Homemade Jello Cups Made from Fresh Fruit

Packaged in reusable containers, these homemade jello cups are a great addition to school lunches or after school snacks. It’s made from whole food ingredients and is an easy way to get more fresh fruit into your kiddos. The great part? You can use whatever fruit you have easy access to!

Wondering what fruit is in season and when? Check out this list of seasonal fruits!

yellow and red homemade jello in small cups.

Kids love the jiggly, wiggly nature of gelatin but the ready-made Jell-O cups come with that doggone disposable plastic packaging and some ingredients you might be trying to shy away from. 

homemade jello (pink) in a stainless container

Homemade Jello Cups with Real Fruit

You’ll only need a few ingredients to make these easy fruit jello cups, but you’ll need to plan ahead a little bit. It will take the gelatin several hours in the fridge to firm up. 

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Ingredients

Fruit Any sort of soft fruit will work: Strawberries, Peaches, Blueberries, Watermelon…any fruit that will easily liquefy in a blender is fair game. The images you see here include strawberry, watermelon, and peach gelatin. If you can your own fruit, YES, you can use those. You can also choose your favorite 100% juice and use that in place of the fruit.

Sweetener This can be an optional ingredient. Use it if you feel like the fruit isn’t sweet enough on its own; skip it if it’s not needed. Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar (I prefer organic) or try it with honey. 

Gelatin Use the off-the-shelf Knox brand gelatin or opt for a higher grade grass-fed gelatin. This is the ingredient that gels the fruit. It is NOT vegetarian. Agar agar is usually used as a gelatin substitute but I haven’t tried this recipe using that method. If you do, please chime in and let us know how it goes. 

watermelon chunks in a blender carafe.

Making the Gelatin

Start by preparing the fruit. Cut it into chunks and process in a blender or food process until it’s liquified. Transfer fruit puree to a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface to soften. 

bowls of red and yellow fruit puree with gelatin sprinkled on top.

Bring one cup of water to a boil and whisk it into the fruit mixture, breaking up any lumps. Transfer to desired containers. Opt for lidded containers if you want these homemade jello cups to be portable, or just divide into small custard cups if you’ll eat them at home. 

Related: 10 Kinds of Berries to Grow in your Backyard

yellow and red homemade jello in small cups.

★ Did you make this homemade jello recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

yellow and red homemade jello in small cups.

Homemade Jello

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Homemade jello is incredibly easy to make, has ingredients you can feel great about, and with a little "outside the box" thinking, you can still enjoy the convenience of taking it with you--without using plastic.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon gelatin
  • 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey (optional)
  • 1 cup water (boiling)

Instructions

  1. To make puree, process soft fruit in a high powered blender along with the optional sweetener if you're using that.
  2. Measure one cup of puree into a mixing bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top of it.
  3. Bring water to a boil and pour it over the bowl of pureed fruit and gelatin. Whisk until there are no clumps and the gelatin is completely dissolved.
  4. Transfer to desired containers and set in the refrigerator to chill (2-4 hours).
  5. This homemade jello will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Any sort of soft fruit will work: Strawberries, Peaches, Blueberries, Watermelon...any fruit that will easily liquefy in a blender is fair game. The images you see here include strawberry, watermelon, and peach gelatin. If you can your own fruit, YES, you can use those. You can also choose your favorite 100% juice and use that in place of the fruit.

Use the off-the-shelf Knox brand gelatin or opt for a higher grade grass-fed gelatin. This is the ingredient that gels the fruit. It is NOT vegetarian. Agar agar is usually used as a gelatin substitute but I haven't tried this recipe using that method. If you do, please chime in and let us know how it goes. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 15Unsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 3gSugar: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Share an image on Instagram and tag @attainablesustainable with #attainablesustainable!

Originally published in 2015 by Loriel Adams and sponsored by Mighty Nest; this post has been updated. 

homemade jello (pink) in a stainless container, and a spoonful of jello scooped up

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

15 comments… add one
  • Marion Oct 12, 2023 @ 8:33

    I just happened upon your lovely website! Thank you for this great reference! I was hunting for a link or something to the nice covered cups in the photos. Brand(s)? I try hard to avoid plastic whenever possible and to opt for reusable. Thx.

    • AttainableSustainable Oct 19, 2023 @ 14:01

      I can’t say I remember for sure. Sometimes a local health food store or co-op will carry containers like these, otherwise look online.

  • Sarah Sep 29, 2018 @ 6:53

    Mine turned to liquid in the lunch box…

    • Kris Bordessa Oct 17, 2018 @ 9:45

      Were they kept cool??

  • Michelle Mar 24, 2018 @ 19:35

    So delicious and easy to make!
    A fun dessert.

  • tessa May 13, 2015 @ 17:45

    This really is so easy and what great containers!

  • chickie brewer Apr 14, 2015 @ 13:57

    Home made Jello sounds and looks so delicious!

  • Ashley Browning Mar 30, 2015 @ 2:44

    Just whipped this up for a mid morning snack- so EASY!!! Thank you!

  • tealady3 Mar 28, 2015 @ 16:34

    nice give away

  • Dorris Graves Mar 28, 2015 @ 11:30

    I want to win!!!!!!

  • Rachel Mar 26, 2015 @ 6:29

    What an awesome giveaway! I have been wanting to try this for ages!!!

  • Sherri Mar 26, 2015 @ 1:42

    Never mind, sorry! I missed it in your last sentence! Thank you.

  • Sherri Mar 26, 2015 @ 1:33

    hi, thanks for the recipe! I’ve been looking for something like this! Could you use juice for the berries? My son doesn’t do ” chunks” or “seeds!” I’d love to get some gelatin into him to help with skin and gut issues!

  • Dawn @Oh Sweet Mercy Mar 25, 2015 @ 12:13

    DIY jello is better in every way!

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