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    Home » Desserts

    Fruity Vegan Jello

    Published: Dec 20, 2016 Updated: Feb 18, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Jello

    Fun and fruity vegan jello with the perfect jello texture. Super easy to make and perfect for use in other desserts or to eat as is.

    Red and green vegan jello in glass dishes.

    Wow, it took me quite a long time to nail this vegan jello recipe.

    I’m not much of a jello person really, which is good because it’s not something you find vegan varieties of very often. Usually jello’s use gelatine which is a by-product of the meat industry.

    But I decided to rise to the challenge of making a vegan jello because I wanted to make a Christmas Trifle!

    And in South Africa a Christmas Trifle almost always contains jello. Or what we call ‘jelly’. Green and red jelly/jello to be precise. You know, lovely Christmas colors.

    Everything I read online told me that agar agar was the magic ingredient in vegan jello. So off I went to find some.

    An organic/health food store had some in stock, but only the flakes version (and at first I didn’t know there was any other version to get!).

    Red and green vegan jello in glass dishes.

    So off I went and tried to make a recipe that I found that used 2 tablespoons of agar agar along with fruit juice and a little sugar. Well…. if jello is meant to be a rock hard brick, then sure.

    But there was no jiggle in that jello and that’s just not jello in my view.

    So… back to the drawing board.

    I found a recipe that said to use half fruit juice and half water and only ½ teaspoon of agar agar. Needless to say that is a HUGE difference.

    But when I tried it that way my jello didn’t set at all.

    Again…back to the drawing board. And that’s when I found out from this article that agar agar is either in flakes OR in powder form. When it’s in the flake form you need up to 3 times as much as if it was in the powder form.

    OH! Now I see. The penny droppeth.

    Red and green vegan jello in glass dishes.

    So I then used the same recipe but adjusted for the fact that I was using agar agar flakes and not powder, so used 1 ½ teaspoons instead of ½ teaspoon and then the magic happened. Perfectly textured, delicious tasting jello!

    Absolutely perfect to use in any recipe calling for jello – like my Trifle – or to enjoy as is!

    So remember this lovely people! Agar agar powder is up to 3 times as strong as agar agar flakes. So if the recipe calls for powder and you have flakes, use up to 3 times as much. Easy as that. Update: I have since made this recipe using agar agar powder and found it takes a little more than ½ tsp, so the calculation is close but not exact! Directions for both found inside the recipe card.

    Red and green vegan jello in glass dishes.

    You will love this vegan jello, it is exactly like the ‘real thing’! It’s:

    • Fruity
    • Jiggly
    • Perfectly textured
    • Sweet
    • Perfect for use in desserts
    • Only 4-ingredients!
    Vegan Jello in fun and fruity red and green colors in glass dishes.

    Enjoy it as a dessert or use it in a recipe that requires jello. You can mix and match flavors just by switching out the fruit juice you use. Pretty cool.

    Let me know in the comments what you think of this vegan jello and rate the recipe too, thanks! And if you’re going to use it in another dessert recipe, let me know where you’ll use it.

    Other than in a trifle I’m not sure what else I would put it in. Oh wait, vegan jello shots of course! But eating it as is, is pretty fun too.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan jello in serving glasses.

    Vegan Jello

    Fun and fruity vegan jello with the perfect jello texture. Super easy to make and perfect for use in other desserts or to eat as is.
    5 from 24 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert, How To
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 1 minute
    Cook Time: 4 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories: 172kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    For Red Jello:

    • 1 ½ teaspoons Agar Agar Flakes or if using Agar Agar Powder, use ¾ teaspoon
    • 1 cup Red Grape Juice (240ml) 100% fruit juice
    • 1 cup Water (240ml)
    • ¼ cup White Granulated Sugar (50g)

    For Green Jello:

    • 1 ½ teaspoons Agar Agar Flakes or if using Agar Agar Powder, use ¾ teaspoon
    • 1 cup Green Apple Juice (240ml) 100% fruit juice
    • 1 cup Water (240ml)
    • ¼ cup White Granulated Sugar (50g)
    • A few drops Green Food Color optional*
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    Instructions

    • For the red jello: Add the agar agar flakes or powder, water, fruit juice and sugar to a pot on the stove. Bring to the boil stirring regularly. Allow to boil for 2 minutes.
    • Pour out into serving bowls or glasses.
    • Refrigerate to set.
    • For the green jello: Follow the steps as above, but after boiling for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the green food coloring. Pour into serving bowls or glasses and refrigerate to set.

