Applesauce Jello

Simple ingredients mix together to create a firm raspberry or cherry applesauce that’s popular at Thanksgiving called Applesauce Jello.

Applesauce Jello Recipe

Essentially the texture of applesauce, but a little smoother, sweeter and cherry flavored from the jello. Our Applesauce Jello is also known as Rosy Applesauce and creates a unique experience that is worth a try!

Cherry or raspberry Jello are the most popular options, but your favorite flavor of gelatin can mix with applesauce in this easy recipe.

This base recipe of jello, applesauce and boiling water is easy to personalize with crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, a can of fruit cocktail, or cinnamon red hot candy.

Sometimes thought of as a side dish or dessert salad this applesauce jello recipe is popular to accompany your Thanksgiving Turkey, Grandma’s Dressing, Scalloped Corn Casserole and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes.

This congealed applesauce creates a more common spin that my kids enjoy on old-fashioned jello salads like our Lime Jello Salad, Orange Jello Salad and 7-UP Jello.

Why This Rosy Applesauce Recipe Works:

• The basic 3 ingredient applesauce and jello recipe tastes great, but is so easy to customize.
• Can add red hot candy for a cinnamon flavor is more traditional.
• Cherry jello is most popular, but substituting for raspberry, strawberry or cranberry jello is also a very popular way to make salad with applesauce.
• A cup of crushed pineapple or fruit cocktail gives an old fashioned spin to this recipe for applesauce jello.

Ingredients Needed:

• Large Box of Red Jello – Cherry is most popular, raspberry and strawberry also works fine.
• Applesauce – We typically use unsweetened applesauce since the other ingredients are sweet.
• Boiling Water – Use to dissolve the jello and cinnamon candy if using.
• Other add-ins – Crushed pineapple, red hots candy, fruit cocktail, sliced bananas and more.

How To Make Applesauce Jello

Add water to a medium saucepan and turn to medium high heat until boiling.

As soon as the water starts boiling turn down the heat and pour in the powdered gelatin.

Stir with a silicone spatula and dissolve the jello.

Remove from the heat and add applesauce.

Stir well until the mixture is smooth.

Pour into a dish with a tightly fitting lid and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before setting in a level spot in the refrigerator.

Congealed applesauce should be stored chilled for 3 to 5 days.

Variations of Jello With Applesauce

Start with a large box of red jello. Add 2 cups of boiling water to the Jello and stir until completely dissolved.

Add 1/2 cup of red hots candy and stir until melted to create cinnamon or red hot applesauce jello.

Since red hots have a sharper flavor 1 cup of drained, crushed pineapple will sweeten the applesauce mixture with a citrus flavor, while adding more texture.

A friend from the gym shared her family sometimes adds a cup of thinly sliced bananas or a cup of fruit cocktail instead of the pineapple. She enjoys raspberry applesauce jello, but shares that using cherry jello is most popular in her family.

This recipe is so easy to change to meet your personal preferences, or use the ingredients that you already have in the pantry.

Does Hot Tamalaes Candy Work?

We had some trouble finding Red Hot Candy at the grocery store. So we tested Hot Tamales and we were not able to get the outer skin or coating of this candy to dissolve. It sank to the bottom of the jello and was chewy.

Therefore we only recommend using the actual Red Hot candy just like we use in our Red Jello Salad that fully dissolves in boiling water.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Add ingredients to boiling water fairly quickly as water left boiling for too long will evaporate and throw off the balance.
• If you want to make a change to the base recipe we recommend testing your variation prior to a big holiday meal to ensure that it will work.
• Can double the recipe and use a jello mold but we typically pour into a 4 to 6 cup glass dish with a lid.

Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

Applesauce Jello can easily be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

More Jello Salad Recipes

Our Cranberry Mold is the perfect complement to savory dishes at Thanksgiving.

Orange Sherbet Jello Salad is sweet and fluffy with mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple.

Cherry Coke Jello Salad has cherry pie filling and coca-cola to make a sweet dessert.

Cookie Salad mixes Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies into a fruit salad fluff.