Cranberry Raspberry Jello Salad recipe is an easy, festive dish to add to your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday table. Raspberry jello is molded with cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, and a hint of orange then topped with a creamsicle Cool Whip cream cheese topping.
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Old Fashioned Cranberry Jello Salad with Raspberry
Finding the perfect jello salad recipe for your Christmas or Thanksgiving table, means wading through plenty of recipes. There’s the traditionalists, who like to serve the same recipe Mom or Grandma did year after year. On the other hand, there’s home cooks who love to mix it up, and a cranberry raspberry jello with cool and creamy is how take a vintage recipe to the next level.
Since jello recipes come in so many shape in sizes, it’s hard to decide which one’s the best. You can go with a jello mold, adding fruit, mix-ins, like cream cheese jello salad, or making a fluff, like orange jello fluff salad made with cottage cheese.
Cranberry raspberry jello with crushed pineapple combines the best of both worlds. It’s an old fashioned recipe with crushed pineapple, cranberry sauce, and walnuts mixed into the raspberry jello. If you really want to take it old school, add some diced celery as well!
But this recipe adds a new, fresh twist with a creamy orange topping made from cream cheese, Cool Whip, and orange zest. Sprinkle more chopped nuts on top and you have a upgraded classic guaranteed to impress!
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Ingredient Tid Bits
Cran raspberry jello combines raspberry gelatin with cranberry relish, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts for a bit of crunch. Serve in a 9X13 pan, or pour into a jello mold, and spread on the easy creamsicle Cool Whip, cream cheese topping.
- Raspberry Jello – Substitute cherry or strawberry flavors or, if available, use cranberry jello.
- Whole Cranberry Sauce – Use canned whole berry cranberry sauce, not jellied cranberry.
- Crushed Pineapple – Adding the juice with the fruit makes this recipe even simpler!
- Nuts – Mix chopped pecans or walnuts in the jello salad, and use for garnishing the top.
- Orange Zest – Just like in Sparkling Cranberry Cocktail or Baked Cranberry Brie, orange and cranberry flavors are a match made in heaven!
Let’s Make This Together!
Whipping up an easy cranberry raspberry jello is such an essential traditional around the holidays. Typically our Thanksgiving or Christmas tables are adorned with some sort of jello recipe. It’s an essential food group!
Jello and boiling water – you can do that. Mix in other goodness.
Place the raspberry gelatin in a bowl and pour in boiling water. Once it dissolves, stir in the cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, orange zest, and nuts. Pretty easy stuff.
Spread and chill.
Pour that mixture into a 9X13 pan or jello mold. Chill until solid, at least 6 hours to overnight. This is where you do the opposite of chill and do all the other holiday prep work.
Creamy, cool, hint of orange topping.
For yummy topping beat together softened cream cheese with orange zest. Fold in the whipped topping and spread over set jello. Garnish with some more chopped nuts. Serve and immensely enjoy!
Go-To Tips and Modifications
- What else can be added? For an old school, vintage twist add chopped celery and walnuts for crunch. Fresh chopped apples would also make a great addition.
- What can of pans can be used? For jello slices a 9X13 pan works best, but you have options! Alternatively use a large glass bowl or jello mold. Spread the topping on after it has set or top individual servings with the cream cheese mixture as it is served.
- Using different jello flavors – If cranberry jello is available that may be used or substitute cherry or strawberry jello for the raspberry.
- Swapping out the liquid – After the boiling water dissolves the jello, add additional liquid to cool the mixture down and bring it to the right consistency. Cold water, apple juice, orange juice, or cranberry juice may be used.
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Vintage Cranberry Raspberry Jello Salad
Ingredients
- (2) 3 ounce packages raspberry flavored jello, (or large 6 ounce box)
- 1 cup boiling water
- ¾ cup cold water, (see recipe notes for alternatives)
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 14 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 2 oranges), divided
- ½ + ⅓ cup chopped pecans or walnuts,, divided
- 8 ounce cream cheese, , softened
- 8 ounce Cool Whip whipped topping,, thawed
Equipment
Instructions
- Place gelatin in a large bowl. Pour in 1 cup boiling and stir until jello is dissolved. Mix in cold water, crushed pineapple, cranberry sauce, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and ½ cup chopped nuts until evenly blended.(2) 3 ounce packages raspberry flavored jello, 1 cup boiling water, ¾ cup cold water, 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, 14 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- Pour into a 9X13 glass pan and refrigerated until set, about 6 hours to overnight.
- For topping, beat together softened cream cheese with remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest. Stir in half the whipped topping until well blended, then gently fold in the rest. Spread topping evenly on jello and sprinkle with remaining ⅓ cup nuts.8 ounce cream cheese, , 8 ounce Cool Whip whipped topping,
Notes
What else can be added?
Old fashioned cranberry jello salad usually contains chopped celery and walnuts inside for an added crunch. Fresh chopped apples would also make a great addition. Add up to 2 cups of extras into the jello before refrigerating.Using other liquids
Instead of adding cold water, orange juice, apple juice, or cranberry juice may be used for additional flavor.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
My family wants this dish EVERY Thansgiving & Christmas. “The only way to eat cranberry gel for the holidays!”
Ha! Love it! Thanks for sharing, Cindy!
Best,
Melissa
This cranberry salad was a scrumptious addition to our Christmas dinner. Everyone remarked about the brightness of the flavors! I added 2 cups of honey crisp apples, and used chopped pecans. The cream cheese topping mixture was the perfect completion to this tasty holiday recipe!
This sounds wonderful, Dawn! Thank you so much for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
The salad was good but the pineapple should have been drained. It never set up.
Hi Janet,
I’m sorry to hear this. I haven’t had the issue with it not setting. I wish I could help with what with wrong. You used 2 boxes of jello and the water amount was correct? Some recipes use 2 cups total water, but I cut back since the pineapple juice is in there. I apologize for any frustrations!
Best,
Melissa
Can you use dream whip in place of the Cool Whip?
Hi Amy,
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it would be a problem. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa