Take your taste buds back in time with Raspberry Applesauce Jello Salad, a recipe that’s been in my family since the 1950s!
Are you ready for the ultimate blast from the culinary past?
When it comes to iconic dishes from the 1950s and 60s, it doesn’t get much more classic than good ol’ Jell-O. The famed wiggly, jiggly molds were a mainstay on my great-grandmother Momoo’s dinner table, and one recipe in particular was beloved by my grandmother, my mom, and now me and my kids: Raspberry Applesauce Jell-O Salad.
After making this dish on Instagram Stories over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was flooded with requests to post the recipe. It originated from a collection of recipes (pictured above) by Esther Katrenics, a good friend of my grandmother and a resident of Merrillville, Indiana, where my mom’s family lived for decades.
Below is the original recipe for raspberry applesauce Jello salad, which my great-grandmother began making in the 1950s. I love the splatters and stains on the page—the true indication of a well-loved and well-used recipe!
This recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, and I’m thankful I could bring it into the digital era for my children and their children to come! It’s as simplistically wonderful as recipes from the 1950s come, with Jell-O the star of this brightly-colored side dish.
I serve this applesauce Jello salad in place of cranberry sauce at the holidays, but it really is a year-round favorite in our house, serving the dual purpose of side dish and dessert.
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Ingredients
- 3 (3-oz.) packages raspberry Jell-O
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1 (10-oz.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Jell-O and boiling water until the Jell-O is completely dissolved.
- Stir in the applesauce and frozen raspberries.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until set, a minimum of 6 hours.
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Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
My Mom received this recipe on a handwritten (and then mimeographed) sheet of paper way back in the late 60s. Each person with one of the recipe sheets was meant to prepare the same recipes and bring to a dinner. We still make the recipe on occasion, still from that same green sheet of paper.
Love this!
This is a classic from my childhood too!!! I’m making it now, finding yours online was great, not sure I can locate my copy. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Does it really take 6 hours to set it can you do it in shorter time?
Hi there! Yes, it will take a minimum of 6 hours for the Jell-O to set.
Kelly – Thank you so much for reprinting this salad recipe and reminding me about how much my family enjoyed this! When my son and daughter were small, we made this all year long. We also enjoyed spreading a small amount of whipped topping mixed with a handful of mini marshmallows before serving it. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
This makes me so happy to read, Stephanie! Happy holidays!