Strawberry Cream Salad with Jello
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This Strawberry Cream Salad recipe is a vintage dessert salad lover’s dream! It’s easy, delicious and you’ll need just 4 ingredients plus water to make this creamy dessert. The velvety texture is similar to a mousse and the taste reminds me of a bowl of strawberries and cream – so dreamy!
You won’t need to buy anything fancy to make this recipe – just strawberry gelatin, vanilla pudding mix, Cool Whip, and fresh strawberries. And you can make it ahead of time, which is always helpful when you’re planning a big meal.
We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
The pretty pink color makes this a fun addition to your holiday spreads and the refreshing strawberry flavor is perfect for Spring and Summer gatherings. And don’t forget potluck parties – I always come home with an empty bowl.
This recipe is a riff on a long time family favorite recipe – orange Jello salad (one of the first recipes I shared here). Years ago I came up with this version when I needed an easy dish for Easter dinner and I wanted to take advantage of the Spring berries hitting the grocery store shelves. And I still enjoy making it for my family and friends.
For more retro dessert salad recipes, be sure to check out Mom’s creamy New York fruit salad and Cousin Betty’s pistacchio pudding.
Strawberries and Cream Salad Ingredients
- Strawberry gelatin: adds punchy berry flavor and pretty pink coloring.
- Vanilla pudding mix: brings creaminess to the salad – make sure you grab the Cook ‘n Serve kind.
- Hot water – to dissolve the gelatin and pudding mixes.
- Whipped topping: gives the jello salad an airy texture. You can use Cool Whip or a store brand but make sure to allow time for it to thaw before adding it to the salad.
- Fresh strawberries: the star of the dish, they also keep the dessert salad from feeling too heavy.
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Strawberry Cream Salad with Jell-o
We’re going to start by making the base of the salad. Mix the strawberry gelatin, pudding mix, and hot water in a large saucepan.
Bring it to a boil, and continue boiling until it’s clear, stirring continuously with a whisk.
Transfer to a large bowl and chill until it’s set.
Mix the thawed whipped topping and strawberry jell-o mixture together.
Dice the berries and fold them into the jello salad just before serving.
Tips for Making Jello Dessert Salad
- You must use cook & serve pudding mix. I’ve (accidentally) made it with instant pudding and the texture was a little off.
- I use a potato masher to combine the whipped topping and jell-o together – it makes it so much easier!
- You can use homemade whipped cream but the salad will be less fluffy and won’t keep as long. A better option would be a stabilized whipped cream.
- Add the fresh fruit shortly before serving, to keep the jello salad from becoming watery.
- We don’t recommend using frozen strawberries in this recipe – they’ll make your salad mushy even when thawed, so always use fresh berries!
Strawberry Jello Salad Substitutions and Variations
- For crunch and added texture, fold in chopped pecans or walnuts just before serving.
- You can also stir in sliced banana, shredded coconut, or pineapple if desired. You’ll want to add these in right before serving so the salad doesn’t get mushy.
- Some people like to add a handful of mini marshmallows to jello salads, like you would do with ambrosia salad.
- Try other flavors like peach and raspberry by switching out the fruit and jell-o flavors.
Can I make strawberry Jello dessert ahead of time?
You sure can! Prepare the base mixture up to 24 hours before serving. Then combine it with the whipped topping and berries before serving.
Strawberry and Cream Salad Serving Ideas
The big question with this dish is whether to serve it as a side dish or a light dessert. It’s a Midwestern tradition to serve it as a side because then you can have a proper piece of cake or pie for dessert. No judgement either way.
It’s always a crowd-pleaser at family dinners, potlucks, holiday parties and summer BBQs. And it pairs well with most meats and even deli sandwiches for a quick meal.
How to Store Leftover Strawberry Cream Dessert Salad
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind the strawberries will break down and the salad will become watery the longer it is stored. You can drain off the excess liquid or give it a quick stir to reincorporate it into the dish.
Give this classic recipe a try – it’s a simple, sweet treat the whole family can enjoy. If you make this dish be sure to come back and let us know in the comments if you put your own twist on the recipe.
More Vintage Fruit Salad Recipes:
- Creamy Grape Salad
- Summer Berry Cheesecake Salad
- Strawberry Fluff Salad
- Cranberry Orange Fluff Salad
Thanks to Meal Plan Monday for featuring my recipe.
This recipe was originally published on 2/13/18 and updated on 4/25/25.
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Strawberry Cream Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 6-ounce box strawberry gelatin
- 2 3-ounce boxes cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
- 4 cups hot water
- 8 ounces Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned and diced
Instructions
- Combine the strawberry jell-o and vanilla pudding mix with the hot water in a large saucepan.1 6-ounce box strawberry gelatin, 2 3-ounce boxes cook and serve vanilla pudding mix, 4 cups hot water
- Bring the jello mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Continue boiling (and stirring) until the mixture turns clear.
