How to Make 7-Layer Jello
This is neither a frugal recipe nor a healthy one. BUT, when I posted a picture of this jello (which Lisey requested for her birthday meal this year) a number of you were really intrigued and asked for the recipe.
And since I aim to please, I'm sharing the recipe today. I'm not sure where the recipe originally came from, but when I was a kid, it was an oft-served dish when company came to visit.
If I'm going to eat a very-bad-for-me jello salad, I'm sort of partial to the Mandarin Orange Jello Salad, but I will admit that this pan of jello has much more show-stopping looks.
It's not very complicated, but it does require a big ol' stack of jello boxes. You probably won't be able to find store-brand boxes for the lemon or peach flavors, but it's easy to find orange, strawberry, and lime in private label varieties.
Interestingly enough, when I bought these seven boxes, I was also buying ingredients to make a quadruple recipe of the mandarin orange jello salad for a family birthday gathering, so my cart was chock full of boxed jello and pudding. It was kind of ridiculous. And very out of the ordinary!
Anyway. Every other layer of this jello has evaporated milk mixed in with the water, so layers 2, 4, and 6 have an opaque look to them.
You can mix up all seven layers at once, or you can mix them up one at a time, which might be a good option if you don't have tons of smallish bowls!
The first layer is just a box of jello, ¾ cup of boiling water, and then ¾ cup of cold water. Pour the jello mixture into a 9x13 inch pan (I spray mine with nonstick spray first), and put the pan in the fridge.
Your fridge is probably not perfectly level, so you might need to shim your pan a little to make a level first layer (I use a grippy pad under one end, the sort you use to open a stubborn jar lid.).
Leave the pan in the fridge, and when it's set (about 30 minutes later), you can pour the opaque lime layer over the black cherry layer.
To make the opaque layers, pour ½ cup of boiling water over the jello, mix to combine,
and then stir in ½ cup of cold water and ½ cup of evaporated milk.
This is NOT sweetened, condensed milk, just so ya know. That would be...weird. You need evaporated milk, which is a much thinner milk product.
Each layer takes about 30 minutes to firm up in the fridge, so I just set a timer and add another layer every half hour.
The jello isn't SUPER firm after 30 minutes, so it helps to pour the new layer of jello into a spoon and then onto the jello...that way the liquid jello won't make a hole in the existing layer.
You probably could use any combination of jello flavors you want, as long as you keep the clear-opaque-clear pattern going.
In fact, I inadvertently did this pan differently than I did my last one. Here's the original one I posted:
Anyway, it's quite customizable, and no matter what flavors you choose, your jello will probably still look all fancy-like. 😉
Seven Layer Jello
Printable Seven Layer Jello Recipe
Empty each of the following 3 oz. Jello packages into separate bowls:
black cherry, lime, raspberry, orange, peach, lemon, strawberry
Mix in the order given above.
For the 4 clear layers, mix ¾ cups hot water, stir, then add ¾ cups cold water.
For the 3 creamy layers, mix ½ cup hot water, stir, then add ½ cup cold water, and ½ cup evaporated milk. This will use up one can of evaporated milk.
The 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th layers are clear.
The 2nd, 4th, and 6th layers are creamy.
Mix all and then pour the 1st layer into a greased 9x 13 pan. Set the timer for 30 min. Then add the next layer and repeat the process until all layers are finished. Make sure pan is level.
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Woo Hoo! Guess who's got a can of evaporated milk in the cupboard with no predetermined destination?
Now I just gotta track down a whole pile of assorted jelly...
What we do for our kids eh? 😉
I'm not a jello eater (we are a family of vegetarians), but that has to be the prettiest dessert EVER!!
my mom makes this once in a while... Me I am not a big jello fan. But it does look pretty....
My mom used to make this in the early 1980's but instead of milk it called for sour cream, which probably makes it a bit creamier.
Same here but I changed that up a bit and use vanilla yogurt! Very good!
Kristen, is this less water than the box of jello usually calls for? Just trying to "translate" this for my use. I buy plain gelatin in bulk for less than flavored, and mix up my own flavors with fruit puree, juice, or Koolaid powder.
Yes, I believe it is. That way the jello is firm enough to slice.
Okay this clears it up a bit more 🙂 Although, I'm a bit confused by you calling it a salad - I'm guessing you mean it as a dessert, like a fruit salad, rather than an actual salad 🙂
I've made layered jelly before, sometimes with vodka, but never with that many layers. Yours stays together very nicely when you cut it and it looks very pretty 🙂
I've known this as a salad also
You want to make sure that the jello is not warm at all when you add the next layer. That is the advantage of mixing them up all at once to start with. Plus there is no more boiling water, etc. After the initial mix, you just have to be around for 3 hours to add the next layer every 30 min. which takes almost no time at all.
