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This blueberry Jello salad recipe is a fun variation from the original Jello salad. It’s the perfect side for picnics, parties, and barbecues.
Featured with this Recipe
This blueberry Jello salad recipe, or blueberry gelatin salad is the perfect recipe to branch out from the traditional, plain Jello salad. The rich, fresh flavors make it the perfect side dish or dessert to take to picnics, parties, barbecues, or holiday meals like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner. We use pineapple because it gives the jello layer a more fruity texture. But if you don’t like the thicker texture, just omit the pineapple and it is still delicious!
Some have argued that this is more of a dessert than a salad. I’m not exactly sure why these types of dishes are called “salads”. In all honesty, I think it is more of a side dish or like many of you, closer to a dessert than a salad, but historically it is called a Jello salad so we are just going with it. No matter what you call it, it is a great picnic addition!
Ingredients in Blueberry Jello Salad
This classic blueberry Jell-O salad recipe is always a fun side dish or dessert when inviting over friends and family. It is the perfect combination and flavor. These ingredients are pantry staples and easy to store and make this jello salad when needed.
- Blackberry Jello – If you can’t find blackberry jello, you can also use black cherry jello or grape jello. Both of these flavors of Jello are similar to the flavor of blueberries. We like using blackberry because it gives the Jello a nice, deep, true blueberry color.
- Crushed Pineapple – This is a fun ingredient! It adds texture and flavor to the mixture. Drain the pineapple juice before combining. Rather than mixing cold water, you will use this crushed pineapple in the jello salad recipe.
- Blueberry Pie Filling – You should be able to find a can of blueberry pie filling in the baking aisle.
- Cream Cheese – For the smoothest cream cheese topping, let the cream cheese sit out on the counter to soften before using.
- Sugar – Added in for sweetness! This easy jello salad tastes sweet and delicious!
- Cool Whip – This is part of the topping. It is smooth and creamy over top of the Jello. Fold and stir the cool whip or whipped topping to spread evenly over top the flavored Jello.
- Fresh Blueberries – Garnish with fresh blueberries. You can also sprinkle the salad with crushed nuts like walnuts or pecans.
How to Make Easy Blueberry Jello Salad
This is an easy blueberry jello salad dish that kids to adults love! It is layered with a beautiful blue color with a creamy layer of whipped topping, and fresh blueberries sprinkled on top. This blueberry Jello salad combination!
- Combine – In a large mixing bowl whisk together the Jello mix and boiling water. Stir the Jello mixture until dissolved. Mix in pineapple and pie filling. Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm.
- Topping – Mix cream cheese and sugar together well. Stir and fold in Cool Whip.
- Spread topping over set Jello – Refrigerate and chill at least half an hour before serving. Top with fresh blueberries if desired.
Substitutes or Additions to this Jello Salad
The beauty of Jello salad is you can change up the ingredients any way you like! I love the fresh sweet taste of the blueberries topped with the thick, fluffy cheesecake-like top layer of this salad. The options and variations are endless!
- Fruits – You can substitute the blueberries with other fruits like bananas, mandarin oranges, strawberries, or raspberries.
- Toppings – If you don’t want a top layer or you have someone in the family with lactose intolerance, you can just serve it plain without the topping and it will still be great.
- Jello flavors – Try different flavors of Jello besides blackberry. Try blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, or whatever you like or have on hand. Any flavor will taste great, but you might not get the color you are looking for. Then you will be making strawberry jello salad, lime jello salad, or orange jello salad for different salad recipes.
- Fresh ingredients – We have also been asked about using fresh blueberries instead of canned pie filling. You can use fresh, you just won’t have as full of a flavor. You can also use other kinds of pie fillings, but by that point, you may not have “blueberry” Jello salad anymore.
“Awesome! Jello and blueberries 🫐 topped with a thick, rich, tasty fluffy creamy sweet treat. Our family’s 👪favorites.”
-Elizabeth
Frequently Asked Questions
The first popular Jell-O salad was a dish called Cranberry Perfection. It was made in 1904 in Pennsylvania and it won 3rd place in the Better Homes and Gardens recipe contest that year.
I would try to eat any leftovers within a few days.
You can put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to speed along the setting process but don’t leave it in for too long or it will freeze. If your jello freezes, it will be ruined.
The origin of jello salad goes back to a dish from 1904 that was called “Perfection salad”. Mrs. John E. Cook from Pennsylvania won the third place prize during the Better Homes and Garden recipe contest with a jello salad recipe.
