Jello grapes are perfect for a summer picnic. Not only are they easy to prepare, but also a cooling yet sweet dessert that will leave you refreshed. They're light, fun and tart - just what you need to cool off in the summer heat!
You can make them with any flavour of Jello you like, and its colourful nature makes them great to serve at parties. Making this fruity dessert can also be an amusing activity to do with kids. The best part of it is that you get to enjoy this healthy yet tasty snack together at the end!
Want to try making frozen jello grapes this fun treat at your next outdoor gathering? Read on to learn all you need to know about how to prepare this trending Tiktok snack craze. We trust that you’ll enjoy making the snack as much as everyone will love eating them!
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What is it?
Jello grapes is a cooling dessert snack that is made of only two ingredients: jello and grapes! To make it, you simply have to coat flavoured gelatin over the fresh fruits before freezing them. Once the frosted grapes have hardened, the iced candy fruits are ready to be eaten!
Why is it popular?
It is true that frosted fruit is a classic snack. And while people enjoy eating frozen fruits when it is very hot, this new trend on Tiktok is something that you might like. By combining frozen vine berries with Jell-O, you get a burst of refreshing sweetness that will make you want to eat them all summer long!
They first became popular when @courty_lea on Tiktok shared with the rest of the netizens on the video-based social media about her icy concoction. With the recipe having only two common kitchen ingredients and a very simple process, more Tiktokers began attempting to make jello grapes.
The deliciousness of this simple treat was such a surprise to many that this ice dessert quickly became viral.
What does it taste like?
When the jelly is mixed with berries, which are naturally sweet and juicy, you get a wholesome tartness and sweet fruity taste when you bite into them. Moreover, you will also taste a flurry of either lime, cherry, orange or other fruits depending on the flavour of gelatine that you chose to coat the grape with.
This mixture of flavours is concentrated further due to the freezing process in making the treat. When bit into on a hot summer’s day, it leaves you revitalised and craving for another one!
Jello grapes vs Crack grapes
It is common to mistake this recipe for another variation called ‘crack grapes’.
Crack candied grapes are fruits that have been coated in a type of candy syrup. The syrup dries clear, and when the vine fruits are rolled in hard candy, they become colourful and fun. This is also another snack that both kids and adults love to have.
However, as the fruits are usually covered with sugary candy, the ‘crack’ types are considered less healthy than their ‘jello’ counterpart.
Nevertheless, we also find that many people like to fuse the two recipes together. In addition to coating the sweet fruits with candy, they also use jello to build up the taste profile of the dessert.
Sour candies like Cry Baby Tears are a particular favourite, which balances well with the sweetness of the jello grapes.
Is it healthy?
The key ingredient, grapes are a healthy fruit. They are mostly water and can have lots of nutrients such as potassium, manganese, vitamins C and B. In particular, you can get a healthy dose of vitamin K from eating these vine fruits. They have colours that come from the flavonoids in them.
The other ingredient, jello powder used may contain processed sugar and artificial colouring which are commonly considered unhealthy. However, you can opt to choose brands that contain less sugar content or even artificial sweetener.
Besides, frozen fruit is better than ice cream because they don't have much fat or sugar content! One serving of frosted jello grapes contains a calorie count of about 115 kcal.
Overall, they are a low-calorie sweet treat that contains natural nutrition from its fruit.
Ingredients
As mentioned, you only need two key ingredients to make this easy frozen dessert recipe.
Grapes
Both green and black ones work fine for this recipe. We recommend rinsing the fruits first when preparing this dessert to remove any chemical residue that may be present on their skin.
You may also use other fruits! Grapes are the original fruit used for the Tiktok frozen jello grapes recipe, however, feel free to be creative!
Just like how candied strawberries have become another Tiktok trend, jello strawberries are probably worth the try too! Bite-sized fruits such as blueberries and strawberries are tasty variations that you could try.
Jello
There are a lot of different flavours to choose from. When picking a brand and flavour, you want to pick one that meets the preferences and dietary needs of your guests.
You may use the fan favourite Starburst gelatine shot to make this recipe.
However, are you looking for a brand that is vegan-friendly, gluten-free and can also make sugar free frozen jello grapes? If so, we recommend trying the Simply Delish mix brand.
