Festive Cherry Pie Jell-O Salad

If you love cherry pie, you are going to love this Festive Cherry Pie Jello Salad. With just two ingredients, it is hands down the quickest and easiest dessert salad you’ll find. Fun and festive, it will brighten your dinner table at the holidays or any day. 

Festive Cherry Pie Jell-O Salad

This is my Aunt Carol’s Cherry Pie Jell-O Salad recipe. I don’t have anything like it on my site; in fact, this is the only Jell-O salad here. I have Jell-O Shots—two Collections of them—a Jell-O Pudding Fruit Dip, and a Chocolate Jell-O Pudding Frosting recipe that will rock your world—but no Jell-O salads. 

Why?  Well, I guess I should make it known that I am not a huge fan of Jell-O.  It’s okay in its plain form, but when those Jell-o salads start getting funky stuff like marshmallows, Cool Whip, fruit (brown bananas??), and even nuts in them, that’s when my nose has always turned up. Of course, now I am surrounded by lots of talented foodie friends and I can’t believe how much more sophisticated Jell-O salads have gotten!

Cherry Jell-O Salad

My Aunt Carol is an awesome cook, and for years we have taken turns having family dinners. Years ago, she made this Jello salad recipe and I almost didn’t try it. But I couldn’t hurt her feelings, and honestly, my kids were there and I always made an example out of trying everything when they were little. 

So I tried it, and boy was I glad! So, although I have never been a huge fan of Jell-O, I have always been a huge fan of pie, and I especially love cherry pie. So now, am a new believer in Jell-O salads, but still not the brown banana kind.

Easy Jell-O Salad

This fuss-free dessert comes together in minutes. All you have to do is mix the Jell-O powder with water and place it in the fridge. How simple is that? Best of all, this Jell-O salad is great to make ahead of time. Perfect for the holidays when you have a long to-do list and you are trying to get a few things out of the way.

This recipe is the perfect side dish when I serve ham. They pair together so well. A holiday ham, and a festive red side dish. It’s easy, and it is certainly economical.

Ingredients for Cherry Pie Jell-O Salad

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card. 

• Cherry Jell-O: I used a large box of cherry gelatin for the recipe.
• Water
• Cherry pie filling: Use store-bought or homemade cherry pie filling. 

Be sure to keep reading to find tips and tricks, substitutions, and answers to questions you may have about this cherry pie jello salad. 

How to make Cherry Jell-O Salad with Cherry Pie Filling

You won’t find an easier dessert salad than this!

In a large bowl, dissolve Jell-O in 2 cups of boiling water. Add 1 1/2 cups of cold water, and refrigerate to set.

When the Jell-O is set, stir a can of pie filling into it. 

Store leftover Jell-O in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. I do not recommend freezing Jell-O Salad.

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this Jell-O salad make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Substitutions

Easy to dress up or serve as is you can’t go wrong when you put this vibrant red dessert on the table. Feel free to mix in canned fruit, nuts, or marshmallows if you’re into that, or top with Cool Whip.

If you love this cherry Jello with pie filling, you are sure to love these too: Cherry Limeade Sweet Rolls, Whipped Cherry Butter, and this Cherry Dessert. 

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Use any flavor of jello and pie filling you like; strawberry Jell-O and strawberry pie filling would be a great option.
• Substitute fruit juice like apple juice or pineapple juice for the water. 
• Use cherry Coke in place of the water and make Cherry Coke Jello salad. 

FAQs about cherry jello salad

• Can you use any flavor of Jell-O to make Jell-O salad? Yes, any flavor can be used to make Jello-O salad. 
• What can you add to Jell-O salad? You can add loads of things like marshmallows, fruit, nuts, and seeds to the Jello-O itself and you can top the salad with whipped cream or ice cream.
• What should I do if my Jello-O didn’t set? If your Jello-O salad hasn’t set try keeping it in the fridge for a little longer. If you have gelatin on hand you can mix it in to help the Jello-O solidify. 

Tips & Tricks

• Serve the jello salad with cool whipped topping or whipped cream for a decadent dessert.
• Stir mini marshmallows into the jello for a sweeter treat.
• Mix canned fruit like pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, or fruit cocktail into the jello mixture for more fruit flavor. 
• Keep a can of cherry pie filling and a box of Jello-O in the pantry for those impromptu family gatherings. 

More Recipes to Love

If you love this Cherry Pie Jello Salad and are a lover of fruit-based desserts, I’ll bet you’d like this No Bake Fruit Tart, this Summer Fruit Salad With Honey Lime Poppyseed Dressing, or this Easy Fruit Salad.  You also might enjoy this Cherry Fluff salad or this Watergate Salad.

And if you are like me, and can’t refuse a piece of pie, be sure to check out my Pecan Pie, this Coconut Cream Pie, or this Chocolate Meringue Pie. 

There’s no easier way to satisfy your sweet tooth than with this cherry jello salad. I guarantee it’s going to become one of your favorite dessert recipes.