Storing and Making Ahead
This jello salad is the perfect dish to make ahead or store any leftovers. Cover and store this jello salad in the refrigerator for five days. It is best that it is not room temperature when sitting out. This is a family favorite dish that everyone loves!
Read Next: 50+ Picnic Food Ideas
More Recipes with Jello
This is the perfect make-ahead recipe. You can easily make this a day ahead of your picnic or party. Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you’re heading to a party, you will be a big hit with this yummy salad. Here are a few other jello recipes you can try the next time you’re planning to attend a potluck.
How to Make Blueberry Jello Salad
Blueberry Jello Salad
Video
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups water boiling
- 6 ounces blackberry Jello
- 16 ounces crushed pineapple drained
- 1 can blueberry pie filling
Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 16 ounces Cool Whip softened
- fresh blueberries optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine Jello and boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Mix in pineapple and pie filling. Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm.
- Topping: Mix cream cheese and sugar together well. Stir in Cool Whip.
- Spread topping over set Jello. Refrigerate at least half an hour before serving. Top with fresh blueberries if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute the blueberries with other fruits like bananas, strawberries or raspberries.
- If you don’t want a top layer or you have someone in the family with lactose intolerance, you can just serve it plain without the topping and it will still be great.
- We have had people ask us if they can use different flavors of Jello besides blackberry. Of course! Try blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, lemon or whatever you like or have on hand. Any flavor will taste great, but you might not get the color you’re looking for. We like using blackberry because it gives the Jello a nice, deep, true blueberry color.
- We have also been asked about using fresh blueberries instead of canned pie filling. You can use fresh, you just won’t have as full of a flavor. You can also use other kinds of pie fillings, but by that point you may not have “blueberry” Jello salad anymore.
I’ve never tried a blueberry jello until now! So delicious and the texture came out great 🙂
What a fab idea! Such a fun dessert for parties – we’re big blueberry fans!
We are blueberry lovers in my family. This hits the spot!
I’ve made this for more than 30 years, but I use sour cream instead of cool whip and then add just a couple tablespoons of sugar to the topping. The tang of the sour cream cuts the sweetness of the jello – it’s sooo good!
Lisa ~ do you still mix the cream cheese and sour cream together for the topping, then? Or just use sour cream and sugar? Would you share more details of how you made your topping?
I saw a similar recipe that used 8 oz of cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, and a half cup of powdered sugar for the topping
Perhaps that’s what I should’ve added because I think this salad was just… “ok”! It wasn’t “wow” or “I’ve got to make this again”. I make a marshmallow pineapple salad with a block of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar and about 3/4 of a 16 oz tub of Cool Whip. First, I take a bag of miniature marshmallows and pour into a bowl then pour a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple in heavy syrup over the top of the marshmallows. Spread out the pineapple with juice over the top of the marshmallows and let set for a couple hours or so, stir and then let sit for just a few minutes more. I stir together the cream cheese, sugar and Cool whip until combined good… I don’t like to stir it too much because it won’t be as fluffy. Then, I mix all the ingredients together, cover and put into the refrigerator. This is a much better salad than the one here. I also make a strawberry pretzel salad with the cream cheese, Cool Whip, etc. and it is delicious as well. These two salads have been a holiday tradition for years in our family. I just feel as if this blueberry salad was missing something. I couldn’t find a blackberry jello so I used a blueberry one and the blue color… well, it just didn’t do anything for me. I’ve heard that most people eat with their eyes first so maybe that was it… I’m not sure. I was looking for a new salad(s) to add to the favorites list and this just wasn’t one.
I have NOT made this yet. Sounds delicious. Pie filling comes in various size?? The recipe ingredients notes just a can?? What size please.
Thanks
We used a 21 oz can!
This was soooo good! It would make an unbeliveable pretzel salad too!
Bonjour, comment pour la quantité pour l’eau , c juste écrit eau c. Bouillante, merci de me répondre.
Bonjour, Nancy! “c” est une tasse ou 8 onces. J’espère que cela t’aides!
Can we freeze this recipe?
We have never tried freezing it before so we can’t say for sure. Typically Jell-O doesn’t do well if frozen but if you try it out, let us know how it turns out!
Frozen berries is great I omit the sugar and the cream cheese. I put one layer of sourcream and do a second of berries and top it with whip cream it is heaven. Either I’m called to bring this dessert, Or I’m asked to write it out. I cut the jello in half for two layers keeping one liwuody until first layer set. It is the talk of the party!.
So glad you liked this recipe. Thanks for sharing how you adjusted the recipe to make it a success for your party!
What size can of blueberry pie filling do you use? Is it the 20-21 oz or smaller?
the 21 oz. size is the size we used. Hope this helps!
