Relish in the delightful flavors of Lime Jello Salad! A delicious nod to the past, this vibrant dish beautifully melds cream cheese with the tangy zing of lime Jello. Add juicy fruit, soft marshmallows, crunchy nuts, and a generous fold of Cool Whip, the salad is chilled to perfection, making every spoonful a refreshing and nostalgic treat.
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Lime Jello Fruit Salad
Although you might think the ingredients for lime jello salad sound a little weird, in reality, they come together to give you a light, sweet salad with a subtle tangy flavor. This is a vintage jello recipe that’s been around for many years with good reason.
Why Are Jello Salads So Popular?
Salads made with jello are traceable back to the era of the 1920s. They were very trendy in the 1960s and today are considered vintage or retro. They are easy to make and come with a wide variety of different ingredients.
Why You Should Try This Easy Vintage Lime Jello Salad
Lime jello salad is a simple dish that will enhance your holiday table. Zesty and tart with a sweet twist, this vintage lime jello salad with cream cheese is delicious and refreshing. The jello does need some time to set, but this makes this dish great for making ahead.
Cream cheese imparts fullness and texture and becomes absolutely delicious when it melds with other flavors. Old-fashioned jello salad is a simple, no-bake dessert that tastes amazing! It's great for your Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner. Give this recipe a try, and you’ll understand!
Tip: To entice your kids to eat it, call it Martian Salad. It’s green (just like Martians) and looks somewhat alien!
Ingredients You Will Need
You only need a few ingredients for this green Jello salad, as follows:
- Lime jello
- Cream cheese
- Cool Whip
- Fruit cocktail
- Miniature marshmallows
- Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
- Maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)
How to Make This Easy Lime Jello Salad Recipe
This lime jello salad is not difficult to prepare, but you do have to allow for some refrigerator time. Here are the basic steps:
- Drain the fruit cocktail.
- Combine the lime gelatin and boiling water in a large bowl.
- Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth.
- Refrigerate the lime jello and cream cheese mixture for 1 hour.
- Stir in the Cool Whip, drained fruit cocktail, marshmallows, and nuts.
- Pour the jello mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish or jello mold.
- Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until set.
- Slice or scoop out servings and top it with Cool Whip and maraschino cherries if desired.
Recipe Variations
You can use cottage cheese instead of cream cheese if you prefer. Cottage cheese gives you a slightly more tart flavor.
Instead of fruit salad, use crushed pineapple or chopped canned pears.
Instead of mini marshmallows, try crushed mini pretzels or coconut.
Substitute lemon Jello or other flavors for the lime Jello.
How to Serve Lime Jello Salad and What to Serve It With
Make this lime gelatin salad if you’ve been trying to find a new addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving table, a perfectly colored St. Patrick’s Day treat, or a refreshing summertime dessert.
You can cut this jello salad into squares or spoon it from the baking dish.
Go for a beautiful presentation by piping whipped cream on top in a decorative style and sprinkling on some extra chopped nuts.
This recipe gives you a light and fluffy dessert that goes well with hearty meals such as beef goulash or skillet spaghetti. Also, it’s a really great complement to salty dishes like your Easter ham.
How to Store Jello Salad
Make Ahead: This recipe can be made ahead and will be good for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Leftovers: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Note: Any jelled salad needs to be covered when stored in the fridge. If left uncovered, your salad will tend to dry out, pull away from the sides of the dish, and lose its fluffiness.
Freezing: This old-fashioned jello salad is not suitable for freezing. It will begin to break down when frozen, and when thawed you’ll have a mess that doesn’t taste good.
More Salad Recipes
Lime Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 2 3-ounce packages lime jello
- 2 cups boiling water
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces Cool Whip plus extra to garnish
- 1 15-ounce can fruit cocktail drained
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- maraschino cherries to garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lime jello and boiling water and mix well. Add the cream cheese and use an electric hand mixer to mix until combined. Be very careful; it will be HOT. Refrigerate the jello mixture for 1 hour.
- Remove the Jell-O mixture from the refrigerator. Add the Cool Whip and mix until combined. Fold in the drained fruit cocktail.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish or a jello mold and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until set.
- Serve topped with Cool Whip and maraschino cherries.
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