Strawberry Jello Fruit Salad with Watermelon is so refreshing with the crunch of watermelon. So easy to make for casual summer gatherings.
This fruity dessert is one of my favorites. It is refreshing with the crunch of watermelon and the sweetness of strawberry gelatin.
With just 4 ingredients, this easy-to-make Strawberry Jell-O Fruit Salad is perfect for casual dinners, potlucks, and hot-weather gatherings.
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In short, this Strawberry Jell-O Fruit Salad with Watermelon is simply strawberry Jell-O and tiny cubes of watermelon.
Jump to:
- About This Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make this Strawberry Jell-O Fruit Salad
- How Can You Make Jell-O Faster?
- How to Get Fruit to Suspend in Jell-O
- How Can You Make Jell-O Better?
- Fresh Fruits to Never Add to Jell-O
- Variations and Substitutions
- More Delicious Fruit Desserts You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
About This Recipe
Haven't you missed the sweet refreshing taste of Jell-O?
I know I have. When I was growing up, Jell-O was made every week by my mom. Jell-o was fresh, fruity, and an economical dessert that she could make in just a few minutes in the morning. She would pour it into small 4-ounce custard cups, put it into the refrigerator and it was ready to serve in a few hours.
It was plain and simple Jell-O. Nothing was added to it except during the holidays when she would make a special cranberry and mandarin orange Jell-O fruit salad which was so delicious with both turkey and ham dinners. This is when I learned that Jello-O could be so much more.
This Jell-O fruit salad is made simply with just strawberry gelatin and small cubes of fresh watermelon. I love the simplicity of a single fruit and a single flavor of Jell-O and the two flavors of watermelon and strawberry are very delicious and refreshing.
It's one of those simple desserts that's delicious all on its own, without any creamy toppings like whipped cream or Cool Whip. Doesn't this sound delicious? Great!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberry Flavored Gelatin - I prefer the Jell-O brand of gelatin. To me, it has the best taste. However, any brand of strawberry gelatin will work for this recipe. This recipe uses a large box, which is 6 ounces. If you use a different brand, ensure the volume is 6 ounces, as some brands sell large boxes that are less than 6 ounces.
- Water & Ice - You will need boiling water to completely dissolve the gelatin. Then you will need cold water and ice to dilute the gelatin to get the perfect set.
- Fresh Watermelon - Since you only need a small amount, buy pre-cut watermelon which will save you time and allow you to see the ripeness of the watermelon. The watermelon should be bright red, firm, and fragrant.
How to Make this Strawberry Jell-O Fruit Salad
STEP 1 - Cut the watermelon into ¼” dice & set aside.
STEP 2 - In a large mixing bowl combine the strawberry gelatin with the boiling water. Stir well until the gelatin mix is completely dissolved.
STEP 3 - Add the cold water with ice and continue to stir until and gelatin is slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until gelatin is very lightly set.
STEP 4 - Gently fold in the diced watermelon. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Serve plain or with your favorite whipped topping like Cool Whip or whipped cream. I love topping this Jell-O fruit salad with a small slice of watermelon to highlight it as the fruit in the gelatin. Using a tiny heart-shaped cookie or vegetable cutter makes for an especially cute garnish!
How Can You Make Jell-O Faster?
Use the Speed-Set method to make the gelatin set faster. After the gelatin has been fully dissolved with boiling water, it can be made faster by adding a combination of cold water and ice. This is generally referred to as a "Speed-Set" and most packages of gelatin offer this method on their packages.
All gelatins are made by fully dissolving the powdered gelatin with boiling water and then adding cold water to dilute the gelatin to make the right amount of jiggle or a more dense no-jiggle block.
How to Get Fruit to Suspend in Jell-O
To keep fruit from sinking to the bottom of Jell-O, you must first allow the Jell-O to partially set. Refrigerate Jell-O for up to an hour to partially set it and thicken it, or use the Speed-Set method of water and ice to cool and thicken it. Then fold in your chosen fruit or other stir-ins like nuts, vegetables, or marshmallows.
How Can You Make Jell-O Better?
Just plain Jell-O is delicious, economical, and a great time saver. But there are lots of simple ways to make it even better. Try one or more of these ideas to change up your Jell-O!
- Make your own gelatin flavors by using unflavored gelatin and your choice of fruit juices, sodas, wines, or other liquids.
- If you prefer a vegan option, agar-agar is also excellent for gelling liquids.
- Fold in a creamy ingredient like yogurt, sour cream, or whipped topping.
- Add canned fruit, fresh fruit, or thawed, frozen fruit like thawed, frozen strawberries, fresh raspberries, fresh strawberries, or well-drained canned, crushed pineapple.
- Add fresh vegetables, like chopped celery, shredded carrots, or shredded carrots. Perfection Salad is a prize-winning savory gelatin from the early 20th century that is essentially a coleslaw salad in gelatin.
- Add sweet or textured ingredients like shredded coconut, mini-marshmallows, or chopped nuts. Fluff salads incorporate both creamy ingredients plus fruit and textured ingredients.
Fresh Fruits to Never Add to Jell-O
Some fruits contain enzymes like bromelain that will prevent Jell-O from setting. Never add the following fruits unless they have been cooked or canned:
- Figs
- Ginger Root
- Guava
- Kiwis
- Mango
- Papaya
- Pineapple
Variations and Substitutions
Substitute Cold Water for the Ice and Cold Water. This recipe uses the “speed-set” method of combining ice and cold water to accelerate the setting of the gelatin. If you do not have ice available, use 2 cups of cold water instead of the cold water and ice, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 40 minutes to softly set the gelatin before adding the watermelon.
Substitute Sugar-Free Jell-O. Instead of regular strawberry Jell-O use sugar-free for a reduced sugar and reduced calorie dessert.
Substitute Raspberry Jell-O. In a pinch stead you can substitute raspberry Jell-O for the strawberry.
More Delicious Fruit Desserts You'll Love
♡ Did you love this Strawberry Jell-O Fruit Salad? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how things went in the ✍ comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Jell-O Fruit Salad
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Ingredients
- 3 Cups ¼” Diced Watermelon
- 6 oz Strawberry Gelatin, Jell-O brand, Large-8 Serving Sized Package
- 1 ½ Cups Boiling Water
- 1 Cup Cold Water and Ice Cubes to Make 2 ½ Cups
Instructions
- Cut watermelon into ¼” dice & set-aside.3 Cups ¼” Diced Watermelon
- In a large mixing bowl combine strawberry gelatin with boiling water. Stir well until the gelatin mix is completely dissolved.6 oz Strawberry Gelatin, 1 ½ Cups Boiling Water
- Add cold water with ice and continue to stir until and gelatin is slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until gelatin is very lightly set.1 Cup Cold Water and Ice Cubes to Make 2 ½ Cups
- Gently fold in watermelon. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
- Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped topping. Reserved cubes of watermelon and strawberries make a nice garnish.
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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