Christmas Jello Balls Recipe
Jingle all the way with these festive Christmas Jello Balls! Bright, delicious and oh-so-fun, they’re the perfect holiday treat to sweeten your season!
Move over, Christmas cookies—there’s a new treat in town, and it’s bursting with color and flavor!
Christmas Jello Balls are the fuss-free, no-bake dessert you didn’t know you needed this holiday season.
Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this post to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be there when you’re ready!
Be sure to check out more of our holiday favorites like these peppermint dipped chocolate cookies, candy cane brownies or Christmas oreo cake balls!
With vibrant red and green hues, these little coconut-covered gems add a pop of cheer to any dessert tray. Plus, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat.
Let’s dive into this fun, festive goodness!
Why You’ll Love These Holiday Treats
- Festive Flavors: The tangy lime and sweet cherry or raspberry flavors are a perfect complement to the creamy, coconutty coating.
- A Fuss-Free Dessert: No boiling, baking, or complex steps required—just mix, roll, and chill!
- Perfect for Guests: These bite-sized balls are easy to serve and great for mingling at holiday parties.
- Versatile: They work for any occasion, not just Christmas. Swap the colors for other holidays or even birthdays.
Christmas Jello Balls
Christmas Jello Balls are more than just a dessert—they’re an experience! Whether you’re making them with the kids, setting them out for guests, or sneaking a few from the fridge late at night (I won’t tell!), these treats are bound to become part of your holiday traditions.
So grab a can of condensed milk, your favorite Jello flavors, and some coconut flakes. Put some Christmas tunes on in the background, and roll your way into festive dessert heaven.
Just don’t forget to save a few for Santa—these might just be the treats that make him ditch the cookies for good!
Makes 36 jello balls: 18 red, 18 green.
Ingredients
- Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, divided
- Red Jello – raspberry, cherry, or your favorite!
- Green Jello – lime is classic for Christmas!
- Unsweetened coconut, very finely grated – not shredded, divided
Instructions
1. Pour half of the condensed milk into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the red Jello powder and stir until the mixture is smooth and vibrant.
3. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the finely grated coconut until combined.
4. Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture using a cookie scoop. Roll each ball in the remaining coconut for a snowy finish.
5. Repeat the process with the green Jello powder.
6. Place your colorful creations onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips & Tricks
- To get that perfect texture for rolling, ensure your coconut is finely grated, not shredded or flaked. Shredded coconut can make the mixture crumbly.
- While red and green are holiday staples, feel free to experiment! Blue Jello (raspberry) makes stunning winter-themed balls, while orange or yellow could bring sunshine to a dreary winter day.
- For extra creaminess, mix in a tablespoon of sour cream or canned thick cream like Carnation Brand. This makes the Jello balls even richer and more decadent.
- Jello balls hold their shape best when chilled. Store them in the fridge with a tight-fitting lid to prevent drying out or absorbing fridge odours.
- Looking to sneak a bit of protein into your dessert? Opt for protein-enriched coconut flakes. Your guests won’t even notice the difference!
- If your hands warm up and the mixture starts to stick while rolling, lightly butter your palms. This keeps the mixture smooth and your frustration levels low.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different kind of cream instead of condensed milk?
Absolutely! You can substitute Carnation thick cream or even sour cream for a slightly tangier flavor. If using sour cream, you might want to add a little powdered sugar for sweetness.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! Jello balls can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Just store them in an airtight container in the fridge to keep them fresh.
How can I make these lower in calories?
To cut down on calories, try using light condensed milk or even a thick Greek yogurt as a replacement. Make sure your coconut is unsweetened, and consider sugar-free Jello mixes.
Looking for more Christmas treat ideas? Try these cream cheese mints, Christmas chocolate bark or peppermint pretzels.
If you love this Christmas jello balls recipe, click the stars below to give it a five star review and leave a comment! Please help me share it on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
Christmas Jello Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 300ml, divided
- 3- ounce package red Jello
- 3- ounce package green Jello
- 4 cups unsweetened coconut very finely grated – not shredded, divided
Instructions
- Pour half of the condensed milk into a mixing bowl. Add the green Jello powder and stir until the mixture is smooth and vibrant.
- Stir in 1 ½ cups of the finely grated coconut until combined.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture using a cookie scoop. Roll each ball in 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut for a snowy finish.
- Repeat the process with the red Jello powder.
- Place your colorful creations onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- To get that perfect texture for rolling, ensure your coconut is finely grated, not shredded. Shredded coconut can make the mixture crumbly.
- While red and green are holiday staples, feel free to experiment! Blue Jello (raspberry) makes stunning winter-themed balls, while orange or yellow could bring sunshine to a dreary winter day.
- For extra creaminess, mix in a tablespoon of sour cream or canned thick cream like Carnation Brand. This makes the Jello balls even richer and more decadent
- Jello balls hold their shape best when chilled. Store them in the fridge with a tight-fitting lid to prevent drying out or absorbing fridge odours.
- Looking to sneak a bit of protein into your dessert? Opt for protein-enriched coconut flakes. Your guests won’t even notice the difference!
- If your hands warm up and the mixture starts to stick while rolling, lightly butter your palms. This keeps the mixture smooth and your frustration levels low.
Nutrition
It is awesome. Thankyou for sharing it
Great festive recipe!
Absolutely amazing..
So easy , so delicious
What a pretty and sweet way to brighten up ur tray of goodies
These are delicious! So easy to make and look great for any holiday!
I will be making these for years now!
Brilliant recipe. Easy to follow, kids love them. Going to try even more flavours and ingredients. Thank you
Thank you so much!
Very easy and good. Nice change from cookies.
Looks so good . GONNA TRY MAKING THESE
Look so easy to make. The kind of things I like to make
These look very yummy and delicious can’t wait to make them for a holiday get together. Thanks from a fan
Love these balls . Brings back good memories!
I love when recipes bring back fond memories – thanks for sharing!
These look delicious. Can I use sweentened grated coconut? I want to make them now and only have sweetened coconut.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
They are so good! Sweetened coconut is totally fine – they will just be sweeter than the original recipe :)
Can these be made ahead? If so, how long and can they be frozen?
Yes, I keep them in the freezer for up to 6 weeks before adding to my baking trays :)
These look yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
So I assume that these jello balls would always need to be refrigerated. So if you included them in a plate of Christmas cookies you’re gifting, you would have to tell them to refrigerate them … right?
They do not need to be kept in the fridge – I store them in the freezer until ready to plate on my cookie trays.
it was ok I don’t like the gritty taste the jello leaves is there a way u can make it so the jello is not so grainy?
I would try allowing the the jello to dissolve in the condensed milk for a few minutes before mixing in the coconut next time :)
Mine wasn’t great not recipe fault .
To tasty and with trying to get rid of some pounds, I must not make too many . LOL
what if you can’t find the finely coconut cause I have never seen it in the stores around where I live
Regular shredded coconut will work – you just want small fine pieces. You could also pulse fancy coconut in a food processor if needed.