I love jello, and I haven't seen this dish for ages. I'm printing out your entire post and putting it in my folder.
YUM!
this looks so cool! have to try this once!
This has always been my kids' first choice at church potlucks. With all those great colors, who can blame them! We have had fun making it with themes or holidays in mind (trying just red and blue jellos for July 4th and selecting flavors for the full rainbow have been two favorites.)
I have to ask the question - how does it taste wth all of the different and very bold flavors? To me it would seem very odd taste but maybe I'm wrong.
Well, it's just sort of a fruity mix of flavors...the combo is not as jarring as you might imagine!
Jello is such a favorite from my childhood, thanks for the smiles this recipe brought!
Jello kind of freaks me out. I can't bring myself to eat it. I think it's a texture thing. However, I do make it on occasion for the rest of the house. I think this would be a fabulous surprise for the kids. Thanks so much.
This is the same 7 layer jello recipe my family uses and loves! Well, except for the one year when my cousin requested it for her wedding dinner, and the cousins stood around stirring pans and pans of jello to make enough for around 200 guests! 🙂 It took a long time, but was enjoyed by all.
My mom has made this for years, but she calls hers Rainbow Jello. She does purple on the bottom, then blue, then green, then yellow, then orange, and finally red, so the layers form a rainbow. It is really pretty. 🙂
That looks quite tasty! It is understandable that you need to buy the boxed jello but I'm very sad to hear that you purchased the boxed pudding as well 🙁 you were the reason I started making my own pudding from scratch and I believe it tastes much much better. I believe you even did a post breaking down the costs and it turned out to be cheaper.
Oh, I DO make pudding from scratch when I'm actually making pudding. But the jello recipe I was making calls for mixing the jello and pudding mixes all together in a pot with water, and I am just not smart enough to figure out how that would translate to a homemade version.
Worry not, though...the jello is a once or twice a year kind of thing, usually for a birthday, and that's why it was so odd for my cart to have all those boxed products. Normally my grocery cart is filled with ingredients (produce, seafood, cheese, and so on), not with processed foods.
No one in my house eats Jello but that is really cool looking. Why wouldn't you use sweetened evaporated milk in the opaque layers? just curious.
I think it would be way too thick and also sickeningly sweet. Condensed, sweetened milk is super sugary, and combined with the jello, it would just be too much.
The Pioneer Woman makes a version of this (red and green for Christmas) and she uses sweentened condensed milk - it's super yummy!!
Well, what do you know? You learn something new every day!
My mom used to make this many many years ago. Thanks for bringing back a fun memory.
This makes me so happy!! I might have to join Pinterist just so I can pin this. Such happy memories from childhood....and last weekend 🙂
I've seen my gal pal make this too, it's super impressive. But isn't it weird having that many flavors mixed in together? Does it LOOK better than it tastes? In any case, thanks for posting! The tip about using the spoon to pour the mixture onto the next letter is a very helpful hint 🙂
It's really not as weird as one might think...just sort of a mixture of fruity flavors.
I love this! We have a Christmas party every year for all of our friends and this would be so festive and fun!
Love this recipe. The last time I made it though, my pan was a little crooked in the frig. My family still talks about the "lop-sided" jello to this day!
Tell them it's a more modern, abstract take on the boring, level seven layer jello most people make. 😉
How funny I just made a rainbow version like this but I did use sweetened and condensed milk and it came out just fine.
This is so fun and pretty! I have a question on the chilling of it, though - the layers were nowhere near solid enough to pour more on top after 30 minutes in the fridge - even after 30 minutes in the freezer, the next layer would still make holes in the layers below. I don't think my fridge or freezer are too warm, so what do you think I'm doing wrong?
Thanks!
Gosh, that's really weird. You just used one box of jello and a total of 1 1/2 cups of liquid for each layer, right?
Right, 1.5 cups liquid and a 3 oz box of jello for each layer. Some other recipes I found on Pinterest say to chill for an hour and a half, so I'll try that next time. After just 30 minutes, the layers are still basically juice so I'm stumped.
And you're doing part boiling water, part cool water, right? So that the jello isn't super hot when it goes into the fridge.
Right - and I made all the layers up ahead of time, so they were all room temp by the time they were added.
So, did they firm up eventually, but just not in 30 minutes?
Do you by any chance know what temperature your fridge is set to?
Mine needed 45 minutes.
Oh, and your pan was 9x13, right? If it was smaller, then the layers would likely take longer to firm up.