Vegan-friendly, gluten and sugar-free Simply Delish Jello Mix
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How to make them?
The frozen jello grapes recipe is easy and fun to make!
Just take the plump, juicy, seedless berries and mix them together with your favourite flavour of gelatin in a plastic container. Then, pop the jello powder-coated grapes in the freezer for 1 hour or until they are frozen.
They are now ready for you and your mates to enjoy!
How to make rainbow jello frosted grapes?
For you to make this, you will first need to get gelatine packs with different colourings. Ideally, you want to get each colour of the rainbow. However, having four distinct colours - red, blue, green and yellow - would usually be enough to produce a ‘rainbow’ effect.
When you have all the powders ready, open the packages of jello and put each colour in its own dish. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the rinsed wet fruits and then cover them in the coloured powder. Put all of these on a tray, one right after another. Try not to get any colours mixed together.
Otherwise, you can also choose to put the fruits in separate plastic zip loc bags. Then, pour the powders into different bags and shake the closed zip lock until mixed thoroughly.
Cooking Tips
Here are some useful tips when preparing frozen jello grapes at home:
- When handling the powdered jello, it may stain your fingers if you coat the fruits using your hands. So, we recommend using a toothpick to poke and handle each grape. Alternatively, you can also use a plastic container to shake the berries with the coloured powder together.
- Grapes need to be washed before you freeze them. If they are not organic, then make sure you wash the skin too. This vine fruit is on a list of fruits and veggies that have lots of pesticides.
- Cut off the fruit stems before washing. The stems are not edible, hence it’s best to remove them before we mix in the powder.
- If the fruits are getting dried out, rinse them. If you keep them in water, they will get too wet and the powder can clump together. This will cause an uneven spread of jello.
- Do not completely dry the water off of the fruit because the liquid helps the jello stick to the surface. If you don't have any water, then some parts will have too much of it and may ruin the overall taste.
- How long to freeze jello grapes? Usually, 1 hour in the freezer would be enough to frost the fruit. However, there is no harm in keeping it in the freezer for longer periods.
How to store
The dessert can be kept in the freezer for up to a month. If stored properly in an airtight container, it will not go bad so quickly.
How to enjoy them?
They usually are served and enjoyed as is. The sweet treats are perfect party treats that can be served as dessert.
However, as the fruit treat is ice frozen, they can be placed in drinks to serve as ice cubes. The jello grapes will slowly thaw in the beverage, and the flavour will gradually seep and recreate the taste of the drink!
Jello Grapes Recipe | Vegan-Friendly Frozen Grapes
Ingredients
- 200 g grapes
- 1 pack vegan jello powder sugar-free
Instructions
- Rinse fresh grapes and remove any stems from the fruits. Put them in a plastic container.
- Open a pack of gelatin mix and pour them over the fruits. Seal the container and shake until the powder coats evenly.
- Freeze for 1 hour or until frozen.
Notes
- Don’t worry about dry patting the skin of the fruits. Any residue water on the skin from rinsing will be useful for the gelatin mix to stick to the fruits.
- If you prefer for the grapes to not stick to one another once they are frozen, then arrange the berries on parchment paper on a baking tray. Make sure they do not touch one another.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
Dadskillz on Youtube made a quick video recipe on how to make this viral Tiktok recipe. Have a watch if you would like to see the whole process before starting your own at home.
Did you enjoy making these frozen jello grapes Tiktok dessert at home? Share with us a photo of your frosty fruits by tagging us on Instagram at @honestfoodtalks!
Are you looking for another cooling dessert to make at home? Let us introduce you to our taro ice cream recipe! Don't fret because you will not need an ice cream using our easy no-churn recipe.
Krystal
Just wanted to kindly say that jello is not vegan. It’s a byproduct from animal bones and skin.
Honest Food Talks
Hi Krystal! We used Simply Delish's Jello which is plant-based and still gives a good result 🙂
Heidi C. Lilley
Interestingly, I was making this sweet summer treat, exactly the same as this, 35 years ago for my son and have done it for the past few years for my grandchildren.
I also will cut up watermelon into chunks and toss with jello powder.
I guess we had to have tic-toc to make it more popular than 40 years ago!