My kids LOVE helping out in the kitchen. It could also be that, like me, they love being near the food;) Whatever the reason, we especially enjoy making yummy treats together during the holidays!
This year to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we made these easy, homemade jello jigglers with cutout hearts! They are delicious, simple to make, require only 2 ingredients, and are just the prettiest little things!
Gelatin has long been labeled as a healthy snack for its ability to improve the growth of hair, skin and nails, and for its added source of protein. I’m not talking about the prepackaged boxed jello that’s filled with sugar and artificial colors and ingredients. Why make that when you can just as easily make a pan of this homemade, healthy jello!
You can make a regular pan of jello to eat as a healthy snack, but if you want to jazz it up a bit, make these beautiful, two-tone jello jigglers with cutout hearts and a clear jello coating! You can use any cutters or flavor of juice that you’d like too. For these, I used an organic, no sugar added cranberry-pomegranate juice to get the pretty red color for the hearts. The clear jello was a white cranberry juice, but I’ve used coconut water too, with great results!
You’ll first need to make a batch of jello for the cutouts. Use the recipe below and any color/flavor juice you want. It will need time to chill and firm up, so make it the day before, if possible.
When it’s done chilling, dip the bottom of the pan into hot water for a few seconds, just enough to loosen the jello from the sides of the pan. Invert the jello onto a cutting board or plastic wrap and begin cutting out shapes.
My daughter (left) and niece thoroughly enjoyed cutting out the hearts! The goal was just to get more jello into the pan than in their mouths;)
Place the cutouts into a clean, 9×13 inch pan and begin making the clear coat jello. Let the gelatin mixture cool completely before pouring it into the pan or it will melt the cutouts! My son doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, so he was happy to be in charge of mixing up the clear jello!
Pour the cooled jello over the cutouts, cover, and refrigerate again until firm. To cut, dip the bottom of the pan in hot water, invert the jello onto a cutting board and cut into squares or shapes. That’s it!
I hope you try these fun and festive jigglers! If you make them, take a pic and tag #wifemamafoodie on Instagram. I’d love to see your jello creations!
- 4 (.25 ounce) envelopes of unflavored gelatin or 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of grass fed gelatin
- 4 cups naturally sweetened fruit juice, divided
- *This makes one pan. To make the two-tone jello jigglers you'll need to double these ingredients.
- In a large, heat-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup of cold juice and let "bloom" for several minutes. Bring the remaining 3 cups of juice to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour into the gelatin mixture, stirring several minutes until gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours, until jello is firm and completely set.
- Fill your kitchen sink with 1-2 inches of hot water. Dip the bottom of the pan in the how water for 5-10 seconds or until the jello has released from the sides. Invert jello onto a large cutting board and cut into squares or use metal cutters to cutout shapes. Place shapes into a 9x13 inch pan and make another batch of jello to pour on top. It's important that you let the mixture cool throughly before pouring it over the cutouts in the pan or it can melt them. Refrigerate the gelatin again until firm. Repeat the process of placing the bottom of the pan in hot water for a few seconds and invert the jello onto a cutting board. Cut into squares or additional shapes and serve. Place any leftovers into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Here’s another variation: Instead if using cutouts, you can add fresh fruit to the jello before chilling it in the fridge. The squares above were made with coconut water and raspberries. So yummy!
Tom Drenoske says
November 18, 2017 at 10:05 amDelicioso! At the last potluck meal, everyone I talked to had never tried them. So, I just made them for today’s potluck, just like I said I would, and they’re gonna like ’em! (or I’ll eat ’em all myself!!!) YUM!
Joscelyn | Wife Mama Foodie says
November 18, 2017 at 10:23 amThat’s great Tom. I’m glad they enjoyed them. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! Have a wonderful weekend!
Sharon says
October 28, 2016 at 3:06 amWhat kind of liquid did you use for the clear coat?
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
October 28, 2016 at 2:22 pmHi Sharon! I used a white cranberry juice but white grape juice or coconut water works also!
Amanda Armstrong says
October 21, 2016 at 9:52 amI wanted to ask if you make cut outs and sell them?
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
October 21, 2016 at 9:54 amHi Amanda! No, I found these in the cake decorating section at my local craft store. That would be fun though, to make my own! Never thought about it before!
Gina Bacani says
April 21, 2015 at 2:05 amThe jigglers are adorable and sound delicious too!
Jackie says
February 15, 2015 at 2:11 pmThe kids had lots of fun with this recipe. More so, they enjoyed eating them! They were just as yummy as store bought jello. I love that there is no added sugar, artificial flavorings, and other garbage we usually let our kids eat. Thanks for sharing this kid friendly recipe!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
February 16, 2015 at 12:18 amIf there’s anything my kids love more than helping make food, it’s eating it, haha! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed these as much as we did. We think these jigglers are super yummy too, and most importantly, they don’t contain all of those artificial ingredients. Thank you so much for your feedback, Jackie!