If you like anything lemon-y, refreshing and spring-like, then this healthy lemonade jello salad is for you! This amazing recipe is made from scratch with all simple ingredients. There are no artificial or processed ingredients or sweeteners in this delicious jello salad!
If you are a lemon lover then this recipe is for you! Anything like lemon bread, lemonade, lemon mousse or other lemon desserts, always seem to call my name, no matter what time of the year it is, whether Autumn or Easter!
Fresh lemon juice has many health benefits for you and it is recommended to drink a little bit every day in your glass of water.
Lemon juice contains high amounts of Vitamin C, soluble fibre and can help to lower blood sugar and aid in digestive issues.
This recipe does not contain cream cheese, cool whip, boxed jello mixes, cottage cheese or anything else that is common in most lemon jello recipes today.
A little back story on how this recipe came to be:
Growing up, we used to receive many kind “donations” from neighbors or others in the area; you know, an old lady that goes into a nursing home, leftovers from a library book sale, what ever it is, we seemed to be popular recipients in our little country neighborhood.
Anyways, there was this cookbook we were given and for a long time it sat on a shelf. We were probably in one of those phases, not trying new recipes, nut sticking with the same-old menu.
I think it was my sister, or maybe it was me, that one day came across this recipe when looking through the book. We decided to give it a try. It was THE perfect dessert for our Sunday dinner meal on a hot summer afternoon.
Years passed, and somehow that recipe became an antique back on the shelf. Now that we remember the wonderful-ness of that jello salad and want to make it again, the book is sadly no longer there.
My sister and I recreated what we could remember of that delicious and lemon-filled jello salad, and I am excited to say that this is the perfection we came up with!
So yummy and with the perfect sweet and tang mixture!
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Why you should make this healthy lemonade jello recipe:
If your favorite jello flavor is lemon, and you’re looking for a healthy, proven and great recipe to try, then I’m so glad you are here! This recipe carries all the favorite memories of Sunday afternoon picnics in August when the heat was unbearable, the shade, was in high demand, and the lemonade was being passed around in fast succession.
A little note on the recipe instructions and steps: Don’t be daunted or turned away at the multiple steps listed: I broke it down so as to not overwhelm you by explaining too much information in one single step. I also give tips and tricks in the steps to help understand jello formation and how you can get the best results out of this recipe! Otherwise making this healthy lemonade jello salad is really not complicated!
Healthy: A very simple ingredient list here! No artificial ingredients, no boxed jello. no cool whip no lemonade concentrate! All the ingredient items are from scrtahc that you likely have in your kitchen right now!
Delicious: The flavor of classic lemonade comes together in to a jello for you to devour. Lemon and Sugar mix together into your favorite tang.
Please pin this recipe to try!
What is in this healthy lemonade jello salad recipe?
- Unflavored gelatin
- Unrefined sugar
- Lemon juice (bottled or fresh)
- Water
- Heavy whipping cream
- Lemon flavoring or extract
Optional ingredients:
I have not personally tried this recipe with either of the following items, but wanted to mention them incase some one has a really storing hankering to add it to the jello!
manadrin oranges (fresh or canned)
fresh pineapple (or canned)
Recipe for healthy lemonade jello salad:
1/4 cup cold water
1/3 cup hot water, just off the boil (Boiling water that has been removed from the heat for about 1 minute.)
1 cup unrefined sugar
1 cup lemon juice (bottled or fresh)
Additional Water-see details in directions below
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/4 tsp lemon flavoring or extract
You can replace the homemade whipped cream with store bought cool whip if you prefer. Use half of an 8 ounce container. Fold into the jello just like the recipe states.
How to make this recipe
- Measure the gelatin into a small glass measuring cup. Add cold water and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a large glass measuring cup (I like this 8 cup Pyrex one) add the lemon juice and unrefined sugar or sweetener of choice. Add water up to the 5 cup line. Pour into a medium size pot and begin cooking on medium-low heat.
- Add the hot water just off the boil, to the gelatin and stir well to dissolve. The mixture will be very thick and clumpy, but just keep stirring briskly.
- Add the gelatin mixture into the pot and whisk very well and fast.
- Continue cooking the mixture till the gelatin begins to dissolve and the mixture starts to thicken slightly. It should get just a little bit syrupy in texture and the gelatin should not be noticeable anymore. Then it is done cooking.
- This should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer into a medium-large serving bowl or plastic bowl with lid.
