Mom’s Lime Jello Salad

Mom’s Lime Jello Salad recipe with sour cream and pineapple is an easy vintage Jello recipe that you make with just 4 ingredients. This dessert salad is perfect for potlucks and holidays and tastes just like Mom and Grandma used to make!

Ingredients

Here’s a quick list of what you need for this easy 4-ingredient recipe. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Lime Jello — or any brand of lime gelatin
• Sour cream — makes the salad smooth and creamy and adds a nice tangy taste.
• Canned Pears — a can of diced pears, drained. If you can’t find diced fruit, chop up larger canned pears into smaller pieces.
• Canned Pineapple — a can of crushed pineapple, including pineapple juice– do not drain
• Water — boiling water or very hot water to dissolve the gelatin

How to Make Lime Jello Salad

First, add the Jello gelatin powder to a large bowl or a large casserole dish. I usually just mix it in the same dish as I serve it. But, you can mix the Jello in a mixing bowl if you want. Then, pour in a cup of very hot water or boiling water, and mix until the gelatin is dissolved.

After the gelatin is completely dissolved, add the pears, pineapple and sour cream. Next, stir the Jello mixture together until well blended. You can use a hand mixer, a whisk or a large spoon. The sour cream took the longest to blend into the hot Jello. You might have some small lumps of sour cream, but just mash them with the spoon until they dissolve.

When the salad is nice and creamy, smooth it out in the casserole dish. Then, pop it into the fridge to set. It takes about 4 hours for the Jello to set completely. After that, go ahead and dig right in!

Actually, the kids and I used to refer to this pineapple lime Jello salad dish as Jello Ewww. But then we tried it, and we actually liked it! The Hubs loved this lime Jell-o salad, and he ate it with the same enthusiasm that I reserve for chocolate, so I think I did something right!

How to Store

Store this lime gelatin salad in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Like many creamy Jello salads, it keeps for about 4 days before it starts to break down. You can make this classic lime Jello salad a day or 2 ahead of time. It does not freeze well.

Variations and Substitutions

There are so many versions of this vintage recipe. One popular variation uses small curd cottage cheese and Cool Whip with mini marshmallows instead of sour cream. Another version uses mayonnaise and another version uses cream cheese and walnuts.

Substitute lemon Jello instead of lime, and leave out the pears if you like. You can sub Greek yogurt for the sour cream. You can use a Jello mold to form the congealed salad instead of a casserole dish or baking dish. Non stick cooking spray will help the salad release easily.

Serve this dessert salad sliced in squares or scoop the salad into individual bowls. Add a lime twist, maraschino cherries or whipped cream for decoration. Be sure to check out more salads and desserts for even more of my retro Jello recipes.

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4.95 from 17 votes

Lime Jello Salad

By: Dee

Mom's Lime Jello Salad recipe with sour cream and pineapple is an easy vintage Jello recipe that you make with just 4 ingredients. Perfect for potlucks and holidays and tastes just like Mom and Grandma used to make!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

refrigeration: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 6 oz box of Lime Jello
• ▢ 1 cup boiling water
• ▢ 1 15 oz can diced pears drained
• ▢ 1 15 oz can crushed pineapple do not drain
• ▢ 1 16 oz tub of sour cream

Instructions 

• boil the water on the stove or in the microwave
• In a large bowl or shallow serving dish, mix the Jello and the boiling water until fully dissolved
• Stir in the pineapple, pears and sour cream, and mix until well blended
• Refrigerate for about 4 hours or until firm
• Enjoy

Notes

You can also use 2 3-ounce boxes of Jello.

There is no cold water in this recipe. The sour cream and pineapple juice will cool the hot Jello down.

Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 15mg, Potassium: 1mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 3IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 13mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad, sides

Cuisine: American

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So, if you’re looking for a refreshing summer salad that’s a blast from the past, give this retro recipe a try. It’s creamy, tangy and a great recipe to enjoy on a warm summer day. And if you happen to remember this classic side dish or have a version of this recipe to share, I’d love to hear about it!

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