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This easy strawberry jello salad recipe with Cool Whip makes a vintage pink dessert salad perfect for spring, summer and any holiday gathering.
Strawberry Jello Fruit Salad
I found this fun retro recipe for strawberry Jello salad among my grandmother’s old recipes a few years ago. Like most vintage dessert salads, it’s more of a dessert than a salad. It’s pink, sweet and kind of fluffy. And it’s loaded with strawberries, which is always a good thing! Plus it’s also super easy to make. But it is super popular, especially around holidays and potluck season and especially with those of you who grew up with this classic side dish.
I first published this easy recipe in 2017, and I just recently updated the instructions to help make the Jello set better. Be sure to watch the video to see how it’s made.
If you like fluffy Jell-O salads, try this strawberry pretzel salad and lime Jello salad from my husband’s mom or this orange Jello salad or cranberry salad next!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need to make it. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Strawberry Jell-O — the large family size box or 2 smaller boxes.
- Hot water and cold water — to dissolve the gelatin. No need to boil water — it just needs to be very hot.
- Cool Whip — or any non dairy whipped topping. Real whipped cream does not work in this type of recipe.
- Frozen strawberries — helps the Jello set faster
How to Make Strawberry Jello Salad
Basically, you just start out like you’re making regular Jello. You mix the gelatin with hot, then cold water, and then you put it into the fridge to thicken up a little bit. It takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour for the Jello to start to thicken up — at least in my fridge! It’s not supposed to be completely set — just thicker.
Now, take a whisk or use an electric mixer, and whisk the Jello mixture until it turns foamy. This takes just a couple of minutes, especially if you use a mixer. Then, you stir in your thawed Cool Whip. You can use the mixer until it gets blended. It’ll look very pink and foamy. Now, gently fold in the strawberries, and pop the dish into the fridge to firm up.
It takes about 3-4 hours for the Jello salad to set and be firm enough to eat. You can serve it in slices, like a cake or scoop it out with a spoon. You can also get creative and add some sliced strawberries for decoration!
Recipe Tips
Make sure you are using the regular large 6-ounce box of Jello. The sugar free variety comes in different sizes.
Use a long casserole dish to help the Jello set faster. If you’re using a large bowl, it takes longer to set. I usually mix everything in the casserole dish, but you can use a bowl and pour the mixture into a separate dish to serve.
Use plain frozen strawberries, not strawberries in syrup or sugar.
Fresh strawberries are fine, but slice them and refrigerate until ready to use so they’re not too warm.
You can also freeze fresh sliced strawberries instead of buying frozen ones.
Using an electric mixer helps whip the Jello up before adding the whipped topping.
Thaw the Cool Whip in the fridge before adding it to the Jello.
Storage
Store the salad in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. It lasts about 3 days before it starts to get runny. It does not freeze well.
Strawberry Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 1 6-ounce package Strawberry Jello gelatin not sugar free
- 2 cups very hot water
- ¾ cup cold water
- 8 oz Tub Cool Whip thawed
- 1 pound frozen strawberries sliced
Instructions
- In a large casserole dish, mix the Jello with hot water and cold water until completely dissolved
- Refrigerate for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until Jello starts to thicken. It will still be a little runny
- Use a whisk or electric mixer to mix Jello until foamy and thick.
- Stir in whipped topping, then gently fold in strawberries, and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until firm and ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I know it’s not a healthy salad recipe, but hey, it does have fruit! And besides, I’m a sucker for vintage recipes — when you make them and taste them, it’s like stepping back in time. Who’s with me on that?!
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. And if you grew up with this retro salad, let me know. Sign up for the weekly newsletter to receive more free recipes by email.
Happy Cooking,
When I was a kid, my mom make a recipe similar to this with marshmallows in it. I made this recipe and the entire family loved it. It was delicious. My kids loved it and I’ll be making it again. So good.
Family recipes are the best! Love that you added marshmallows!
My grandmother made this for every holiday. We called it “pink stuff”! I’m going to try to make it!
I hope you like it, Ali!
This is very yummy. My Aunt going through chemo loses her taste every time. One thing she can still enjoy is cold foods and fruit. This is the perfect combo. Happy to be able to take this tomorrow for our Christmas get together. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad she likes it, Bethany. Thanks so much!
I make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas only I make it with orange jello, mandarin oranges , marshmallows, whip cream.
This year I’m going to make blueberry jello ,fresh blueberries , marshmallows, whip cream
Blueberries sound so good! Thanks for sharing!
Just had this strawberry wonder for the first time. Its wonderful, we all loved it and I will be making for the first time next week.
Thanks so much, Janis! I’m so glad you enjoyed the salad!
For the frozen strawberries, is it the carton with sugar or just whole unsweetened strawberries?
Thanks!
It was sliced frozen strawberries — plain.
So all I find is a .6 oz size jello box. Is there actually a 6 oz size or is there supposed to be a period before the 6? Thanks!
As far as I know there are only 6 ounces and 3 ounces. Just checked a box of Jello and it reads 6 oz — no period before the 6.
The sugar free jello pkgs are .3 and .6. The regular jello is 3 oz and 6 oz.
Thanks for clarifying that, Brenda!
May (2) 3ozpkgs be used in place of the 6oz size? How would I adjust the water?
2 3-ounce boxes would be the same as 1 6-ounce box of Jello, so you can use the same amount of water as called for in the recipe.
Delicious. I brought it to an end of summer party. Itceas gone very fast.
So glad everyone enjoyed the jello! Thanks for letting me know.
Do you thaw out the cool whip in the refrigerator first or fold it in frozen?
It should be thawed first so that it’s easier to blend.
Tried making this twice. Neither time did the jello firm up. Can’t figure out what I did wrong
So sorry that happened, Debby. I’ve never had that problem, so I can’t say for sure, but it sounds like there was too much liquid.
The recipe calls for like 2 cups hot water and more than a cup of cold water. If u just make it according to jello box mix it’s only one cup hot and one cup cold. Could this be the problem?
The recipe calls for using the large 6-ounce box of Jello, so the amounts listed are correct.
Maybe you used 3 oz jello package instead of 6 oz. I’ve done it many times