I prefer to use frozen blueberries. Can you give me the adjustment in the recipe to accommodate it please? Thank you.
I haven’t tried using frozen blueberries, so I don’t have a recipe to accommodate it. Sorry! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Anyone ever use a graham cracker crust? Wonerding if this would be good…
It would probably taste great!
This has to be the best Jello salad EVER! Perfect summer potluck recipe. I love this!
Thanks so much! I love the pineapple in it. 🙂
Has anyone ever used powered sugar instead of regular sugar with cream cheese?
Wow! This looks good enough to dump onto a yellow or white or an Angelfood Cake too!! you Pretty Ladies are always coming up with more recipes I can’t seem to live without! Thanks!
can you use frsh blueberry instead of can
Yes, you can. The texture will be a little different because the blueberries won’t be cooked and in the blueberry glaze. The bottom layer will just be Jell-O with added fruit. With the fresh blueberries and topping, it will be delicious!
This is very good using Raspberry Jello and Raspberry pie filling too!
Thanks for your comment! We love to hear new ideas and tips!
I use berry blue hello. In topping use cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
Can you please give measurements for the topping? Thanks!
I couldn’t find blackberry Jell-o in any of our local stores. I’m planning on trying this using either raspberry or grape….any thoughts on this?
I’m sure it would be just fine. Let us know how it turns out!
I used the grape Jell-O instead of the blackberry. It was delicious!
Thank you for sharing your idea. I’ll have to try the grape Jell-O next time I make it!
I have a friend that uses grape very good,
I use the grape jello. Never tried it with blackberry.
Has anyone tried it without the pineapple?
This sounds very good but can I leave out the pineapple.
You can leave out the pineapple but the texture will be different when serving. Hope this helps!
I made it for thanks giving and let the pineapple out (not a fan) came out perfectly delicious.
Blueberry jello is all I use.
Where do you find the black berry Jell-O I’ve searched all over town in Sacramento for it can’t find it nowhere went to Walmart Safeway save Mart the nugget where can I go find it thank you
Grocery outlet stores
I have a similar recipe and I use Berry Blue Jell-O, it works well. I can’t find black berry anymore around here.
I have used raspberry jello
I have had this recipe for years and it uses grape jello. It’s yummy!
Anyone have a suggestion of how to make this with fresh berries rather than pie filling?
I use a can of blueberries in the syrup, instead of the pie filling. My topping is with sour cream and cream cheese in stead of cool whip.
Hi Patti,
I am interested in your SOUR CREAM with cream cheese. Would you, please, send me your recipe. The checkout clerk at Walmart verbally gave me the recipe: Cherry Jello, Crushed Pineapple, Cherry Pie Filling. After that sets, spread it with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream.
cream the sour cream, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla…spread on top…you can also add walnuts to the jello….very good….1 c sour cream – 1 8 oz. cream cheese -1/2 cup sugar – 1 tsp. vanilla….after jello has set, cream all this together and spread on the top….refrigerate….I used blueberry jello, about 1/2 c pineapple, 1 can blueberry filling..make sure you drain pineapple…oh!!! beat the sugar and cream cheese first, then add vanilla and sour cream…yikes…lol..Merry Christmas
2 cups of blueberries or 1 bag of frozen blueberries.
1 cup of water
1 cup suga1/2 tsp. Lemon juice ( can be omitted if desired)
In medium sauce pan bring to a boil, turn down to simmer for 5 minutes stirring enough to make sure all berries are evenly in the water. Turn off and remove from heat. Cool for about 5 minutes and pour berries into a strainer with a bowl underneath. Return liquid to stove . Add sugar to blueberry liquid and bring to a boil, turn down to low heat (almost a simmer but a little more heat is needed to thicken this) keep this at even heat until you see it begin to thicken, add corn starch liquid and simmer until thickened to pie filling consistency. Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding lemon juice. Add this back to your blueberries and you have fresh homemade pie filling and continue with your recipe.
I’m sure you could make it without the pie filling. I used the pie filling and add a ton of fresh berries. It’s delicious! My mom always made it with just fresh berries! Good luck
Thanks for the recipe. My mom always made different jello salads and I’ve always loved them, but they’ve all been green, red or orange. Can’t wait to have purple!
Love this jello salad, we make it and my kids think they get dessert first!! Awesome mom trick!
please help me I want to make a blueberry congealed salad; but can’t find a can of blueberries in light syrup. What can I substitute for this
You can use fresh blueberries, it just won’t have a strong of a flavor. Hope this helps!