Fridge is at 38 degrees, and the pan was 9x13. I didn't use cooking spray, but that doesn't seem like it would make a difference. I don't know, maybe it was just really humid here? I'm stumped!
I am too, apparently! Every variable I can think of appears to be the same as my situation.
I should add that I am doing that spoon trick and still getting holes.
I'm making it right now and having the same issue. My layers are nowhere near set after 30 minutes. Ah, well ... as long as I can have it finished it time for tomorrow afternoon when I need it!
I think the second version is prettier. I like the creamy green layer =)
When my mother made this she would always put a thin layer of whip cream on the top. So good!
Hey, I tried this recipe three times and I finally got it ! But the thing is it supposed to be wobbly and not firm ? And also I would like to ask if it's possible to add fruit into this
Well, it's supposed to be a fairly firm Jello consistency, if that makes sense. It should be able to stand on its own when you slice it.
You'd have to chop the fruit super fine to add it to this jello, since the layers are so thin.
I made this and it was a hit but when I placed the tiny bit of leftovers in the fridge, I didn't level the pan again and the clear layers slid of the opaque ones. We ate it anyway!
When I make this I have that problem sometimes. Once when I made it I waited over night to add the last layer and because I had waited so long it didn't stick so when I went to serve it it's slid around all sloppily. Usually the reason the layers don't stick is because you've waited too long between adding them. I hope that helps you if you're planning on ever making it again!
My Daddy used to call jello "Nervous Pudding!"
Your comment made me laugh out loud!☺ï¸
Hi,
I was just wondering whether you can freeze the 7 layer jello recipe.
I've never thought about it! But I just did some googling and it appears that jello does not take kindly to freezing...it's not exactly gelled any more when it thaws.
This is almost the exact same recipe my grandma thought me to make a couple years ago. The only difference is we use sweeten condensed milk and on the opaque layers we use 1/2 cup of hot water then a third of a can of sweetened condensed milk... Sometimes I add a couple ice cubes too, so that the mixtures cools down a bit.
My mom always made this recipe in rainbow order, with the red on top, orange, yellow, green blue, then the purple on bottom. She made a clear and an opaque layer of each color. I remember peeling each layer off of the next and enjoying them all individually, really just SAVORING this dessert because it was so beautiful. 🙂
The article was very helpful. I found 2 boxes of generic jello in my cabinet, but was going to try the 70's recipe using the blender. Make the jello according to directions, then put the liquid in a blender. Pour into cups and the jello will separate into two layers. I am going to try this recipe. Have a great day!
I'm out of evaporated milk. how do you mix the condensed milk version? just condensed milk and water?
Am making this now - someone gave me recipe # 1, 3, 5 7: mix jello with 1 and 1/2 cups of boiling water. Put in glass trifle dish. Do this every other layer,waiting about 30 minutes inbetween. My first layer, after 1 hr. in refrig. is still not formed.
Layers #2, 4, 6: mix jello with 3/4 cup boiling water & 3/4 cup of Carnation evaporated milk
Now that I see your recipe, it's different and I'm bringing it to a Memorial Day party tomorrow and I can't find the person who gave me this recipe, but it's different from yours. I'm very worried. Do I have to throw out the few layers I've already done and start all over again. I feel like she gave it to me wrong. Someone please answer - I'm a wreck over this. Thank you.
Florrey, St. Louis, MO or please email me now : florrey314@aol.com.
Aww, I'm sorry you're having troubles. Is your first layer still not set? If it's not setting, I think it would be smart to start over.
It was a yummy surprise addition to our thanksgiving dinner tonight, thanks for sharing
You have to have two 3 oz. packets of each flavor, correct? One is for the clear layer and one for the creamy layer.
Nope, you just need 7 packets total. The 2nd, 4th, and 6th layers are creamy, but they're separate flavors than the other four layers.
So, you are making four bowls of clear jello and three bowls of creamy jello, and each of those 7 bowls is a separate flavor. 🙂
This is a childhood favorite of mine, over 30yrs ago! I like your recipe, and how there is a creamy layer in between, we used a condensed milk layer in between clear flavors, but I'm gonna try to make it keto with the sugar free flavors and using heavy cream or sour cream.
My aunt made this except she put it in a graham cracker crust to chill and put whipped topping on when it was set. A gorgeous slice of jello "pie".
I have failed twice. Following the recipe my evaporated milk layer will not set up. Should there be Knox gelatin in that layer?
I never have added any gelatin aside from what's in the jello itself. But you could certainly dissolve some extra gelatin in the hot jello mixture to try to fix the problem you're having.