheers, Emillie