This rainbow jello is a bright and colorful layered jello dessert! Everyone loves this fun finger jello that tastes like the rainbow and is a crowd-pleasing treat at parties!
Grandma’s Layered Rainbow Jello
This rainbow jello recipe was a dish my Grandma Joyce made for the holidays when I was growing up. As you can see from her recipe card below, it was made often.
My aunt made this at Grandma’s funeral, and it was loved by both kids and adults. It’s sweet, colorful and impossible to resist with its colorful layers. For St. Patrick’s Day, I like to make it following the colors of the rainbow, but really you can make layered jello dessert however you like!
Ingredient Notes
This easy recipe only requires 3 simple ingredients: jello, water, and sour cream! Most of the recipes you’ll find online for rainbow jello have a sweetened condensed milk layer as the middle layer, but I find that way too sweet.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Boxes of Jell-O: I used 5 boxes of jello flavors, but you can make 6 layers like grandma did or even fit it to special occasions like sports team colors or other holidays like 4th of July.
- Water: Both hot water and cold ice water help the jello dissolve and set.
- Sour cream: The sour cream gets mixed in to cut the sweetness and create the prettiest colors.
Variations
There are so many colors to choose from for this layered jello dessert, so feel free to mix and match the colors that make you happy!
- Christmas: Alternate between green (lime) and red (strawberry)
- 4th of July: Alternate between blue raspberry (berry blue) and red jello (strawberry). Use unflavored gelatin for a white layer.
- Valentine’s day: Alternate between red (strawberry) and watermelon (pink)
- St Patrick’s day: The rainbow colors work well here, or you can alternate green (lime) and orange
- Halloween: Layers of orange (orange) and green (lime)
- Birthday party treat: Use colors to coordinate with the party theme then slice your pieces into small cubes as a fun treat for small hands or make layered jello cups for everyone to enjoy their own!
How to Make Rainbow Jello
You need a lot of chilling time to make this dish, so make sure you start early. I like to prepare it the day before I’m planning to serve the finger jello.
- Prepare the first 2 layers: In a medium bowl, stir black cherry jello in 1 cup of boiling water for 1 minute until the powder is dissolved. Divide it in half between two bowls or measuring cups. You’ll have about ½ cup in each bowl. In the first bowl add 3 tablespoons of cold water and cover with plastic wrap. In the other bowl, add 1/3 cup sour cream and whisk until combined.
- Chill the first layer: Pour the jello with sour cream into the chilled 9×13 baking dish. Tilt your dish from side to side gently to make sure the mixture spreads evenly. Place the dish back into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Add second layer then repeat: Pour the second bowl of jello over the first layer. Carefully tilt the dish from side to side to spread the layer evenly. Return the dish to the fridge for another 30 minutes. Do the same thing again with the remaining jello flavors, ending with the lime on top.
- Chill and serve: After adding the last layer, chill until completely set then slice into 20 squares and serve chilled. The kids go crazy for this no bake treat when I add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkles on top!
Recipe Tips
This layered rainbow jello treat may look complicated, but it’s easy to make! The one thing you will need is time. Each layer has to be set before adding another layer.
- Make-ahead: Each layer needs time to set before adding on to the next layer, so be prepared to make this dish well in advance of the time you’re planning to serve it. I suggest making it the day before, so it has plenty of time to set before serving.
- For easy clean up: Use just 2 bowls and rinse between each flavor of jello to reduce the number of dishes.
- Tidy up the layers: If jello coats the sides of the dish higher than its layer while being transferred to the fridge, simply take a wet paper towel to wipe down the sides and keep the layers straight.
- Glass dish: Using a glass dish lets you see all the beautiful layers of jello.
Love jello recipes? You will love this jello poke cake, raspberry jello pretzel salad and orange pretzel parfait.
More Colorful Recipes
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Rainbow Layered Jello
Video
Ingredients
- 5 (3-ounce) boxes jello , black cherry, strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime
- 5 cups hot water , divided
- 15 Tablespoons ice cold water , divided
- 16 ounce container sour cream , divided
Instructions
- Place a 9×13-inch glass baking dish in the refrigerator to chill.
- In a medium bowl, stir black cherry jello in 1 cup hot water for 1 minute, or until dissolved. Divide in half (about 1/2 cup each) between two liquid measuring cups or bowls. In the first bowl, add 3 Tablespoons cold water and cover with plastic wrap. In the other bowl, add 1/3 cup sour cream and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the jello with the sour cream, into the chilled baking dish (tilting gently to spread evenly). Place in the fridge and chill 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove dish from the fridge and pour the second bowl of jello, tilting gently to spread evenly, over the top. Carefully return to the refrigerator and chill 25 to 30 minutes.
- Repeat the process with the remaining jello in this order: strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime (on top). Carefully carry each new layer to the fridge, and rotate the pan each time, to keep the layers straight. Refrigerate until firm.
- Slice into 20 slices. Serve while chilled.
Notes
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- Black cherry, or black raspberry jello
- Blue raspberry jello
- Lime jello
- Lemon jello
- Orange jello
- Strawberry or cherry jello
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: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Desserts, Easter, Gluten-Free, Kid-Friendly, No-Bake, Nut-Free, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
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.
This is the perfect fun, St. Patrick’s Day treat! My kids absolutely love it!
Yes!! This rainbow jello recipe is awesome! It is so colorful and festive, and absolutely delicious.
Looks great! Is this firm enough to eat and hold when cut into cubes?
Yes! These work great to cut into cubes even shapes!
My family, especially my kids were so impressed with this rainbow jello! It was beautiful because of the colors and delicious too. Love it!
My kids were obsessed with this rainbow jello! They had just as much fun helping to make it as they did to eat it.
This is such a fun treat! I love that it can be made in so many different color combinations.
Thank you for this! My mom would make rainbow jello when I was a kid, and I remember there being sour cream in the opaque layers (Most of the other online recipes call for condensed milk) I wanted to make this version for my kiddos but mom couldn’t remember the measurements. So happy I found it here! 😊
Used sugar free jello and Greek yogurt, increased the protein and decreased the carbs. Great alternative for diabetic diet
Jello takes me back to my childhood so it’s always a great dessert to jump back into making! I also really enjoyed all the holiday customizations you added into this post! It’s a hit all year round!
Love jello and this is such a fun and colorful treat. All the flavors really work well together!