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–+ servings

Old-Fashioned Jello Balls: A Nostalgic Holiday Treat

A bowl of red and green jello balls, coconut-covered and perfect as easy holiday treats, sits against a red patterned cloth in the background.
Remember those delightful, bouncy Jello balls your grandma used to make? They were a staple at potlucks and birthday parties, bursting with flavor and a touch of nostalgia. Well, guess what? You can recreate that magic with this incredibly easy recipe for Old-Fashioned Jello Balls, perfect for adding a festive touch to your holiday celebrations!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Rest Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Equipment

  • 2 9x13 Baking Sheets
  • Measuring Cups & Spoons
  • 2 Medium Mixing Bowls
  • 2 Rubber Spatulas
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Parchment Paper
  • Small Bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 3- Ounce Box Strawberry Jello
  • 1 3- Ounce Box Lime Jello
  • 6 1/2 Cups Sweetened Desiccated or Finely Chopped Coconut divided
  • 1 ½ Cups Plain Greek Yogurt divided

Instructions

  • Line two 9x13 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add ¾ cup yogurt, the red jello, and 2 ½ cups of the coconut to a medium mixing bowl. Stir until fully combined.
  • Add about ¾ cup of the coconut to a small bowl.
  • Grab some gloves. Scoop up a slightly heaping ½ tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the bowl of coconut and place it on one of the prepared cookie sheets.
  • Repeat until all of the red mixture has been rolled into balls.
  • Repeat steps 1-5 for the green jello. Be sure to swap out the coconut you were using to roll the red balls with a fresh ¾ cup of coconut to roll the green balls in. This will ensure no colors mix.
  • Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until set. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips:

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • You can use other flavors of jello to get other colors, if desired.
  • Once set, these can be stored stacked on top of each other without issue.
  • These used to be made with Nestle’s thick cream in a can. However, that has been discontinued. Through testing, we found Greek yogurt to be the best replacement, and it ended up making them taste even better than the original recipe! We did not find another replacement that worked as well.
  • If you don’t want these to be as sweet, you can use unsweetened coconut instead. However, be aware that unsweetened coconut might soak up more of the moisture, so start with only a portion of the coconut and add more as you mix.
  • If you find it difficult to locate desiccated coconut, you can just grab regular shredded coconut and pulse it a few times in a food processor. Works perfectly.