This jello cookie recipe is so fun and colorful! The kids will love making these easy jello cookies with only a few simple ingredients.
My kids and I love to bake all types of desserts together! Other favorites include Rolo pretzels, funfetti cake mix cookies and homemade cosmic brownies.
Table of Contents
Easy and Colorful Jello Cookies
These jello cookies are perfect for baking with kids because they’re easy, colorful and double as playdough! Talk about a win-win for cookies :)
Although my famous homemade playdough recipe is still our go-to, the texture of this cookie dough is super soft and squishy. Wash the kid’s hands (and counter of course) and then let the kids imaginations go wild! My kids have so much fun smashing the dough and building BIG towers with all the colors.
Then once they’re done playing, simply roll it into balls, dip them in jello sugar and bake! They taste soft like a sugar cookie, but with a more tart and sweet flavor like my raspberry cookie recipe.
These cookies are also a fun recipe to make during the holidays with the kids. We love to make red and blue versions for 4th of July or red and green jello cookies for Christmas. They are also great for Cinco de Mayo. Simple, festive and delicious!
Favorite Jello Mix Flavors
Below are some of the jello mix flavors that you can use to make these cookies. Feel free to switch it up depending on the time of year or the holiday!
- Red: Strawberry, cherry, watermelon, raspberry, tropical fusion or cranberry
- Orange: Orange, apricot, mango or peach
- Blue: Berry blue
- Green: Lime
- Others: Grape (purple) and lemon or island pineapple (yellow)
How to Make Jello Cookies
Scroll down for the printable recipe.
- Preheat oven and cream butter and sugar together. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Then blend in egg and vanilla.
- Mix dry ingredients with wet mixture. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cream of tarter in a separate bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Divide into sections. Divide the dough into four sections. Sprinkle two tablespoons of jello mix into each section and then knead until combined. Add food coloring for a more vibrant color.
- Roll into balls. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten the dough with the bottom of a cup to allow the cookies to cook evenly.
- Bake and let cool. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
TIP: For a sweeter cookie, roll your cookie dough balls into the extra jello mix powder or sugar prior to baking.
Baking Tips
Don’t these jello cookies just scream SUMMER?! I love all the bright colors! It was fun to taste all the different flavors too. The kids loved them!
- To enhance the colors, use a couple drops of food coloring in each section.
- You can use sugar-free jello mix if preferred.
- For a sweeter cookie, roll the cookie dough balls into the extra jello powder or sugar prior to baking.
- Use the bottom of a cup or bowl to flatten the cookie dough balls so that they bake evenly.
- You could use a cookie press if preferred. Or even roll the dough out and use cookie cutters.
- Freeze the dough and bake them later! Simply roll the dough into balls and place in a zip top bag in the freezer. Before baking, let them thaw out on a baking sheet.
These festive cookies are so fun to make during the holiday baking season! These Oreo Christmas cookies are another favorite.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
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Jello Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tarter
- 12 ounces jello mix (4 packages)
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cream of tarter. Gradually add flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Divide the dough into four sections. Sprinkle two tablespoons of jello mix into each section and then knead the dough until combined. You can add a few drops of food coloring in, if you’d like the color to be more vibrant.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls. If desired, you may roll the balls into the extra jello powder or sugar for a sweeter cookie. Then place dough onto the baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten the dough with the bottom of a cup or bowl to allow the cookies to cook evenly.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These are fantastic! Pinned them so I could make them. Thanks!
I’m in love with this! I’ve been playing around with Jello and Kool aide lately, can’t wait to give this a try, perfect way to color for any holiday or theme! Pinned!
Yummy looking and so pretty!! I definitely will be trying this one. Pinning it on my recipe board:)
GAH!!! Jaime! These are so great! I saw them on Whipperberry and just had to come take a closer look. I know my sweetie lil princess would just LOVE to help me make these!! Your lil girl is looking so precious and big!
Sorry Jamielyn!! My phone auto-corrected your name! Lame phone!!
Did you use regular jello? Have you ever tried sugar free? My daughter is diabetic.
I have, it works good!
I’m a Diabetic myself, so I’m glad the sugar free works well also!
These look amazing!!! I will have to try them sometime!
Loved these! Thank you for sharing! We made them tonight for pur son’s carnival themed birthday. My blue isnt as bright as yours, although it’s perfect for this occassion. Care to share what you used to color them? I used Boss gels. Thanks again!
be blessed!
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too cute, any idea if these would turn out ok using rice flour, in the same amount i guess? just found out our 3 yr old has a wheat allergy
My Mother has been making Jelly Biscuits like this for the last 40 years. They are very common in New Zealand. :) We put some of the jelly in the icing for the top of the biscuits.
these so fun!! any idea how they would turn out using rice flour? just recently found out our 3 yr old has a wheat allergy
Oh Yummy!! I’ll have a happy kiddo at home if I make these! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I love these cookies and am hoping to make them tomorrow for a barbeque! How did you get the colors so bright and cheerful? Was it the flavors you used? Did you split the dough into four sections to color them individually? Thanks!!!
Your children are beautiful, your cookies are beautiful and your pictures are beautiful. I feel like eating a cookie! ~Linda
These look so fun, I love the bright colors! and it looks like your son had a ton of fun helping! Thank you for the idea!
These look absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to trying them out, they will be perfect for a Summer Kickoff picnic I’m going to.
Wow! that is so beautiful.
Colorful cookies for the kids. I love it!
Good job on that!
These look amazing! Love the vibrant colors.
I don’t know if I’m going crazy or what, but I don’t even see the recipe. I would love to make these!
Hey Sue! Sorry the recipe widget went away, it’s back up now. :)
Hooray! Thanks!
Your cookies are beautiful! I will be making them! :) Time to pin!