Cranberry Jello Salad- Thanksgiving Recipe- Christmas Recipe (2024)

A classic cranberry jello salad recipe made with raspberry jello, crunchy walnuts, fresh orange, and tart apple. This is not a molded jello salad, but a tangy and sweet cranberry salad that is akin to cranberry relish. This cranberry recipe has 5 minutes of hands-on time making it the easiest Thanksgiving side dish recipe ever.

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This recipe came from my mother-in-law, Cathe. And yes, I know you don't want 4 paragraphs about my life so I will keep it brief. Her love for cooking was really an act of love for the people in her life.

She inspired my husband to cook, now it is an activity we do together almost every day. And while she is no longer with us I wanted to memorialize my favorite recipe of hers.

She made it every Thanksgiving and Christmas and those holiday dinners just aren't the same without it, or without her. I sincerely hope it becomes a tradition on your holiday table.

📖Why This Recipe Works

This is an old-fashioned recipe made modern. While it does contain raspberry gelatin, no jello mold is needed.

It is made entirely in a food processor and then you allow the salad to set overnight. Give it a stir and voila! Something between a cranberry relish and cranberry salad.

This recipe has tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and tangy oranges. It is sweeter than our roasted whole cranberries but just as delectable.

This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free.

🧾Ingredient Notes

For this recipe, you need fresh whole cranberries. Not dried, cooked, or canned cranberries.

For this recipe you will also need:

Green Apple- This recipe requires one tart apple. I use a granny smith.

Orange- Any fresh variety like navel or cara cara. Do not use canned mandarin oranges. We are going to use the whole orange, including the peel in this recipe.

Raspberry Jello- You can use any brand of gelatin you like. If you can't find raspberry, you can substitute cherry jello or strawberry jello.

Walnuts- You can substitute pecans, but I definitely prefer walnuts in this recipe.

Celery- Celery is the secret crunch in this recipe.

Lemon Juice- I use bottled juice, it will act as the cold water in this recipe. You can substitute orange juice but the final recipe won't be as tart.

Sugar- I use white sugar but brown sugar would be a wonderful variation.

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

⏲️How to Make Cranberry Salad

The majority of this recipe is chopped up in the food processor with the exception of your walnuts and celery. You want small dice on the celery and small walnut pieces.

Step 1- Chop

Cut the apple and the oranges into quarters. Remove the core of the apple but leave it unpeeled.

Place the orange, apple, and whole fresh cranberries in a food processor. Pulse until you have a relish consistency. If you have an older food processor, chop the apple and orange pieces up first then add the cranberries.

Step 2- Mix

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the walnuts and celery. They are going to add crunch!

In a glass mixing bowl heat the water in the microwave until just boiling. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and jello. Whisk until both are dissolved.

Pour the jello mixture over the cranberry mixture and stir together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Step 3- Set and Serve

The salad needs to chill for 8 hours. Your jello will be set in about 6 hours. It will take longer than the package directions for the jello to set. The additional two hours will break down a bit of the tartness.

The cranberry salad will never be totally set because of the additional items we added. Stir the salad well and transfer it to a serving dish. Top with additional chopped walnuts and orange zest.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tip

Skip the mixing bowl and chill the salad in a casserole dish for easy serving.

🌡️Storing Leftovers

When covered or stored in an airtight container this cranberry salad will last up to 5 days. If making it for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner make it 1 day in advance for the best results.

🦃More Easy Recipes for Thanksgiving

💬Frequently Asked Questions

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📖 Recipe Card