    Video

    Notes

    1. The green food coloring is added in to get the green color because green apple juice is more cloudy in color than green. However, if you don’t like using food coloring you can omit this step. Some brands of green food coloring I’ve used up to ¼ teaspoon of color before it gets to the right shade, other brands are stronger and I’ve only needed a couple of drops, so go slow if you’re adding it in.
    2. Each batch (green or red) makes around 2 cups of jello.
    3. To make jello shots, check out our recipe for Vegan Jello Shots.
    4. Adapted from Manjula’s Kitchen

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.2g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 42.9g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen Spiegel says

      September 28, 2022 at 6:42 pm

      Will this recipe work if I am making a “jello” salad in a bundt cake mold?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        September 29, 2022 at 12:20 pm

        Hi Karen, honestly no idea, I haven’t used it in this way.

        Reply
    2. April says

      September 23, 2022 at 1:29 am

      Thank you so much for figuring this out! I tried gummy worms last year and they were so hard! I had no idea it was because I used powder instead of flakes. The recipe didn’t even say flakes or powder so I had no idea. You’re a life saver! I’m doing two test batches today before we make our jello cell models on Monday so I can get the timing just right. Do you think I could do just the juice and sugar to boiling, then stir in ice cubes to make it two cups to speed up the process like with instant jello? I might have to experiment with that.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        September 23, 2022 at 11:14 am

        You’re welcome April! I haven’t done any experimenting with adding ice cubes, but my feeling is it might complicate things. All the best! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Midge` says

      July 09, 2022 at 4:27 am

      I want to make lemon jello. Is there any special advice to do this. Since grape juice is sweeter, do I just go by testing or do you have a specific recipe?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 09, 2022 at 11:40 am

        Hi there, I don’t have a recipe for it, what I would likely do is use more water, less lemon juice so that it is not too tart. And then taste test and perhaps consider a little more sugar too, depending. All the best!

        Reply
    4. S says

      April 24, 2022 at 9:00 pm

      Thank you for the recipe- I had a quick question! Does this recipe set up enough that if I were to make them in shallow square containers, and then cut the jello into cubes, they would keep their shape? Or would I need to add a tad more agar in your opinion? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 25, 2022 at 9:53 am

        If you want them to be super firm (no jiggle) then you can definitely add more agar.

        Reply
    5. David D. says

      May 23, 2021 at 8:31 pm

      HOW DO I SUBSTITUTE THE SWEETENER?
      Does anyone know how much extra water to add if I substitute concentrated liquid sweetener (Stevia or monk fruit extract) for the 1/4 cup of sugar?

      BTW, I love this recipe. For juice, I used Apple & Eve Organic 100% juice Fruit Punch. Purple in the bottle, but red in the Jello (or should I say Agaro?). Delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 24, 2021 at 9:56 am

        Hi David, I wouldn’t add any extra water, just add sweetener to taste.

        Reply
        • David D. says

          May 24, 2021 at 4:23 pm

          Thanks, Alison. I will try it next time. (This time I stuck with sugar, just to be sure that it would come out).5 stars

          Reply
      • David says

        July 12, 2021 at 1:47 am

        SUCCESS! I substituted 1/2 tsp of NOW Organic Monk Fruit liquid sweetener for 1/4 cup of sugar. The texture is unchanged.

        I mentioned the brand “NOW” because each brand, and each form of monk fruit extract within that brand, have different substitution charts. (Plus, I prefer organic ingredients).

        Some people like Stevia, but others (including myself) feel that it has a bitter after-taste. Monk fruit, on the other hand, is tasty for everyone, with no after-taste.

        Now I have a way of hydrating an 80-year old senior, without the questionable ingredients of Jello and expensive hydration balls. And without worrying about giving her copious amounts of sugar.

        Plus, it is a tasty dessert for the whole family!

        Thank you Alison.5 stars

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          July 12, 2021 at 10:36 am

          Awesome! So glad it worked out, thanks for sharing David!

          Reply
    6. Hana F says

      May 15, 2021 at 6:09 pm

      Really good!5 stars

      Reply
    7. Dee says

      April 26, 2021 at 3:40 pm

      Hi Alison. Would this recipe work without the added sugar? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 26, 2021 at 4:09 pm

        I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it would work!

        Reply
        • Sorrel says

          August 11, 2022 at 7:08 pm

          I tried it without sugar and it works perfectly! No texture change at all.5 stars

          Reply
          • Alison Andrews says

            August 12, 2022 at 10:15 am

            Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

    8. Chiara says

      April 13, 2021 at 6:42 am

      Hi, thank you for the recipe.
      How long does it take for it to set?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 13, 2021 at 10:02 am

        An hour or two.

