Lime gelatin, crushed pineapple, cottage cheese and Cool Whip are mixed together to make Lime Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese.
Tart and zesty with a sweet twist this easy vintage green Jello salad recipe is refreshing and delicious.
Vintage Lime Jello Salad Recipe
This old-fashioned Lime Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese Recipe is just like the Jello salads my grandma made regularly.
Since boiling hot water is mixed with Jello once chilled this is a Congealed Jello Salad that holds together and can be cut into pieces. For a similar recipe that doesn’t set up in the same way try our Cottage Cheese with Pineapple Salad.
The Jello or generic brand of gelatin really brings the lime flavor. The cottage cheese adds a creaminess and protein that helps fill you up without overpowering the dish. The crushed pineapple adds a sweet citrus flavor. Cool whip or whipped topping adds a lighter, cool flair that helps blend everything together.
A friend who enjoys shopping at antique stores picked up a couple vintage community cookbooks to share with me. Since our 7-UP Jello Salad and Orange Jello Salad are so popular on Pinterest I knew we had to try this lime gelatin salad as soon as I saw the recipe.
Lime Jello salad was traditionally served with lettuce and mayonnaise. We just like the idea of garnishing with whipped cream and maybe a couple maraschino cherries.
Is the Cottage Cheese Flavor Strong?
Cottage cheese bring a unique flavor that is light and accents the jello salad. The cottage cheese flavor is noticeable but not dominant. Pops of citrus lime and sweetness of the pineapple are more prominent flavors.
Tips & Tricks
- The water doesn’t need to be boiling, but it needs to be hot enough to quickly dissolve the gelatin and sugar
- I typically heat the water in the microwave in a coffee cup
- Sugar is optional – I have left the sugar out before and the pineapple provides a nice natural sweetener
- Creamy cottage cheese works best if available
- Wait to mix in whipped topping until the mixture is cool. Adding whipped topping to a hot or warm mixture will melt it.
- Dream whip can be substituted for whipped topping if desired, use half of the packet
- Recipe can be doubled and served in a 9 x 13″ dish
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or nut pieces can be folded in with the Cool Whip if desired
Ingredients Needed:
- Lime Jello
- Sugar
- Hot water
- Crushed pineapple in juice
- Cool Whip
- Creamy cottage cheese
Step-By-Step Instructions
Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Stir in sugar and dissolve.
Stir well until all of the powder and sugar is dissolved. Then stir in undrained pineapple and refrigerate until congealed.
The mixture will begin to congeal when it transitions from warm to chilled.
Once the lime gelatin is cool and beginning to stiffen use an electric mixture to beat and make the mixture smooth. Add cottage cheese and use the mixer to help make a bit smoother.
Gently fold in defrosted whipped topping and spread in a dish. We use a square dish, but this is a great recipe to use a decorative or odd shaped dish.
Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 5 days.
Does a Jello Mold Need to Be Used?
A Jello mold is not necessary. Lime Jello salad can easily be poured into a square pan. This recipe should be doubled to fill a traditional Jello mold.
More Vintage Recipes:
Pecan Pie Surprise Bars are aa sweet and chewy dessert recipe that is easier to make than pecan pie and a staple on the Thanksgiving table.
Watergate Salad uses instant pudding and mini marshmallows to make a simple side dish or dessert.
Milk Way Cake is the ultimate dessert for people who LOVE Milky Way candy bars and cake!
Lime Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 ounce package lime gelatin
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar optional
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple = 1 small can, undrained
- 1 cup whipped topping defrosted
- 1 cup cottage cheese
Instructions
- Dissolve gelatin in sugar and hot water.
- Stir in pineapple and chill until mixture begins to stiffen, but is not firm.
- Whip lime mixture using an electric mixer. Add cottage cheese and beat all together.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Pour in a flat pan, we use a square 8 x 8 or 9 x 9' pan. Chill.
Video
Notes
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This is very similar to my grandmother’s recipe called “Nippy Salad”, main difference being she omitted sugar but included two tablespoons of horseradish. To me it’s classic Midwest “church basement food”, the sort of thing she and her peers would bring to potlucks.
Oh my goodness, this was one of my favorite jello salads of my husband’s grandma! And the same with horseradish in it! Such an old recipe, but it’s such a beautiful reminder of a sweet, sweet lady. She was 91 years young and that was 26 years ago. So special!
