This festive no-bake layered jello pie is so fun to make for the holidays! It’s layered with three different flavors of creamy whipped jello on top of a buttery sweet graham cracker crust.
Why this recipe works
Layered jello pie can be made with just about any color and flavor combination of jello you can think of. Simply whisk the jello with Cool Whip to make fluffy layers of creamy goodness. Today, we’ve combined cherry, lime, and lemon jello to make this Christmas jello pie. It’s light and fluffy, and makes a welcome addition to the holiday dessert table with its sweet switch-up of creamy fruity flavors!
This jello pie cuts incredibly smooth and always makes a pretty presentation with its colorful stacked layers of pastel colors. Plus, who can resist a fun whipped jello concoction?
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CRUST – The crust is made with graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. You can find prepackaged graham cracker crumbs at most grocery stores. If you aren’t able to find them, you will need 12 full sheets of graham crackers to yield 1 1/2 cups crushed. Crush them in a food processor or in a large zip-top bag with a rolling pin. You can also substitute with a premade graham cracker crust.
FILLING – We’ve used lime jello for the green layer, cherry jello for the red, and lemon jello for the white layer. Mixing the jello with Cool Whip will yield light pastel colors. If you wish for more color saturation, add gel food coloring to achieve the desired color. I did not find that the color deepened at all after setting, so tint to the color you want your finished jello pie to be.
COOL WHIP – If you prefer to not use Cool Whip, you can substitute with 3 cups of heavy whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high with a whisk attachment until still peaks form.
GARNISH – To make a nice whipped cream for decorating, whip 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. We like to pipe pretty swirls onto the jello pie with a piping bag and piping tip #1M.
How to Make Layered Jello Pie
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Prepare a deep dish springform pan by lining the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until fully combined. Press graham cracker crumbs into the prepared springform pan, coming up the sides about 1-1 1⁄2 inches. Place pan in the freezer to chill the crust while preparing the jello.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of boiling water with the packet of lime jello. Stir until the jello is fully dissolved. Once the jello is dissolved, stir in 1 cup of cold water. Place the jello mixture in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
- Once the jello has cooled and thickened – but not set – whisk in one container of Cool Whip. The jello should be just slightly thickened so that it combines smoothly with the Cool Whip. If it seems too thick, you can microwave it in 10 second increments to loosen it up a bit.
- Add a drop or two of green gel food coloring to the jello mixture until desired color is achieved. Transfer mixture to the crust in the springform pan. Place the pan into the refrigerator.
- Mix up the lemon jello mix following the same steps as you did with the green. Once it has thickened and you mix it with Cool Whip (do not tint this one, the yellow will be very light once mixed with Cool Whip and will give you the desired white layer), pour it on top of the green layer that has been setting in the fridge.
- Repeat for the final “red” layer of jello.
- Allow the jello pie to chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set completely. Decorate with whipped cream and Christmas sprinkles, if desired. Gently loosen from the springform pan (running a knife around the edge if needed), cut into slices, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Absolutely! You can add fresh fruit to your filling when preparing the pie. Alternatively use fresh fruit as a great garnish.
Yes, you can prepare the layered jello pie a day in advance if stored in the refrigerator. Hold off on garnishes until you are ready to serve.
If stored in the refrigerator, layered jello pie will keep well for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this pie. The gelatin weeps if it is frozen. It’s best to prepare the jello pie a day ahead of time if you are looking to make it in advance. Otherwise, leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
You can easily mix and match the flavors of jello to suit each holiday, making this an easy yet fun pie you can make year-round. Garnish with a piping of whipped cream, festive sprinkles, or fresh fruit. Serve chilled. Enjoy!
More Jello Recipes
- Jello Trifle
- Jello Cookies
- Broken Glass Jello
- Creamy Raspberry Jello Parfaits
- Whipped Jello Mandarin Orange Mousse
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Layered Jello Pie
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 ounces lime jello mix
- 3 ounces lemon jello mix
- 3 ounces cherry jello mix
- 3 cups boiling water divided
- 3 cups cold water divided
- 24 ounces Cool Whip 3 – 8 ounce containers
- red and green gel food color
- whipped cream and sprinkles optional as garnish
Things You’ll Need
- Deep dish springform pan
Before You Begin
- You will need a very deep springform pan to make this recipe – use a 9-inch springform pan that is 3 3⁄8” high or use a 10-inch springform pan with at least 3-inch high walls.
- You can find prepackaged graham cracker crumbs at most grocery stores. If you aren’t able to find them, you will need 12 full sheets of graham crackers to yield 1 1/2 cups crushed. Crush them in a food processor or in a large zip-top bag with a rolling pin. You can also substitute with a premade graham cracker crust.
- If you prefer to not use Cool Whip, you can substitute with 3 cups of heavy whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high with a whisk attachment until still peaks form.
- To make a nice whipped cream for decorating, whip 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. We like to pipe pretty swirls onto the jello pie with a piping bag and piping tip #1M.
- To get nice even layers, the pie needs to set some between each layer. You can mix up all of the jello colors at the same time if you like, they will not thicken/set if they sit on the countertop. But the pie does need at least 30 minutes or so in the fridge before you can safely add the next layer onto the layer beneath. The easiest way to do this is to mix the Cool Whip with the first thickened jello, pour it into the crust and then chill/thicken the next layer of jello in the fridge while that first layer is beginning to set in the crust.
Instructions
- Prepare a deep dish springform pan (see note) by lining the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until fully combined. Press graham cracker crumbs into the prepared springform pan, coming up the sides about 1-1 1⁄2 inches. Place pan in the freezer to chill the crust while preparing the jello.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of boiling water with the packet of lime jello. Stir until the jello is fully dissolved. Once the jello is dissolved, stir in 1 cup of cold water. Place the jello mixture in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
- Once the jello has cooled and thickened – but not set – whisk in one container of Cool Whip. The jello should be just slightly thickened so that it combines smoothly with the Cool Whip. If it seems too thick, you can microwave it in 10 second increments to loosen it up a bit.
- Add a drop or two of green gel food coloring to the jello mixture until desired color is achieved. Transfer mixture to the crust in the springform pan. Place the pan into the refrigerator.
- Mix up the lemon jello mix following the same steps as you did with the green. Once it has thickened and you mix it with Cool Whip (do not tint this one, the yellow will be very light once mixed with Cool Whip and will give you the desired white layer), pour it on top of the green layer that has been setting in the fridge.
- Repeat for the final “red” layer of jello.
- Allow the jello pie to chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set completely. Decorate with whipped cream and Christmas sprinkles, if desired. Gently loosen from the springform pan (running a knife around the edge if needed), cut into pieces, and serve.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Nance says
Can you make this in a 13×9 layered for a bigger crowd
Amanda Formaro says
We have’t tried it, but I’m sure that would work :)
Doris Butler says
Hi Amanda,
I am a Tupperware Consultant. I am wondering if this would work in the Gel Mold we sell? Ever try it or know someone who has? I think it would look really great! Thanks!