With delectable fresh berries suspended in bright, ruby red jelly this elegant dessert always looks stunning when served and tastes fantastic. An incredible finish to any meal or simply enjoyed as a refreshing snack, this jelly takes around 10 minutes to prep and 2 hours in the fridge before it’s ready to serve! :)

Plus it can be made ahead of time, so it’s perfect for parties and special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve & Thanksgiving!

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glasses of ruby red cranberry jelly with mixed berries and scattered blueberries

So stunning yet so simple, this berry jelly is one of my go-to desserts. With it’s fun texture, vibrant colour and spectacular flavour, this fruit-based treat is a nice way to break up the usual chocolate routine from time to time :) And it only takes 4 ingredients to make!

The main component of this mouth-watering jelly is actually cranberry juice - a great drink on its own but even more delicious in jelly form. With a little sugar added to help balance the tartness of the cranberry juice and fresh berries thrown in for even more fruity flavour, this is by far the best jelly I’ve ever tasted.

But not only does it taste good, it’s amazingly convenient too. Apart from the initial setting time required by all jellies, this yummy dessert is ready to go whenever and can last in the fridge for days - meaning you can make it in advance for a party or get together, or just keep it in the fridge until your next craving. Plus the jelly is poured into glasses to set and eaten with a spoon, so you don’t have to worry about the cumbersome process of trying to wobble your jelly free from the mould without it falling apart. This recipe is designed to be quick, easy and convenient all-around! :)

With its impressive appearance this dessert is perfect to serve when entertaining or on special occasions, but I often find myself making this delicious jelly just to enjoy as a snack. I’ll usually prepare this recipe (serves 5-6) and then leave in the fridge for my family and I to enjoy over the next couple of days whenever we want a sweet treat. It’s like meal prepping dessert!

The flavour is incredible and I love knowing that I have an amazing homemade treat ready and waiting for me. Because let’s be honest, as much as I love cooking, sometimes you just want something to eat without having to do the work, and pulling one of these refreshing, fruity jellies out of the fridge is way better than grabbing a bag of chips…although I do that from time to time as well ;)

Fun Fact: What is known in Australia and Britain as “jelly”, Americans refer to as jello. Americans use the word jelly to describe what Aussies know as jam!

CONTENTS OF THIS RECIPE POST

I always recommend reading the entire post to get the best understanding of the recipe, helpful tips, information about ingredients, storage advice etc. Here’s a look at what topics are included in this recipe post :)

WHAT INGREDIENTS GO INTO BERRY JELLY?

Cranberry Juice
It’s the key ingredient and the foundation for this delicious jelly with its vibrant colour and beautiful, strong flavour. Plus it’s packed with Vitamin C and anti-oxidants so you can feel good knowing you’re having a little health boost even when treating yourself to a delicious dessert.
Sugar
Is needed to help the jelly set and balance out the tartness of the cranberry juice, so you still get that beautiful cranberry flavour but paired with a subtle added sweetness.
Gelatine
Is also needed to help the jelly firm up and set perfectly. I make this recipe using leaf gelatine but you could also use powdered gelatine (though the instructions for preparing the powdered gelatine would be different to what I have listed in my recipe method - check the back of the packet for instructions which may help). If you’re vegetarian or vegan, there are suitable gelatine alternatives, such as agar agar that I’m sure would work with this recipe, though I haven’t tried any personally. Keep in mind if you are substituting with powdered gelatine or a gelatine alternative such as agar agar, the recipe method instructions in regards to the gelatine preparation may vary slightly. You can let me know in the comments what results you have!
Fresh mixed berries
Provide an extra dimension of delicious, fruity flavour and freshness that goes so well wth the cranberry jelly and adds even more to the fun texture and striking look of this dessert.
You can use any one type of berry or a combination of the berries of your choice. I opt for a mix of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. I also like to dice my strawberries into quarters when making this recipe as I like to serve this jelly in dessert glasses (as pictured) and I find slicing the strawberries helps them to fit better in the tall glasses and makes them easier to pick up on the spoon with the jelly, as they are more bite-size that way. But if you’re using a different mould or would just prefer the idea of having your strawberries whole you can do it like that too.
Of course, you can also choose to omit the berries all together and the jelly will still taste fantastic, but I definitely recommend adding them for even more texture and flavour.

HOW TO MAKE BERRIES FLOAT IN JELLY

Simple. The berries will float naturally in the jelly!

Begin by filling your glasses a quarter of the way with the berries. Then when you pour over your cranberry jelly mixture, watch the berries lift up and float!

PRO TIP: Serve your jelly in glasses for a sophisticated look and save yourself the trouble of having to wobble it out of the mould! :)

Just make sure your spoons are long enough to reach the bottom of your glasses

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE HOMEMADE JELLY TO SET?

The maximum total time for this recipe is 2 hours and 15 minutes, but that includes the 2 hours the jelly needs to spend sitting in the refrigerator. Meaning that majority of the process is actually entirely hands-off and preparing the jelly itself only takes between 10 - 15 minutes.

Once the 2 hours has passed, the jelly will be ready to eat but can continue to be stored in fridge until needed (see below).

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE JELLY LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

Whether or not you choose to add berries to your jelly - and the freshness of your berries - can affect how long it will last.

If your jelly contains berries it is best enjoyed the day of making or the two days following. I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for longer than 2-3 days before eating as depending on the freshness of your berries, they may begin to show signs of deterioration. However, if you choose to omit the berries in this recipe - or if the berries you are using are very fresh - then the jelly could last up to 4-5 days in the fridge.

In either case, you should firmly cover the tops of your jelly glasses/moulds with plastic wrap to help preserve the jelly and avoid adsorption of odours from other items in the fridge, until ready to serve.

VIDEO

RECIPE

BERRY JELLY

Serves: 5 - 6

Prep Time: 10 - 15 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Easy / Beginner

Jelly on spoon next to glasses of cranberry jelly with mixed berries

INGREDIENTS

500ml cranberry juice
1/3 cup + 2 heaped tsps (85g) caster sugar
5 gelatine leaves
Fresh berries of your choice. I use:
- 3 strawberries, washed
- 1/4 punnet raspberries or blackberries, washed
- A small handful of blueberries, washed

METHOD

Submerge gelatine sheets in cool water to soften, for at least 5 minutes.
In the meantime, pour the cranberry juice and caster sugar into a medium saucepan and heat on low to medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved, gently stirring on occasion to ensure that the sugar does not settle on the bottom of the saucepan.
Once the sugar has dissolved remove the saucepan from heat, then squeeze as much water as possible out of the softened gelatine leaves before adding them to the hot mixture and stirring (or whisking) until completely melted and combined. Set the mixture aside to cool for a couple of minutes*.
If using strawberries. cut the tops off and slice the strawberries into quarters.
Next, place a small amount of mixed berries in the base of each glass, filling it no more than a quarter of the way. Pour the cooled cranberry jelly mixture from the saucepan over the berries to fill the rest of the glass and cover the tops of each with some plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

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*NOTE: The cranberry jelly mixture does not have to cool completely to room temperature before adding to your glasses, but should not be hot as this may cause steaming and condensation in the glasses, especially once they have been covered with the plastic wrap. Also please be aware as a general rule that pouring very hot or boiling liquids into glassware of any variety can cause cracks in the glass or shattering.

STORAGE: Since this jelly recipe contains fresh berries it is best enjoyed on the day of making or the two days after. I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for longer than 2-3 days before eating as depending on the freshness of your berries, they may start to deteriorate slightly. However, if you are using very fresh berries or choose to omit the berries in this recipe, the jelly could last up to 4-5 days in the fridge, firmly covered.