Lemon Jello Salad Recipe – Shugary Sweets

Lemon Jello Salad deserves a spot on all your summer menus! Zesty lemon, juicy pineapple and coconut come together in an easy recipe that’s perfect as a sweet side dish or chilled dessert.

We use the term salad loosely around here. If you’ve ever had Strawberry JELLO Pretzel Salad, you know what I mean. Our frozen cranberry salad is a holiday favorite, and way tastier than the green leafy kind of salad.

Why This Salad Is Best

Today’s Lemon JELLO Salad is a close relative of Ambrosia, a fruit salad that’s ubiquitous in the midwest! Pistachio Fluff is another similar dish that shows up at nearly all our family parties and potlucks!

What can I say? We just love mixing Cool Whip, JELLO and fruit together and calling it “salad.”

Of all the variations on Ambrosia out there, I think this Lemon JELLO version tastes most like SUMMER.

• Lemon, pineapple and coconut flavors.
• Lemon cool whip “dressing”.
• Tangy cottage cheese.
• Just 5 minutes of prep time!
• Serve it as a side dish or dessert.

If you love lemon and whipped cream, be sure to try our easy Lemon Poke Cake next!

Ingredient Notes

• Cool Whip. Acts as the creamy “dressing” that ties the Lemon JELLO Salad together. Use our homemade cool whip instead!
• Lemon JELLO powder. Adds instant lemon flavor and color to the cool whip.
• Crushed pineapple. Make sure to strain out the the juices before adding it to the salad.
• Fruity mini marshmallows. I opted for the fruity variety to keep the salad colorful and give it more variety of flavor. Regular mini marshmallows would be delicious too.
• Sweetened shredded coconut. The texture adds a lovely variety to the creamy Cool Whip base. Use toasted coconut if you prefer a crunch!
• Cottage cheese. This might sound like a strange addition, but the tangy chunky texture melds deliciously with the other ingredients for a well-rounded satisfying flavor.

Tips and Tricks

• Not a fan of cool whip? Swap it out for a batch of this homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream instead.
• Regular mini marshmallows are a great alternative if you can’t find the fruity ones.
• Chill well before serving. This Lemon JELLO salad needs at least an hour or two in the refrigerator to taste its best. The chilling not only brings it to a nice cold temperature, but gives the flavors time to blend.
• Add fresh lemon juice. Squeezing some fresh lemon juice into the salad brightens up the taste and enhances the lemon flavor in the JELLO.
• Make it more yellow. This salad is a pale yellow when left au natural as the Cool Whip dilutes the hue of the JELLO powder. Add a drop or two of yellow food gel if you want it to a bolder color.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It stays good for up to 3 days.

Recipe FAQs

If you love Ambrosia salad recipes, this fruity, tangy, refreshing JELLO Salad is going to knock your socks off!