Cranberry Jello Salad with Cream Cheese Topping | Easy Holiday Dessert
A festive cranberry Jello salad layered with a fluffy cream cheese topping that’s sweet-tart, creamy, and make-ahead friendly. Serve as a holiday side or easy dessert.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 packages (3 oz each) cranberry or raspberry gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 can (14–15 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1 apple, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream (or 1 tub whipped topping)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass dish or 2-quart casserole with a thin layer of neutral oil and wipe out excess.
- Whisk the gelatin with the boiling water until fully dissolved, about 2 minutes, then whisk in the cold water.
- Stir in the whole-berry cranberry sauce until dispersed with small bits remaining.
- Fold in the well-drained crushed pineapple, chopped apple, nuts if using, and orange zest, mixing gently to distribute.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, cover, and chill until softly set but still tacky, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
- In a separate cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium-soft peaks and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture until no streaks remain.
- Gently spoon the cream cheese topping over the softly set Jello layer and spread to the edges.
- Cover and refrigerate until completely firm, about 4 hours or overnight.
- Slice into squares and serve cold, garnishing with orange zest or sugared cranberries if desired.
Notes
Chill thoroughly for clean slices; spread topping when the gelatin is softly set so it doesn’t sink. Drain pineapple very well to avoid a loose set. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Avoid freezing. For variations, try orange juice instead of cold water, cherry gelatin with maraschino cherries, or omit nuts and add mini marshmallows.