- Place in the fridge for about an hour or two (will probably be closer to two hours at least) until it begins to set.
- After 1-2 plus hours, jiggle the bowl. If it is getting pretty thick then it is time for the next step!
- Remove from the fridge and take a knife through the jello making slices, about 1 inch apart. Turn the bowl and make slices the other way, as to make cubes.
- Place back in the fridge while you make the whipped cream.
- Beat the whipping cream, unrefined sugar and lemon flavoring or extract until stiff peaks form. I like to use a taller container/mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup for this step to prevent less mess.
- Fold the whipped cream into the jello. If you are going to use a mold, now is the time to transfer it carefully. You want to do this step before the jello hardens too much or it won’t be able to mold.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Tips and tricks to know
When you first mix together the cold water and gelatin, the mixture will be thick and clumpy. Then after 5 minutes the hot water is added and once you stir it vigorously several times, the clumps should mostly all smooth out.
Stir the gelatin mixture almost constantly while it cooks or the gelatin can stick to the bottom of the pot. If the mixture in the pot is very clumpy from the gelatin, even after vigorous whisking, you can use an immersion blender. Only blend for about 10 seconds. You don’t want to change to consistency of the cooking gelatin and liquid.
Don’t let the jello set too long before you cut it into squares with a knife. It should only be partially set.
I highly recommend having a large liquid measuring cup for this recipe. I use it twice; it is needed for the lemon juice, sugar and water mixture, and later again for making the homemade whipped cream. I got mine here on Amazon. It came with a plastic lid which is great for storing in the fridge with something in it!
How long does this jello last?
Well, honestly we eat it all up in the first two days and then it is gone! My husband loves it. Otherwise it will last up to 4-5 days covered in the fridge.
What kind of lemon juice should you use?
I use bottled from the store just because it is easier, but I’m sure that freshly squeezed lemons would give an amazing and full flavor!
What kind of pan or dish to use?
I used a just a regular glass bowl to mold mine in. Growing up we had a tupper-ware jello mold that was our favorite for this recipe.
I recommend a bowl or mold rather than using a glass pyrex type of pan.
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Other recipes you might like:
Sourdough chicken pot pie in the crockpot
Healthy Lemonade Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 4 T unflavored gelatin
- 1/3 cup hot water, just off the boil
- 1 cup Lemon juice
- 1 cup Unrefined sugar
- water-you will add enough to reach the 5 cup line on a liquid measuring cup that has the lemon juice and sugar already in it. (It will be apx 4 cups of water added)
Homemade whipped cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup unrefined sugar
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract or flavoring
- Optional replacement for homemade whipped cream is to use half an 8 ounce container of store bought cool whip.
Instructions
- In a small glass measuring cup add the 1/4 cup cold water. (A small bowl will also work). Add the 4 T unflavored gelatin and stir well. It will be clumpy, that is ok though. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a large glass measuring cup (I like my 8 cup Pyrex one-see link in Notes,) add the lemon juice and unrefined sugar or sweetener of choice. Add water up to the 5 cup line. Pour into a medium size pot and begin cooking on medium-low heat.
- Add the hot water just off of boil, to the gelatin and stir well to dissolve. Keep stirring vigorously to get the little clumps dissolved.
- Add the gelatin mixture into the pot and whisk very well and fast.
- Continue cooking the mixture till the gelatin begins to dissolve and the mixture starts to thicken slightly. It should get just a little bit syrupy in texture and the gelatin should not be noticeable anymore. Then it is done cooking. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Note: you can use an immersion blender to blend for a brief 10 seconds to help get the last few stubborn clumps of gelatin dissolved.
- Transfer into a medium-large serving bowl or plastic bowl with lid.
- Place in the fridge for about an hour or two (will probably be closer to two hours at least) until it begins to set.
- After 1-2 plus hours, jiggle the bowl. If it is getting pretty thick then it is time for the next step!
- Remove from the fridge and take a knife through the jello making slices, about 1 inch apart. Turn the bowl and make slices the other way, as to make cubes.
- Place back in the fridge while you make the whipped cream.
- Beat the whipping cream, unrefined sugar and lemon flavoring or extract until stiff peaks form. I like to use a taller container/mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup for this step to prevent less mess.
- Fold the whipped cream into the jello. If you are going to use a mold, now is the time to transfer it carefully. You want to do this step before the jello hardens too much or it won't be able to mold.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
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