Finger Jello Made with Fruit Juice and Gelatin
Try this easy finger jello recipe with your choice of fruit juice and gelatin for a fun, low sugar treat. Finger jello is a favorite of my crew, even now that the boys are bigger. It's fun food.
We start with the Knox gelatin finger jello recipe, and use juices or juice blends with no added sugar. During apple season, we make apple cider finger jello, which is quite yummy.
Contents
How to Make Finger Jello with Fruit Juice
Ingredients:
- 4 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (1 ounce) – (That's 3 tablespoons plus one teaspoon of bulk gelatin)
- 1 cup fruit juice, cold
- 3 cups fruit juice, heated
- 2 tablespoons honey, optional
Directions:
- Measure out 4 cups of juice. Set aside one cup in a large bowl.
- Heat three cups of juice to near boiling in a sauce pot or in a large microwave safe bowl.
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute.
- Add hot juice and stir until gelatin dissolves completely, about 5 minutes. Stir in honey if desired.
- Pour into 13x9x2 inch pan. (Half batches can be molded in a bread pan or 8×8 pyrex pan.)
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into 1 inch cubes. Makes about 9 dozen cubes.
Which gelatin should I use?
Knox Gelatin is readily available at most grocery stores. Great Lakes Gelatin is certified Kosher. Lately I've been using Perfect Supplements gelatin, as they test for glyphosate residue.
You could substitute agar agar, if you need a vegan alternative.
Shaping your Finger Jello
If you want to make different shapes, you can pour your gelatin into silicon or plastic molds. (Just don't use the same molds that you use for soap. Not yummy!)
There are silly shapes for holidays, like brain molds, Easter egg molds, and Christmas ornaments.
Another option is to cut across the pan one direction, and then make the cross cut at an angle to make diamond shapes. Some people cut them into shapes with cookie cutters.
If you want a sturdier finger jello, then add a little more gelatin powder. (For instance, using a quarter cup of gelatin instead of 3 tablespoons plus a teaspoon.)
Print Friendly Recipe
Use the recipe card below to print out the finger jello recipe. It's fine to double or triple the recipe, but it might take a little more time for the jello to cool.
PrintFinger Jello Made with Fruit Juice and Gelatin
Easy finger jello recipe made with your choice of fruit juice and gelatin, or gelatin substitute.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: snack
Ingredients
- 4 envelopes (1 ounce) unflavored gelatin (That's 3 tablespoons plus one teaspoon of bulk gelatin)
- 1 cup fruit juice, cold
- 3 cups fruit juice, heated
- 2 tablespoons honey, optional
Instructions
- Measure out 4 cups of juice. Set aside one cup in a large bowl.
- Heat three cups of juice to near boiling in a sauce pot or in a large microwave safe bowl.
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute.
- Add hot juice and stir until gelatin dissolves completely, about 5 minutes. Stir in honey if desired.
- Pour into 13x9x2 inch pan. (Half batches can be molded in a bread pan or 8×8 pyrex pan.)
- Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into 1 inch cubes. Makes about 9 dozen.
Notes
For a vegan alternative, substitute agar agar for the gelatin.
Keywords: jello, gelatin, fruit juice, cider
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Originally published in 2018, last updated in 2021.
Happy to find your site
I had already figured out a recipe for jello with fruit juice that was low sugar with stevia and plain gelatin.! Don’t want the sugar but the gelatin is really good for my arthritis and my skin and my joints so I’m learning new ways to eat it thank you!
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Charlotte.
Plain gelatin is more budget friendly, but it you need/want more collagen in your diet for your health, you may want to look into collagen peptides, too. The powder dissolves in any drink (although it’s easiest to dissolve in warm drinks like coffee or tea.)
Old fashioned homemade chicken broth is another option, and a good way to use all of the animal.
These are great! I love making these for our granddaughters and cutting them into shapes using cookie cutters. I use juice with no added sugar, like V-8 strawberry banana juice (which has hidden vegetables, great for my picky little girls), orange juice, or 100% grape juice. They request these!
★★★★★
I’m glad they enjoy them. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂 My guys still love them even though they’ve grown up now.
Laurie,
Thanks for the recipe. I am wondering if Elderberry Syrup would work instead of the juice.
You can probably get it to gel, but the consistency of the finished product will be different. Given the sugar content of syrup, you’ll likely end up with something very sweet and sticky.