Cranberry Jello Salad
Cranberry Jello Salad is a classic Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish made with fresh cranberries, fruit, and pecans.

Cranberry Jello Salad
This Cranberry Jello Salad was one of my grandma’s favorites side dishes and it always made an appearance at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. It is different than Cranberry Fluff (my other grandma’s favorite!), less sweet and more tart, and it is super easy to make. The combination of tart cranberries, sweet apples and oranges, crunchy pecans, and jiggly Jello is absolutely perfect!
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Cranberry Jello Salad is probably one of the easiest sides you can make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can make it a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator which means you can focus on your mashed potatoes, stuffing, and broccoli casserole.
How to Make Cranberry Jello Salad
- In a food processor, pulse cranberries with orange and apple until finely chopped.
- Remove mixture and place in a bowl.
- Pulse pecans in food processor until finely chopped.
- Stir pecans into cranberry mixture, add sugar and mix thoroughly.
- Let mixture sit in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add both boxes of gelatin to the hot water and stir until completely dissolved.
- Pour gelatin into bowl with cranberry mixture and mix well.
- Pour gelatin mixture into a large casserole dish or gelatin mold.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Jello Mold Alternatives:
You have a couple of options for how to serve your Cranberry Jello Salad. My grandma always put it in a casserole dish and called it a day. It works great for big groups. If you want to get a little fancier you can use a Jello mold (how 1950s!). If you’re like me you probably don’t have a Jello mold though and who needs one more thing to store, right? Well, if you have a mini bundt pan you can you that as a jello mold.
How to Use a Bundt Pan as a Jello Mold:
- Spray a small amount of non-stick spray on the inside and pour in your cranberry jello salad.
- Let it set in the fridge.
- Once set place the bundt pan in a hot water bath for 30 seconds or so (don’t let water get on top of the pan!).
- Then place a large cutting board on top of the pan and flip it over. You may have to gently press on the cranberry jello salad to help it release but they will come out!
Beautiful, individual cranberry salads every time!
Want more easy side dish recipes?
CRANBERRY JELLO SALAD
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Cranberry Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cranberries, fresh & chopped
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 Apple
- 1 Orange
- 1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
- 3 ounces Cherry gelatin, 1 packet
- 3 ounces Raspberry gelatin, 1 packet
- 2 cup Water, boiled
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse cranberries with orange and apple until finely chopped.
- Remove mixture and place in a bowl.
- Pulse pecans in food processor until finely chopped.
- Stir pecans into cranberry mixture, add sugar and mix thoroughly.
- Let mixture sit in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add both boxes of gelatin to the hot water and stir until completely dissolved.
- Pour gelatin into bowl with cranberry mixture and mix well.
- Pour gelatin mixture into a large casserole dish or gelatin mold.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Nutrition
Recipe sounds great.Wondering if you peel the Apple and the orange before putting in food processor?
You peel the orange but it isn’t necessary to peel the apple. I hope you like it!
I just finished making your recipe! it in the fridge set up. I was looking for a recipe like this one, and so happy I found yours. I’m bring it over to my moms for Christmas Eve. I sure it going to be delicious. Thank you. Happy Holidays
I’m so glad you found it and I hope you love it as much as my family does. We just made ours and put it the fridge.
I’m so glad you found it and I hope you love it as much as my family does. We just made ours and put it the fridge!