Exactly the recipe my grandmother made, too, with the horseradish. The stuff memories are made of. She also had the 7-up salad recipe in her collection. Not sure when that last recipe came out but she lived from 1902 to 1998 so it must’ve been while she was still able to cook. So 1970’s to mid 1994-ish.
My best friend used to make this with celery. I loved it. Thank you for reminding me.
I love this salad, I call mine “Spring Delight”
I received this identical recipe from a co-worker in 1965. It didn’t come with any instructions and I didn’t know what to do with the cottage cheese or when to put it in. I learned my interest in cooking from this salad! I will now save it with all the instructions! Thank you!
The one I make is similar but uses lime jello AND pineapple jello (if you can find it). I buy from the States. I also put half a cup of finely chopped celery for the crunch, and instead of cool whip I use a cup of mayonnaise. No need to use a mixture to make it smoother. The texture of the ingredients is what makes it so tasty. Mine also uses no extra sugar other than what’s in the jello and crushed pineapple.
My grandmother made something similar that was called “Lime Jell-O Salad”, but she just used the curds from the cottage cheese, shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, raisins and Walnuts. No added sugar or whipped topping. It wasn’t creamy like this one you could see through it. She used a mold too. It looked pretty, but I don’t like savory and sweet mixed together. She would make that for holidays and she would make a dried down version during the summer with carrots and pineapple that I liked. She would sometimes use orange Jell-O too.
I add chopped walnuts and I family loves this.
My grandma made this quite often. Thanks for letting me remember it.
My mother always made this as a side salad for vegetable beef soup or chicken stew. So yummy!
My mom made this salad alot for family dinners when l was growing up. I am adding sweet memories to my ingredient list.
reminds me of my granny’s holiday jello this is on the bottom except has the mayo/miracle whip in it no cottage cheese and uses melted marshmellows instead of cool whip, once set layer black cherry jello on top and put bing cherries in the top layer, very pretty for Thanksgiving and Christmas
My Mom made this and I have been making it for years. I add in a package of Black Walnut pieces and also mix up a sauce to put over it. Mix Miracle Whip, catsup and sugar until you like the taste. If too thick, add in a bit of milk. Tart and sweet…soooo good. Put this over your serving, not the whole salad.
I make this from my aunt’s recipe, what did not know was she had a habit of leaving out an ingredient from her favorite recipes. My cousin found out the added a package of Knox’s gelatin, it makes it a little firmer. She also added finely chopped celery and pecans. No whipped topping, beaten evaporated milk instead.
Made it today and it was watery very good but watery. Don’t know what I did wrong.
I am going to try it again next week, hoping it comes out firm.
My mom always made it and hers was always firm.
Hey There – hmmm…I’m not sure either as mine is typically firm. Maybe try to drain any extra liquid off of the cottage cheese? Hope you enjoy!
In case you didn’t already know: Did you use fresh pineapple? The papain enzyme in fresh pineapple will dissolve the gelatin, the enzyme is denatured when the pineapple is cooked.
This is the BEST salad and reminds me of holidays when I was a child. My mom always made this salad, and added sliced green olives to the top. The saltiness of the olives compliments the sweetness of the jello. Try it, it is delicious!
My mom always made this when I was growing up too but we never added water. Just add the lime jello to the pineapple to get it mixed in. Yummy I love this salad. One year for Christmas I bought my Mom 12 boxes of lime jello so she could make it once a month at least LoL
5 star recipe ❤️❤️❤️
***DO YOURSELF A FAVOR WHEN MAKING THIS***
Don’t do as the recipe says and “whip with an electric mixer” or you and your kitchen will BOTH WEAR IT.
I substituted 7-up for the water and added a quarter cup of crushed walnuts and it turned out well. Sugar free jello also works.
This is similar to a recipe I got from my mother-in-law. Biggest difference is sour cream instead of whipped topping. I dissolve 2 small packages of lime Jell-O in 2 cups boiling water. Stir in 1 8 oz carton of sour cream until melted. Stir in 1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple with juice and 1 16 oz carton of cottage cheese. It fits well in a 8×11 inch pan. We have it several times a year.