• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Plowing Through Life

  • Food & Recipes
    • Farmhouse Favorites
    • Desserts
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dish
    • Easy Recipes
    • Pork
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Instant Pot
    • Crock Pot
    • Appetizer
    • Snack
    • Holiday Food
  • Faith
  • Family Fun
    • Disney
  • Farming
  • About

Cranberry Mold

November 3, 2021 by Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links.Ā Please read my disclosure policy.

Sharing is caring!

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The perfect complement to savory dishes that is sweet with a little tang this Cranberry Mold is the best vintage jello recipe to serve at Thanksgiving.

Cranberry and pineapple jello ring on decorative white tray

Cranberry Jello Mold Recipe

A special dessert salad recipe that only takes 15 minutes to mix up makes an impressive and nostalgic display in this Cranberry Jello Mold.

Crushed pineapple provides a natural sweetness and wonderful contrast to the tart cranberries in this no-bake salad that fits with almost any course in your meal. This congealed jello mold can be spread over a piece of turkey and creates a fun alternative to traditional cranberry sauce.

Cranberries are harvested in the fall and very plentiful just before Thanksgiving. So it makes sense that the bright, beautiful berries add color and texture to a traditional holiday table with Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Corn Casserole and Pumpkin Pie.

Close up cranberry mold recipe

This is my favorite jello salad because it is full of fruit that provides a natural sweetness. A Cranberry Mold is not nearly as sweet as our 7-Up Jello Salad or Cherry Coke Jello Salad.

How to Cut Jello Salad with Fruit

A serrated knife works well to cut jello salad with fruit and nuts inside.

Fruit salads vary in firmness based on how much gelatin is used and how many fillings are used. Thus the amount of force necessary to slice jello salad will vary.

When jello salad is served in a bowl a metal spoon works better for serving than a plastic spoon with a wider edge.

slice of cranberry mold on a white plate

Tips & Tricks

  • Since this Jello salad has a lot of fruit added in it is more likely to stick to the mold, so use a generous coating of non-stick spray to avoid sticking to the mold
  • A plain bowl, decorative bowl, bundt pan or multiple smaller dishes can be used to shape this jello salad
  • This recipe makes a big batch which can be great if you’re going to multiple celebrations, just divide into different dishes before the jello sets-up
  • I like finely chopped pecans or nuts pieces as they blend in better with the other ingredients and make cutting easier
  • Nuts and pineapple are likely to rise to the top as the salad sets up and this will become the bottom when the mold is inverted on a plate or serving tray
  • Strawberry jello may be substituted for raspberry jello
Cranberry jello ring on a vintage white plate

Ingredients Needed:

  • Strawberry Jello
  • Unflavored gelatin
  • Whole berry cranberry sauce
  • Crushed pineapple
  • Chopped pecans
Four simple ingredients to make a cranberry mold

How To Make A Cranberry Mold

Begin with a Jello mold or container that you want the mixture to be shaped like. This Cranberry Jello will take the shape of the container it is poured into as it sets up.

Generously apply non-stick spray to every bump, corner and section of your jello salad mold or bowl.

greased green Tupperware jello mold

In a pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients boil the water. Use a whisk to stir vigorously and dissolve gelatin into the boiling water.

Turn heat down to low and add whole berry cranberry sauce. Stir well until sauce is dissolved into Jello mixture.

  • Cranberry jello being dissolved with a whisk in boiling water
  • Stirring whole berry cranberries into jello

Turn heat off and stir in drained pineapple and chopped nuts. Some pineapple juice is okay.

  • Crushed pineapple being stirred into strawberry gelatin
  • Chopped nuts being stirred into gelatin

Pour into Jello mold. Cover and refrigerate until congealed or set up and firm.

Cranberry sauce jello poured into a vintage jello mold

Depending on the size of the mold there may be a little extra to pour into a small dish. It’s always nice to have some samples to enjoy before the holiday!

Best cranberry jello for thanksgiving on serving tray

More Easy Dessert Salads:

Lime Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese is another classic with lime gelatin, crushed pineapple, cottage cheese and Cool Whip

Orange Jello Salad has a sweet and fruity orange base with a Cool Whip layer on top.

No-Bake Pineapple Pretzel Salad is another favorite with pineapple and a sweet coating on the pretzels before mixing into fluff like ingredients.

Cranberry mold jello ring

Cranberry Mold

The perfect complement to savory dishes and sweet with a little tang this Cranberry Mold is the best vintage jello recipe to serve at Thanksgiving.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cranberry Jello, Cranberry Mold
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill to set-up: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 20 slices
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces strawberry gelatin
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 28 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 20 ounces crushed pineapple drained
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans chopped

Instructions

  • Generously grease a large jello mold or bundt cake pan.
  • Boil water in a stock pot large enough to hold all ingredients. Dissolve strawberry and unflavored gelatin
  • Turn to low heat and add cranberry sauce and stir well.
  • Add pineapple and nuts and stir until mixture is uniform.
  • Pour into jello mold, cover and refrigerate until set – about 8 to 12 hours.

Equipment

Jello Mold
Stock Pot
Whisk
Silicone Spatula

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Follow me@PlowingThroughLife and mention #PlowingThroughLife!

Filed Under: Desserts, Easy Recipes, Farmhouse Favorites, Food & Recipes, Holiday Food Tagged With: dessert salad, no-bake dessert, Thanksgiving

Previous Post: « Tender Squirrel Stew
Next Post: Farmhouse Cocktail Meatballs »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Connect With Us

Sign up today for free recipes and updates from the farm.

Newsletter Subscribe
Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube

Hi I’m Jennifer

I want to make life easier by creating simple dinner recipes for my family and yours. Read More…

Seasonal Favorites

Corner of baked sausage, egg and cheese casserole in dish

Easy Scrambled Egg & Sausage Casserole

Piece of cool lime jello salad

Lime Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese

White plate with ham loaf, green beans and mashed potatoes

Farmhouse Ham Loaf

About PlowingThroughLife.com       DISCLOSURE, DISCLAIMER & PRIVACY POLICIES

Copyright © 2022 Plowing Through Life
Website by Blue Valley Technologies