        Reply
    9. David D. says

      March 12, 2021 at 11:43 pm

      This is exactly the recipe that I was hoping for.

      Mostly all natural, although I might change the sweetener, and use McCormick Nature’s Inspiration Food Color which is made from fruits and vegetables (no dye).

      And I can experiment with other fruit juices besides just green apple juice and and red grape juice.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 13, 2021 at 11:15 am

        So glad you liked it David! Thanks for the great review!

        Reply
      • Hana F says

        May 15, 2021 at 6:08 pm

        I also think using all good quality natural lemonade or homemade, and no added water ofc, would be a nice flavor. Limeade, too.

        Reply
        • Lauren says

          November 24, 2021 at 12:14 pm

          Hi Allison,
          I’m making lime jello – Can I substitute fresh lime juice instead of apple?

          Reply
          • Alison Andrews says

            November 24, 2021 at 12:43 pm

            Hi Lauren, I think so, but I haven’t ever made it with lime juice.

    10. Prashanthi says

      January 20, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Hi Alison,
      Can I use gelatin powder instead of agar agar?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 20, 2021 at 11:02 am

        Not sure, I haven’t used that.

        Reply
      • David D. says

        March 12, 2021 at 11:47 pm

        If you use gelatin, you are basically making Jello. The package of gelatin should have instructions. Just substitute good ingredients for whatever they suggest.5 stars

        Reply
      • David says

        March 14, 2021 at 7:16 pm

        Prashanthi,

        Since you came to this web site, I assume that you are possibly vegetarian. If so, you would want to be aware that gelatin is not vegetarian. It is obtained by boiling parts of pigs or cows.

        Agar, however, is completely vegan. It is obtained from seaweed.5 stars

        Reply
    11. Ana says

      December 20, 2020 at 5:41 am

      Hi there!! I just made this today with the agar agar flakes. How long does it take to set? It’s been about 9 hours and it’s still liquify. Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 20, 2020 at 9:08 am

        It shouldn’t take that long, so that doesn’t sound good for it setting.

        Reply
      • Mary says

        December 21, 2020 at 8:17 pm

        Hi Ana,

        I also made these the other day using the agar agar powder. Mine never set either. I didn’t see that Alison answered your question however I would suggest using more Agar agar flakes. I’m going to remake mine using more of the agar agar powder, hoping they will set!

        Reply
    12. Tarryn Rochester says

      August 11, 2020 at 8:14 pm

      So happy to have come across your recipe. Can’t wait to try this for my son who loves jelly. I love to use your recipes because it is not so easy to find vegan ingredients in South Africa, the struggle is real. Are you able to advise where your best place or online store is to buy ingredients from. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 12, 2020 at 9:16 am

        Hi Tarryn, Dischem is a good place to get ingredients like agar agar etc. Otherwise Wellness Warehouse is a good option for online stuff. 🙂

        Reply
      • S says

        April 15, 2021 at 12:57 pm

        Hi there
        Try any Indian spice shops
        You should find it there
        Chohans spice
        Gorimas
        Shan
        Etc

        Reply
    13. Preeya Shyam says

      June 15, 2020 at 11:53 am

      You’re a god send… I’ve been heartbroken by the way my vegan jello turned out as I’ve been using like really large quantities of the Agar agar powder (mentioned in the recipe in fact). Came across this and just used a teaspoon for 500ml of juice + water. It’s amazing! Thank you so much5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 15, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        So happy to hear that! Thanks for the great review. 🙂

        Reply
        • Preeya Shyam says

          June 17, 2020 at 10:14 am

          Hi Alison, absolutely. Please would you have any idea of how to turn these to gummy bears? Should a bit harder still chewy.

          Reply
          • Alison Andrews says

            June 17, 2020 at 10:16 am

            Hmmm, sorry no idea at all! I imagine it would require a lot more agar agar but other than that I don’t know.

    14. Sebastian sheppard says

      May 04, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      I am wondering if i could use corn starch instead of agar agar flakes?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 05, 2020 at 11:39 am

        Definitely not in this instance.

        Reply
    15. Sakura says

      May 04, 2020 at 5:00 am

      Followed the recipe exactly and it hasn’t set (been in the fridge for 6 hours now). Not sure why it didn’t work but it’s pretty disappointing. I am going to try reboiling it in the morning with more Agar Agar and see if that works.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 04, 2020 at 12:28 pm

        Hi Sakura, check your agar agar, it should be pure agar agar and not mixed with other ingredients.

        Reply
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