Whether for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this delicious and easy-to-make Cranberry Gelatin Salad is a must on any holiday table. Comes together in minutes and so very simple, it is also so convenient as this Cranberry Gelation Salad can be made a day or two ahead. So festive and tasty, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
I get so excited sometimes with the arrival of cranberries in the stores that I end up buying way too much – more than I could ever use.
Naturally, I end up cooking and baking anything that uses fresh cranberries! Totally fine but sometimes I run out of ideas on what else to make and get tired of the same cranberry recipes I make each year.
As I often do, I make a search online list down the ingredients I have at hand and do a quick Google of what I can use them for.
This time I had some left-over cranberry sauce that needed to be used up. Didn’t want to throw it in the trash just because I made an extra batch which we couldn’t finish.
I saw this image of a delicious-looking cranberry salad and I remember tasting a similar kind in Michigan. I don’t know if it’s the exact same salad but it looked so familiar.
That made me decide to make this yummy salad. I suddenly had a craving for this delicious salad.
However, instead of using the canned cranberry sauce recommended in other recipes, I decided to tweak the recipe I found a bit, customize it to our own needs, and use my cranberry sauce. Yay, nothing wasted!
It came out so delicious and I love that I was able to make this salad in no time – in a matter of minutes really. The only hard part was waiting for it to set so I could sink my teeth into it. It needed to be chilled.
8 hours later and with a dollop of freshly whipped cream at hand, I dove into a tasty gelatinous concoction that has so many yummy flavors – at once sweet, tangy, fruity, and with the oozing cream on top – heavenly.
In the recipe below we show you how to make this easy cranberry gelatin salad also known as cranberry congealed salad. Enjoy!
Make it soon and you’d be so happy you did!
Here’s the recipe for my SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE, if you wish to use this instead of the canned variety. Use all the spices suggested or just the cinnamon and nutmeg – so good with this salad! Enjoy!
Easy Cranberry Gelatin Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (6 oz) pack cherry flavored gelatin mix,
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 3/4 cups homemade cranberry sauce or 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
- heavy cream, freshly whipped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the gelatin mix in water. Stir in the crushed pineapple and cranberry sauce (homemade or canned). Allow to set and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Take out of the refrigerator. Stir in grapes and pecans. Pour into a 2-qt. serving bowl or a 9×13 baking dish. Refrigerate overnight or until firm. Can be made a day or 2 ahead.
- Serve with some freshly whipped cream on the side. The latter is optional but oh so delicious with it, especially if you wish to consider this salad as a dessert rather than a side.
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated on November 2nd, 2023 at 08:21 pm
This is a must make for the holidays! It’s always a favorite with my family!
Just perfect for the holiday dinner menu! Thanks for this recipe for cranberry salad!
Such a classic recipe for the holidays! Love how festive this cranberry gelatin salad looks. 🙂
I made this Easy Cranberry Gelatin Salad for the holidays, and everyone loved it. I almost wish I had made two! I will be making it again for New Year’s dinner. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
This cranberry salad was so delicious! So easy to make as well – keeping this on hand for the holidays!