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This broken glass jello recipe makes a holiday dessert that always stands out on my table. The Jell-O cubes are fruity and bouncy, and the white layer around them is smooth, creamy and sweet. Put out a pan and watch it get eaten up.
Broken glass jello has that old-school Jell-O nostalgia to it, and whenever I bring it out, it’s the talk of the buffet table. It might not be at the top of anybody’s recipe list, but people always forget how much they love Jell-O until this pan is sitting in front of them.
I always add vanilla to the creamy layer, which a lot of broken glass jello recipes leave out. It gives that sweet condensed milk layer a little more flavor of its own, so it doesn’t taste like plain sweet milk next to the fruity Jell-O cubes.
If you want another red and green Jell-O dessert, my Christmas jello pie is a no-bake one. I keep a lot more ideas in my list of easy Christmas desserts.
HOLIDAY FAVORITE
The Holiday Jell-O My Kids Expected at Mimi’s Table
Broken glass jello always makes me think of my mom, because she made it every Thanksgiving when my kids were growing up. They absolutely expected their Mimi’s Jell-O to be there. The red and green one is the Christmas version of that same family recipe, and it takes something that already feels nostalgic to me and makes it really fun and festive.
It’s also the dessert I make the night before. It needs plenty of time in the fridge anyway, so when everyone shows up, I pull it out and it’s done.
What Goes Into Each Layer
- Red and green Jell-O: I use one big box of lime and one of strawberry or cherry, and each one gets less water than the box tells you to use. Less water makes firmer cubes, so they cut cleanly and keep their shape inside the creamy layer.
- Unflavored gelatin: This is what sets the creamy layer firm enough to hold the cubes in place and cut into squares. It dissolves in hot water, and the water doesn’t need to be boiling.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This is where the creamy layer comes from, not whipped cream. It gives the white gelatin layer its sweetness, creaminess and consistency, and since I haven’t tested anything else in its place, I don’t recommend substituting it.
How to Make Broken Glass Jello
Step 1: Make the Red and Green Jell-O Whisk each flavor into its own 2 cups of boiling water and keep stirring for a full two minutes, until there are no grains left. Pour each color into its own greased dish and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 2: Cut and Scatter the Cubes Cut each pan into about 2-inch cubes and scatter them into a greased 9×13, mixing up the colors as you go. Put the pan in the fridge while you make the creamy layer.
Step 3: Make the Creamy Layer and Let It Cool Dissolve the unflavored gelatin in hot water, then stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Let it sit until it’s no longer warm at all.
Step 4: Pour, Chill and Cut Pour the creamy mixture over the cubes, cover the pan and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Once it’s firm, cut it into squares.
Change the Colors for Any Holiday
Red and green is how I make it for Christmas, but the colors are the easiest thing in this recipe to change. My mom makes hers for Thanksgiving with red, yellow, green and purple, or whatever colors she can find. For four colors, use four small 3-ounce boxes and dissolve each one in 1 cup of boiling water instead of using the two big boxes.
- Easter: yellow, orange and purple
- Valentine’s Day: pink and red
- Fourth of July: red and blue
- Halloween: green, purple and orange
If you want a second Jell-O dessert for spring, my Easter Jell-O cups are an easy one to make alongside it.
How Long It Keeps
Keep broken glass jello covered in the fridge for up to about a week.
More Jello Recipes
You can find even more in all of my jello recipes.
Broken Glass Jello
Ingredients
- 6 ounces 1 pack green Jell-O (like lime)
- 6 ounces 1 box red Jell-O (like strawberry or cherry)
- 4 cups boiling water divided
- 2 0.25 packets unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups hot water
- 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray 2, 8×8 or 10×10 dishes with cooking spray.
- In 2 separate liquid measuring cups or small bowls, whisk the flavored gelatin packs in 2 cups of boiling water each. Make sure to stir until the gelatin is all the way dissolved. Pour into the prepared dishes and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.6 ounces 1 pack green Jell-O , 6 ounces 1 box red Jell-O , 4 cups boiling water
- Once totally solidified, spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cut each Jell-O dish into about 2-inch cubes and sprinkle evenly, mixing up the colors, in the 9×13 baking dish. Place in the fridge until the next step is done.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the unflavored gelatin with 2 cups of hot water; it doesn’t need to be boiling. Once dissolved, mix in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Let the mixture come to room temperature.2 cups hot water, 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 0.25 packets unflavored gelatin
- Once it’s no longer warm at all, pour over the colored Jell-O cubes. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Once solidified, cut into squares and serve cold.
Jenn’s Notes
- I let the sweetened condensed milk mixture cool completely before pouring it over the red and green Jell-O. If it’s warm, it melts the colors and they turn brown instead of staying distinct.
- I chill the can of sweetened condensed milk while the Jell-O sets. When the cold milk gets mixed into the warm plain gelatin, it speeds up the cooling.
- I stir each flavored gelatin for a full 2 minutes so it is totally dissolved before it goes into the fridge.
- A dollop of whipped cream on top is a nice extra.