- Pour into a dish or bowl and chill until set. I usually make it the night before and chill overnight.
- Combine the thawed whipped topping with the jell-o/pudding mixture (a potato masher works well for this step).8 ounces Cool Whip whipped topping
- Rinse the berries and pat completely dry before dicing them. Add them to the salad mixture immediately before serving, stirring gently to combine.1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
Notes
- Instant pudding mix doesn’t work with this recipe.
- Store leftover dessert salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The salad will get watery as the berries break down – drain off any excess liquid.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
If you are an Aldi only shopper and only have access to instant pudding mix, try this modification: dissolve a 3 oz box of jello in 1 cup of boiling water, then add 1/2 a cup of cold water. Refrigerate until cold but not gelled, mix in the pudding powder/ I use my stick blender. Refrigerate until it starts to gel. Add fruits and whipped topping and marshmallows per recipe to finish.
Thanks so much for sharing your trick using instant pudding mix, Katherine!
Sounds delicious! Could you possibly freeze this and have as a frozen dessert?
I haven’t tried freezing it so I’m not sure if it would work. If you try freezing it, please come back and let us know how it turned out.
I made this for Easter 2023 and it was a big hit. I did also have requests to share the recipe. One thing I found helpful to determine if the mix was clear was with the liquid in a big spoon. You could really tell the clarity that way. This will be on my go to list for a long time! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Rita! It’s still one of my favorites, too.
Is it 1 box of 6oz strawberry gelatin and 2 boxes 3oz pudding?
Yes! As a side note, I have made this with 1 large pudding and 2 small gelatins and it’s turned out OK, too.
This sounds delicious! Can I substitute real whipped cream for the cool whip?
You can use fresh whipped cream but I would wait until you’re ready to serve before adding to the salad. The salad won’t keep as long because the whipped cream will break down quickly.
Hi Lori, I’m not much of a cook but this recipe sounded to easy to not try at least. I have to say that my mixture of jello and pudding and 4 cups of water never did turn clear, if by clear you meant being able to see the bottom of the pan through the liquid. I took it off the burner when I noticed that I had lost about a half an inch of the mix due to evaporation. I just put it into the frig so can’t tell if i screwed it up or not but i was afraid i was going to burn it if I lost much more. the mixture had the consistency of syrup when I poured it into the bowl. What do you think?
You won’t be able to see the bottom of the pan but you will notice the mixture is no longer cloudy. I can’t say for certain but it should be OK. You may need to adjust the amount of whipped topping.
Delicious! Great summertime and holiday side!
So glad you enjoyed it, Christina!
Just need a little more clarification. Mix both the jello AND pudding mixes in one pot and add water and bring to a boil. But then your step 2 says…Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Continue boiling (and stirring) until mixture turns clear. How can it turn clear with the pudding in the same pot?
Yes, combine the jello & pudding mix and bring to a boil. When you initially combine the pudding mix with the jello, the mixture is “cloudy”. As it cooks you will see a noticeable difference in appearance as it changes to a “clear” appearance. I hope this helps!
Don’t have a potato masher. Can I just use a mixer or food processor
If you don’t have a potato masher just use a fork.
Me again. I reread the recipe. do you put both 3 oz. pudding into the jello and let set and then add coolwhip before serving.
Hi Glenda! Yes, combine all the pudding & jell-o mixes with the water prior to cooking. After the pudding/jell-o mixture has cooled & set-up overnight, you can then add the Cool Whip. I hope this helps.
thank you, yes that explains it well.
I am a little confused with the cool whip and vanilla pudding. do I mix the box of pudding mixture into the cool whip or do I cook the pudding per instructions and then add it to the cool whip. to me that is a lot of pudding with the jello. You just state pudding mixture. so it could mean the box of pudding or mix the pudding per instruction. let me know. it doesn’t explain per step to well.
I love this salad and my family loves it, great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday for the party this week. Hope you have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
What is a mix it up tool? I am not familiar with that name. Do yuo mean an immersion blender, an egg beater, whisk????
Hi Nana! I use a whisk when mixing the pudding, jello-o and water for this recipe. I linked to my favorite one in the post.
I can not figure out where I go to get the recipe. Is it a secret?
Hi Kelley. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.
Thank you so much. I found it……..
This is a “comfort dessert” for sure! My ex-mother-in-law has been making this basic dessert for about 50 years or so except she has always added angel food or pound cake. Just proves that great minds ….. !
Oh my word, adding angel food cake sounds divine! Thanks for sharing Suzanne!
Can sugar-free jello n pudding be used?
I haven’t made it with sugar-free mixes but I think it would be fine. You may need to adjust the amount of water based on the package sizes. I’d love to hear your results if you give it a try, Linda.
Hi Arlie! Scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.
Where is the recipe? I can’t find it.
Hi Geri! The recipe card is at the bottom of the post.
Great recipe
Thanks Liz!