This 2-ingredient black cherry jello salad is best jello salad ever! A tasty and refreshing light dessert or side dish with plump dark cherries and black cherry jello!
It’s insanely delicious, looks super festive and it’s the easiest fairly fancy looking dessert you can make, using only frozen or fresh pitted cherries (or any berries!) and a box of jello.
Don’t you love easy no-bake Christmas desserts? Lend a jiggly retro vibe to your holiday gathering with this black cherry jello salad recipe!
table of contents
Ingredients
You’ll only need 2 ingredients to make this (not counting the water, of course!)
- Black cherry jello, 6 ounces
- Frozen dark sweet cherries, 12 ounces
Plus boiling and cold water to dissolve the jello. That’s it!
Notes and substitutions
Other jello flavors: If you can’t get black cherry jello, you can substitute it for cherry, raspberry or strawberry flavored gelatin.
Fruit options: You can use a frozen berry mix instead of all frozen cherries. You can also use fresh pitted dark or Bing cherries.
If you really like tart desserts, you could use Morello cherries or even cranberries. In this case I’d strongly recommend serving the salad with plenty of whipped topping or even some sweetened condensed milk to balance it out!
Quick tip: if you plan to add strawberries, halve or quarter the large ones so they are of a similar size to the other fruit in your jello. It will look much better!
How to make
Here’s an easy to follow recipe step-by-step on how to make black cherry congealed salad with pictures that will guarantee a perfect result!
But before you start, if you plan to serve it as a molded jello salad, there are a couple of things you need to do:
Choose the mold: You’ll need a 5-cup mold. If you scale the recipe, make sure to size up the mold as well. This recipe looks beautiful molded and it’s the perfect excuse to use your vintage gelatin molds and ring molds!
Select a serving plate large enough to accommodate the jello mold. It needs a flat surface for the jello to sit evenly without sinking in the middle or causing uneven edges. When measuring the plate, consider only its flat bottom surface, excluding the curved edges.
1. In a large heat-resistant bowl, dissolve 6 ounces of black cherry jello in 2 cups of boiling water and mix until it’s completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the frozen dark sweet cherries or mixed berries and 1 1/2 cup of cold water and mix. Chill in the fridge until it’s slightly thickened (enough so that the fruit will stay in place), about 10 minutes.
3. Spoon the thickened cherry jello into the mold. Press down on the jello with the back of the spoon to level the surface and fill in any air bubbles.
Chill until it’s fully set, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. The salad needs to get as firm as it’s supposed to before unmolding, or it can break.
4. To unmold, fill a bowl or pan large enough to fit the jello mold inside about half-way up with warm water.
Dip the mold inside the warm water for 15 seconds. Be careful not to let the liquid go over the rim of the mold.
5. Remove the mold from the water and gently pull the jello away from mold edges with fingertips.
You can also use the tip of a knife, but be careful not to scratch your mold, specially if it’s non-stick.
6. Place the serving plate inverted on top of the mold. Try your best to center the mold in the middle of the plate. Then, holding the plate and the mold firmly together, swiftly flip them over.
If the jello doesn’t immediately pop out onto the plate with a satisfying squelch sound, gently shake or tap the mold to help release it. Then lift it up to remove and contemplate your magnificent wobbly creation!
If the jello doesn’t come out on the first try, dip the mold again in warm water and repeat the flipping operation.
Expert tips
Use less water for jello molds
For making jello molds firmer and easier to unmold, use 25% less water for dissolving the gelatin than what’s required by the instructions in the box.
For example: When making one 3-ounce (4-servings) box, instead of the 2 cups of water required in the box instructions, use a total 1 3/4 cups of water.
Avoid silicone molds
Flimsy molds don’t give the jello enough support. Even if the jello doesn’t break when unmolding, the shape can look distorted and uneven.
For smaller gelatin desserts, like these Sparkling Champagne Jello Shots, it’s fine to use silicone molds. But for larger amounts of liquid, specially with suspended fruit, use a metal mold or at least a stiff plastic mold for the best looking jello.
How to fix a broken jello mold
If you have trouble unmolding the cherry jello salad and it breaks, you have a few options. You can try molding it again, or serving it with a different presentation.
Remelt and reset
If you have time, you can slightly melt the jello back to a soft set stage, like how it was when you transferred it into the mold in step 3 (not totally liquid).
Put the unmolded broken jello in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on low in short 20 to 30 second increments. Then spoon the jello back into the mold and refrigerate until it’s fully set before trying to unmold again.
Other serving ideas
If you don’t have the time (or patience, I know it can be frustrating!) to reset your jello mold, you can always change up the presentation. This black cherry jello dessert remains delicious and festive in any shape or form!
Individual serving salads like my apple cranberry jello don’t look any less festive! To save your jello salad, just scoop the broken jello into cups or glasses. Layer it with whipped cream, cool whip or Greek yogurt and you’ll get a delicious parfait.
Make a trifle: Layer the broken cherry jello with chocolate cake, cherry kirsch and thawed cool whip in a large glass bowl to create a colorful and delicious Black Forest trifle!
Making ahead and storage
The cherry jello salad will keep well refrigerated for up to one week. Which makes it a wonderful dessert to make ahead and save time in the busy kitchen during the holidays!
The jello needs to stay covered or it can absorb smell and taste from the other items in your fridge. It’s easier to just keep it in the mold, covered with some cling film until the day you wish to serve it.
I do not recommend freezing, it may cause the cherry gelatin to develop ice crystals which will alter its silky texture.
Black cherry jello mold
A 2-ingredient no-bake black cherry dessert! This vintage congealed cherry salad is super easy, delicious and will look beautiful on your holiday table!
- 6 ounces black cherry gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 1/2 cup cold water
- 12 ounces dark sweet cherries, frozen (or any frozen berry mix)
In a large heat-resistant bowl, dissolve 6 ounces of black cherry jello in 2 cups of boiling water and mix until it's completely dissolved.
Add the frozen dark sweet cherries or mixed berries and 1 1/2 cup of cold water and mix. Chill in the fridge until it's slightly thickened (enough so that the berries will stay in place), about 10 minutes.
Spoon the thickened cherry jello into the mold. Press down on the jello with the back of the spoon to level the surface and fill in any air bubbles. Chill until it's fully set, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
How to unmold
Fill a bowl that will fit the jello mold inside about half-way up with warm water (not hot). Dip the mold inside the warm water for 15 seconds. Remove the mold from the water and gently pull the jello away from the edges with wet fingertips or the tip of a knife.
Invert the serving plate centered on top of the mold, and holding them firmly together, flip them over. Gently shake or tap the mold to help release the jello, then lift it to remove. If the jello doesn't come out on the first try, dip the mold again in warm water and repeat the flipping operation.
You’ll need a 5-cup mold for this congealed salad. If you scale the recipe, make sure to size up the mold as well.
Fruit options: You can use a frozen berry mix instead of all frozen cherries. You can also use fresh pitted dark or Bing cherries.
If adding strawberries: halve or quarter the large ones so they are of a similar size to the other fruit in your jello.
Other jello flavors: If you can’t get black cherry jello, you can substitute it for cherry, raspberry or strawberry flavored gelatin.
Reduced-sugar recipe: Use sugar-free cherry jello (one family-sized 0.6-ounce package or 2 0.3-ounce packages) instead of the regular dark cherry flavored gelatin which contains sugar.