Vintage Three-Color Jell-O Salad

This vintage three-color Jell-O salad is one of my favorite recipes to make for special occasions, and it’s perfect for holidays. Did your family make this for you back in the 1960s?

Well, it’s a little bit of nostalgia today, my friends. My mother had one of the first official Jell-O cookbooks. Back in the1960’s recipes were not on the internet, as we all know.

I can still picture the Jell-O cookbook my mother had, it was a cream color and the size was about 5 inches by 9 inches, give or take. I’m not sure who got the book after she died, but I didn’t see it.

You may recognize this salad as the Jell-O Crown Jewel Salad. Some people would make a graham cracker crust and make it a pie. Either way, this is so fun to make!

Last night we had family over for dinner. Included were a couple of 10-year-old girls, one I consider my first great-grandchild. I told them they could eat a whole bowl full of this salad, but they needed to pay special attention to the “jewels” they found deep in the Dream Whip. Both of them giggled as the colorful Jell-O chunks showed up in each spoonful. What a fun time and delicious treat all kids, and adults will enjoy.

In case you missed this post, Fresh Cranberry Salad Recipe

Items You May Need In The Kitchen

• Three 8-inch square pans
• Measuring Cups
• Hand Mixer
• Large Measuring Cups
• Mixing Bowls

Vintage Three Color Jell-O Salad

Step One

I love to gather the ingredients before I get started making the recipe.

Step Two

Spray the three 8-inch pans with vegetable spray so the Jell-O squares will come out easily after they firm up in the refrigerator.

Step Three

Prepare the first three flavors of gelatin separately, using 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup of ice-cold water for each flavor.

Step Four

Pour each flavor into an 8-inch square pan. Chill overnight to make sure they are really set and firm. (I waited 4 hours.)

Step Five

Then combine the lemon gelatin, the white sugar, and the last cup of boiling water. Stir the gelatin until fully dissolved. Add the pineapple juice, stir completely and chill until this mixture is thickened.

Step Six

Prepare the Dream Whip as instructed on the package. Beat until you see stiff peaks.

Step Seven

Add the slightly thickened lemon mixture to the Dream Whip.

Step Eight

Cut the different flavors/colors of gelatin into 1/2 inch squares.

Step Nine

Fold in the gelatin cubes to the Dream Whip mixture and pour into your bowl. Chill at least 2 hours and top with more whipped topping. Enjoy.

Final Product

As a child, I loved to dig through the Jell-O (with my spoon) for the “jewels.” It’s time we have fun again sitting around the kitchen table eating delicious treats together.

Vintage Three-Color Jell-O Salad

How do I store the Jell-O salad?

I stored mine in an airtight Tupperware-type container with a lid.

What can I serve with it?

• Roast beef dinner
• Chicken meal
• Pulled pork sandwiches
• Cheese and crackers
• Grilled cheese sandwiches

Can I use Sugar-Free Jell-O?

Yes, you can. I have made it with Sugar-free Jell-O and it tastes great. The bonus is fewer calories!

Can I use REAL whipping cream instead of Dream Whip?

Absolutely, I just made the recipe as shown in the 1960s. I love fresh whipping cream. Just substitute 2 cups Dream Whip with 2 cups fresh whipped cream.

Can I substitute Cool Whip for the Dream Whip?

I actually have made it with Cool Whip. It’s one less step since you don’t have to make the Dream Whip.

Is it possible to use different Jell-O flavors?

This is what’s so fun about this recipe. If you want to make it for Valentine’s Day, make it with raspberry, cherry, or strawberry jello. You can use lemon or orange for Thanksgiving Day. Try lime-flavored Jell-O for St. Patrick’s Day. Use your imagination, kids love this salad. They love to dig for the “jewels.”

Can I make it a dessert?

Actually, this salad can be made into a dessert by making a graham cracker crust. You can make it a loaf dessert or pie. Truth be told, although it’s called a salad, more often than not we’ve eaten it for dessert!

Where did Jell-O come from?

I was curious to see where Jell-O originated. Some research taught me that a fellow by the name of Peter Cooper developed a process to make gelatin that wasn’t as labor-intensive. He patented it as a gelatin dessert in 1845. Side note, he also invented the locomotive “Tom Thumb.”

It wasn’t commercially successful until 1895 when Pearle B. Wait, who had developed a cough syrup, developed and patented a “packaged food product” he called Jell-O. The company was sold to Genesse Pure Food Company in 1899 and they began an aggressive ad campaign that put Jell-O on the map. It was eventually sold to the company we know today as Kraft Foods.

Why is Jell-O so popular?

There are a number of reasons Jell-O is so well known and popular to make:

• It is really easy to make.
• It is very inexpensive, particularly when making a dessert.
• The are so many flavors available.
• It was aggressively advertised using some famous celebrities like Jack Benny and Bill Cosby.
• The product line continued to expand into other dessert options like pudding. Jell-O molds made the product more versatile since you could make shapes like animals, the alphabet, cartoon characters, and toy cars.
• People discovered that is was great in salads too.
• It has its own Jell-O Gallery Museum in LaRoy, New York

Final Word

Jell-O has particular significance here in Utah where I live. For a number of years, it has been the state with the highest per-capita consumption of Jell-O. I’m not sure if that’s due to the large families here, the population needs its daily sugar, or we just love to party where delicious foods, and particularly salads and desserts, are served.

Let me know if you make this vintage three-color Jell-o salad. It’s all about teaching our kids and grandkids how to cook from scratch. May God Bless this world, Linda