Vegan Retro Jello Cranberry Salad 🌱 Experience a blast to the past with this all vegan version of a classic Thanksgiving Jello Cranberry Wobbler salad.
Celebrate the holidays with this colorful combo of fresh cranberries, oranges, walnuts and spices in a citrusy-sweet plant-based gelatin. This vegan version captures all that nostalgic charm without any animal-based ingredients. It's colorful, fruity, a little kitschy, and guaranteed to spark memories (and smiles) at your holiday feast.
This is one of those dishes that people either love or don't. I'm a pretty sentimental person and am drawn to foods that remind me of special occasions from my childhood, like my grandmother's old fashioned potato salad and my mom's fabulous macaroni salad. For those Boomers like me, who grew up with Jello chocolate pudding and the weird and wonderful array of Jello salads that were part of our mothers' regular recipe repertoires - this one's for you.
I'll admit, I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I decided to trip down memory lane and recreate an all-vegan copycat version of a classic 1970's Jello Cranberry Wobbler. My 20-something-year-old daughter Madison rolled her eyes in disbelief that this dish was ever a thing, but it didn't stop me from giving it a try. All I can say is this vegan version tastes just as I remember the original cranberry wobbler from 40+ years ago and best of all, no animals were harmed in the process.
It's only fair that I share Madi's interpretation of this dish - titled "Granny Wobbler in her Sunday Go-to-Meetin' Hat". Really, she's not wrong.
Should you be inclined to channel your inner Kitty Forman and experience it yourself in all its wondrous wobbly retro glory - here you go!
Ingredients
- vegan gelatin dessert - lemon or orange - I used this brand
- fresh cranberries
- sugar
- salt
- cinnamon
- cloves
- fresh orange
- orange zest
- chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans or almonds
Instructions
- Wash/rinse and drain cranberries.
- Place in food processor or blender and pulse until well-chopped.
- Combine cranberries and sugar. Set aside
- Grate orange peel for zest.
- Peel orange and divide into segments. Remove pith. Dice into pieces.
- Prepare vegan gelatin dessert per package directions.
- Stir in cinnamon and cloves.
- Fold in chopped cranberries, diced orange, 2 teaspoon orange zest and nuts.
- Spoon into a jello mold, small bundt pan or medium size glass bowl.
- Cover and place in refrigerator until firm.
- When ready to serve, remove from mold by turning upside down on a flat plate. If needed, set jello mold briefly in warm water first, to loosen from mold.
- Garnish with fresh fruit, remaining orange zest and nuts.
- Enjoy the wobbler!
🥕Note This vegan recipe does not contain gelatin and is not sponsored by Jello. But here is the original ad if you're curious!
🥕Fun Tip
This vegan retro jello cranberry salad is the perfect party dish to serve at a 70's themed event! Put on a pair of bell bottoms, spin some vinyl and whip up some cheesy vegan fondue and a platter of veggie meatballs with homemade marinara.
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Strainer or colander
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Jello mold, small bundt pan or medium glass bowl
- Citrus zester
🥕FAQ's
No, it is not. Gelatin or gelatine is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is used in gelatin desserts, most gummy candies and marshmallows. For this recipe, we are using a vegan version of a gelatin dessert that contains no animal products.
Yes you can. A common plant-based replacement for gelatin is agar, an ingredient made from seaweed (red algae). Here is a simple recipe from Loving it Vegan, for making your own vegan jello.
You could, but I suggest using a lemon or orange jello, allowing the color and flavor of the cranberries to shine through.
I suggest keeping it refrigerated until just before serving. Wobbler needs to be cold to maintain its shape. Cover leftover wobbler and refrigerate up to 3 days.
If you love cranberries, you should check out these cran-tastic recipes!
I do hope you enjoy this recipe! Please let me know by leaving a ★★★★★ rating & comment below. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Vegan Retro Jello Cranberry Salad
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- strainer or colander
- Jello mold, small bundt pan or medium glass bowl
Ingredients
- 1 3 oz gelatin dessert vegan (lemon or orange) - I used this brand
- 1 cup cranberries fresh
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup walnuts chopped - or pecans or almonds
Instructions
- Wash/rinse and drain cranberries.
- Place in food processor or blender and pulse until well-chopped.
- Combine cranberries and sugar. Set aside
- Grate orange peel for zest.
- Peel orange and divide into segments. Remove pith. Dice into pieces.
- Prepare vegan gelatin dessert per package directions.
- Stir in cinnamon and cloves.
- Fold in chopped cranberries, diced orange, 2 teaspoon orange zest and nuts.
- Spoon into a jello mold, small bundt pan, or medium sized glass bowl.
- Cover and place in refrigerator until firm.
- When ready to serve, remove from mold by turning upside down on a flat plate. If needed, set jello mold briefly in warm water first, to loosen from mold.
- Garnish with fresh fruit, remaining orange zest and nuts.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
If you're a fan of the original 1970's Jello Cranberry Wobbler, you're going to love this updated all-vegan version of this classic Thanksgiving dish.