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.
So grateful to replicate an old Swedish recipe for smorgasbord. Thank you! Would just love to find some jell-o not so full of all the bad dyes and acids. Next year’s personal goal.
So glad you enjoyed it, Tiffany!
This is one of my favorite desserts! It’s so light and refreshing, perfect for a hot summers day!
The reason I’m commenting here though is to note a VERY IMPORTANT TWEAK from this recipe that makes this dessert fabulous!
In this recipe, it details that you should chill the dessert in a bowl before serving. Do NOT use a bowl!!! Please transfer your mixture into a small casserole dish before chilling! While the mixture chills in the fridge, the layers of applesauce and jello separate some, leaving the heavy jello on the bottom and the gelatin/raspberry mixture on top. When you chill in a bowl it layers really unevenly- you’ll have a whole bunch of raspberry flavored applesauce on the bottom and nothing but raspberry jello on the top! Chilling in a casserole dish flattens the mixture out and creates the perfect ratio of jello and applesauce for every bite(:
Thanks for sharing!
Hi my name is Liz and I made the raspberry apple jello salad today. looks great. I am looking forward to tasting more of your recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lizzie!
I learned to make this from my wonderful Mother-in-law. My kids and grandkids still ask me to make it for the holidays. One thing we add is a mixture of sour cream and miniature marshmallows to the top after the jello has set. And we finish with red sprinkles before serving.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy the recipe and that it’s a holiday staple in your family, Susie!
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!