Christmas Jello Balls are a fun and festive no bake confection featuring red and green Jello, Greek yogurt, and sweetened coconut flakes. Bring a creamy, chewy, sweet treat to your dessert table this holiday season!
Christmas Jello Coconut Balls
Our Christmas Jello Balls recipe gives a modern twist to the old-fashioned classic that Grandma used to make. While both recipes share a similar concept of combining Jello with something creamy and coating them in coconut, my revised version has a smoother consistency, is tangier and a bit creamier, and has an extra boost of nutrition.
Mix and match the flavors and colors to tailor your treats to any theme, holiday, or special occasion. Just 3 ingredients needed to make kid-friendly fun!
Why Make Christmas Coconut Balls With Greek Yogurt
This Christmas Jello recipe was originally made with canned Nestle Carnation Thick Cream, but sadly, it was discontinued many years ago due to lack of demand. You may have seen some recipes on social media that use sweetened condensed milk or heavy whipping cream as a substitute, but I find that Greek yogurt is the best replacement. It adds a healthier twist to these treats because it provides more protein and fewer calories than full-fat cream cheese or heavy cream.
Christmas Jello Balls Ingredients
- Lime Jello
- Strawberry Jello: Try this recipe with raspberry, cherry, or cranberry Jello.
- Sweetened desiccated coconut (or Sweetened Coconut Flakes): Desiccated coconut provides a chewy texture that contrasts perfectly with the creamy filling. The white coating also adds a beautiful finish to the Jello balls. If you cannot find desiccated coconut, use regular coconut flakes and pulse them in a food processor for about 20 seconds.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt adds a smooth, creamy texture, making the Jello balls richer and more satisfying.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Old Fashioned Jello Balls
- Make The Jello Mixtures: Place the green jello powder in one bowl and the red jello powder in another bowl. Stir in the Greek yogurt and coconut to each bowl.
- Roll And Coat In Coconut: Roll all the red mixture into balls and immediately cover in coconut. Place on the prepared pan. Repeat with the green mixture.
- Set and Serve: Chill the balls in the fridge for 4 hours or until set. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Jello balls in small cups for a fun, portion-controlled snack. You can also pile them on a plate for guests to grab as a lighter dessert option than cakes or cookies. Jello balls are also great for gifting—their vibrant colors and homemade touch can always brighten someone’s day!
Try my Christmas Jello pie and Jello divinity candy for more Christmas Jello desserts and recipes. For a boozy bite, candy cane Jello shots and Grinch jello shots are a fun way to get your holiday party started!
Tips & Variations
- Trust the Texture: The gelatin ball mixture will be very gooey at first, but don’t worry—trust the process. Once they sit in the fridge, they will firm up and be perfect.
- Revise The Recipe: If you want this holiday Jello recipe to be less sweet, use unsweetened desiccated coconut. Keep in mind that it tends to suck up more moisture, so you may need to use less coconut or more yogurt.
- Double the Dessert: If desired, you can make each jello ball ½ tablespoons in size instead of 1 tablespoon and get double the amount. It works great either way.
- Customize the Colors: Experiment with your favorite Jello flavors and colors for a festive platter. Use red and blue Jello to make patriotic jello balls; make Jello Halloween coconut balls with orange gelatin; and green and blue Jello balls are great for Earth Day.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Store in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze: Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. They’ll keep well for up to 2 months. Just thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
More Easy Christmas Recipes
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Christmas Jello Balls
Ingredients
- 1 box Lime Jello 3 oz
- 1 box Strawberry Jello 3 oz
- 6½ cups sweetened Desiccated Coconut divided
- 1½ cups plain Greek Yogurt divided
Instructions
- Cover a moveable surface, such as a baking sheet, with parchment paper and set aside.
- Get two medium mixing bowls. Put the green jello in one bowl, and the red jello in the other bowl.1 box Lime Jello, 1 box Strawberry Jello
- Place ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt into each bowl.1½ cups plain Greek Yogurt
- Place 2 ½ cups of desiccated coconut into each bowl.6½ cups sweetened Desiccated Coconut
- Stir each with a different stirring utensil so you don’t mix colors. Mix until fully combined.
- Get two small bowls. Place ¾ cup coconut into each one of them.
- Using gloves, roll all the red mixture into balls 1 tablespoon in size. Immediately after rolling each ball, roll it in a bowl of the coconut until it’s fully coated. Place on the prepared pan.
- Repeat with the green mixture, but use the other bowl of coconut so the colors don’t mix.
- Place the balls in the fridge, uncovered, for 4 hours or until set. Enjoy!
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze: Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. They’ll keep well for up to 2 months. Just thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
- The gelatin balls mixture will be very gooey at first, but don’t worry and trust the process. Once they sit in the fridge, they will firm right up and be perfect.
- If you want this holiday Jello recipe to be less sweet, you can use unsweetened desiccated coconut. Keep in mind that it tends to suck up more moisture, so you may need to use less coconut or more yogurt.
- You can make each jello ball ½ tablespoon in size instead of 1 tablespoon and get double the amount, if desired. It works great either way.
- Experiment with your favorite Jello flavors and colors for a festive platter. Use red and blue Jello to make patriotic jello balls; make Jello Halloween coconut balls with orange gelatin; green and blue Jello balls are great for earth day.
