Description
These festive Christmas Jello Balls are a colorful and fun holiday treat made from flavored gelatin, Greek yogurt, and sweetened desiccated coconut. Perfect for parties, they come in vibrant red and green colors and are coated in coconut for a snowy effect. They require no baking and are easy to make ahead, chilling until set to create a delicious, creamy, and slightly chewy snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Gelatin Mixture
- 1 box Lime Jello (3 oz)
- 1 box Strawberry Jello (3 oz)
Dairy
- 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt, divided
Coconut Coating
- 6½ cups sweetened desiccated coconut, divided
Instructions
- Prepare Surface: Cover a moveable surface such as a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for placing the jello balls later.
- Divide Jello: Place the green (lime) jello powder in one medium bowl and the red (strawberry) jello powder in another medium bowl.
- Add Yogurt: Add ¾ cup of plain Greek yogurt to each bowl with the jello powder.
- Add Coconut: Add 2½ cups of desiccated coconut to each bowl, dividing the total coconut between the two bowls accordingly.
- Mix Thoroughly: Stir each mixture separately with different utensils to avoid color mixing, until fully combined into a smooth, sticky mixture.
- Prepare Coconut Bowls: Place ¾ cup of desiccated coconut into two small separate bowls, one for each color, for coating the balls later.
- Roll Red Jello Balls: Wearing gloves, scoop about 1 tablespoon-sized portions of the red mixture and roll into balls. Immediately roll each ball in the small bowl of coconut until fully coated, then place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roll Green Jello Balls: Repeat the rolling and coating process with the green mixture using the other bowl of coconut, ensuring colors do not mix.
- Chill to Set: Place the coated jello balls in the refrigerator uncovered and allow them to chill for 4 hours or until they are firm and set. Then enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store the jello balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. They keep well frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
- The mixture is initially very gooey but firms up nicely after chilling.
- For less sweetness, use unsweetened desiccated coconut, but adjust yogurt or coconut amounts as unsweetened coconut absorbs more moisture.
- You can make the balls smaller (½ tablespoon) to double the yield.
- Experiment with other Jello flavors and colors for different occasions like patriotic red and blue, Halloween orange, or earth day green and blue.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jello ball
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 1.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 2mg
