Dye Free Berry Jello Recipe

This recipe for berry jello has no added dyes or fake flavorings. Sweetened with agave and natural berry juices, homemade jello is a tasty and healthy treat you can feel good about serving your kids.

So, my kids actually do not like store bought jello. Probably due to the fact that the only time they’ve had it was after they had their tonsils removed. If you’ve ever had a child have a tonsillectomy, you know how hard it is to get them to eat or drink anything! We had to push jello on them right after surgery so as you can imagine, it does not bring back fond memories.

Plus, store-bought jello is just yuck in my opinion. Anything that bright red is a no for me. Red dye is something I try to avoid at all costs since it has been linked to behavioral problems in kids, so yeah, no thanks!

But there is a way to make homemade jello yourself that has zero dyes and added sugars. This recipe for berry jello is healthy and actually really good for you! The only problem is its so yummy, that my kids eat it all without leaving any for me!

Can jello be healthy?

This healthy berry jello recipe contains grass fed gelatin that is a source of collagen and protein. Collagen is great for your skin, hair, nails and joints. So eating homemade healthy jello is actually almost like taking a vitamin but in a much more yummy form.

There are no added refined sugars in this recipe. It is sweetened with agave. Our favorite healthy berry jello doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or dyes, only the 100% natural flavor and color of real berries.

Fresh and frozen berries contain antioxidants and are high in fiber. They also fight inflammation and one serving of berries can contain 35% of your daily intake of vitamin C!

Healthy Homemade Berry Jello Ingredients:

• Gelatin Powder – Grass fed gelatin powder is what makes the jello thicken up and gel.
• Frozen Mixed Berry Blend – Really any frozen berries will work. The kind I used is a mix of cherries, blueberries and strawberries.
• Agave Syrup – You could substitute agave with honey if thats what you have on hand.
• Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla is best for this recipe. I used my homemade vanilla extract.

How to Make Healthy Homemade Berry Jello from Scratch

Prep – Bring berries and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Let the berries boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Using a blender or an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it is smooth.

Set Aside – 3/4 cup of the hot berry mixture in a small bowl. Very gradually, add the gelatin powder stirring constantly so that there are no lumps. Let sit for 5 minutes to “bloom”. It will be the consistency of applesauce.

Combine – Pour the bloomed mixture back in with the rest of the berries and add in agave and vanilla. Whisk to combine completely.

Pour – Into either individual containers or a pan. Let sit in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight til the gelatin has set. If using a pan, cut the jello into cubes to serve.

Tips

Stir Completely – There will be a foam on top of the hot berry mixture, try and stir this in very gently so that you have a more smooth jello all the way through.

To Store– Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to a week.

Variations

You could make your homemade healthy berry jello even more fun for the kids by pouring the hot jello mixture onto a cookie sheet. Let it gel in the fridge for atleast 2 hours. Once it has become solid, press cookie cutters into the jello and pop out the fun shapes!

Berry jello is delicious topped with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkling of fresh berries. Not quite as healthy, but it makes a great dessert.

More Healthy Snacks in Jars:

• Chewy Granola Balls
• Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip For Apples
• Homemade Greek Yogurt

If you try this recipe, I would love it if you use the 5 star rating in the comments below! It helps me so much!