Jello Pie is a fun no-bake dessert made with strawberry JELL-O and Cool Whip! JELL-O filling is poured over a graham cracker crust then topped with whipped cream and strawberries in this easy recipe.
Where would the world be without the miracle of JELL-O? From adding flavor to rice krispie treats to making delicious Jello poke cake, those little flavored gelatin packets have so many uses!
Why This Recipe is Best
Today, I’m adding another dessert to long list of JELL-O recipes in my rotation: Strawberry Jell-O Pie.
- Super easy to make. No baking required!
- Homemade graham cracker pie crust.
- Perfect sweet and creamy JELL-O filling.
- Topped with whipped cream and strawberries!
Once you know how to make Jello Pie, you’re going to want to try it with all kinds of JELL-O flavors.
Today we kept it classic with good old fashioned strawberry. If you couldn’t tell by the number of strawberry recipes on this site, I will never say no to a strawberry jello dessert. Especially if whipped cream is involved!
If you love easy pie recipes, don’t forget to try our pistachio pie next!
Ingredient Notes
- Graham cracker crust – The recipe includes instructions for how to make a graham cracker crust from scratch. Or you can substitute a store bought version in a pinch!
- Strawberry Jello – Use the powdered mix.
- Cool Whip – If you don’t want to use the kind that comes in a tub, try this homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream to use in the Jello pie instead.
Don’t forget the whipped cream and fresh strawberries for topping the pie. They are technically optional but I never miss out on a chance to enjoy fresh whipped cream and berries!
Tips and Tricks
- Freeze the crust. Stick the graham cracker crust in the freezer while you make the filling. The cold crust will stay together better and help the filling set more quickly.
- Dissolve the JELL-O completely. If the powder doesn’t dissolve all the way into the hot water, you’ll get flecks of red in the filling instead of a consistency pink color.
- Stir filling thoroughly. There should be NO lumps in the JELL-O Pie filling. Use a spatula to integrate the cool whip completely before chilling.
- Large pie plate. I use a deep pie plate for this pie (similar to what you would choose for an apple pie). Otherwise you may be left with some extra filling. The photos show this pie in a standard 9-inch pie plate for comparison. You can also make this pie in a 9-inch springform pan.
- Chill overnight. The pie may set in as little as 4 hours but I recommend making the pie the day before to ensure the JELL-O center has plenty of time to set and get nice and chilled.
- Skip the Crust. Pour jello filling into small 4 ounce plastic glasses or ramekins. Refrigerate as the recipe states and you’ll have delicious strawberry mousse cups instead!
If you love using jello in desserts, try our easy Jello Cake Trifle. Or give our holiday cranberry salad recipe a try. Kids and adults love our easy broken glass jello!
Recipe FAQs
JELL-O Pie recipes with Cool Whip work best with regular JELL-O. The sugar free varieties have a different chemical makeup which doesn’t set up as well in the filling.
Jello Pie keeps well for about 5 days. Store it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve and enjoy.
Yes, you can! Double wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap or foil and freezer bags. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen JELL-O Pie overnight in the refrigerator before eating.
This method works with any flavor of instant gelatin mix. Try making JELL-O Pie with cherry, lemon, orange, or lime. They’d all be delicious!
No, regular un-stabilized whipped cream does not produce the same results. If you don’t like using the stuff that comes in a tub, make your own stabilized whipped topping (aka “homemade Cool Whip“) to use instead.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Lemon Jello Salad
- Cheesecake Brownies
- No Bake Strawberry Lasagna
- Easy Peach Cake
- Strawberry Pie Recipe
- Walking Desserts
Jello Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs about 9 full size crackers
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Filling
- 1 box strawberry jello mix 3.4 ounce
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 cup cold water
- 12 ounce Cool Whip thawed
For the garnish
- whipped cream optional
- fresh strawberries optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add sugar and pulse a few times. Add melted butter. Pulse until crumbly.
- Pour mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, or the palm of your hand, firmly flatten and compress the crumb mixture. Press the crust up the sides of the dish first, making sure the crust is high enough to hold the filling, and then work on the flat surface.
- Freeze crust while making the filling.
- For the filling, stir the strawberry jello mix and boiling water together with a spoon or spatula in a large bowl until the jello mix has completely dissolved.
- Slowly add the cold water to the mix while continuing to stir.
- Fold in the Cool Whip, and mix until everything is combined with no lumps. (Make sure to take your time to make sure the mix is lump-free.) Place the mixture in the refrigerator, and chill for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture in case the whipped topping and jello have separated, then place it back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
- Take the jello mixture out of the refrigerator and stir, scraping the bottom of the bowl, to make sure it’s still well mixed.
- Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust, and place back in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or until the filling has set.
- Top with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, if desired, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Any flavor of gelatin can be used. Best with regular, not sugar free jello.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze the crust. Stick the graham cracker crust in the freezer while you make the filling. The cold crust will stay together better and help the filling set more quickly.
- Dissolve the JELL-O completely. If the powder doesn’t dissolve all the way into the hot water, you’ll get flecks of red in the filling instead of a consistency pink color.
- Stir filling thoroughly. There should be NO lumps in the JELL-O Pie filling. Use a spatula to integrate the cool whip completely before chilling.
- Large pie plate. I use a deep pie plate for this pie (similar to what you would choose for an apple pie). Otherwise you may be left with some extra filling. The photos show this pie in a standard 9-inch pie plate for comparison. You can also make this pie in a 9-inch springform pan.
- Chill overnight. The pie may set in as little as 4 hours but I recommend making the pie the day before to ensure the JELL-O center has plenty of time to set and get nice and chilled.
- Skip the Crust. Pour jello filling into small 4 ounce plastic glasses or ramekins. Refrigerate as the recipe states and you’ll have delicious strawberry mousse cups instead!
Nutrition
Jello Pie is a creative dessert recipe combining sweet strawberry gelatin with creamy whipped topping and a graham cracker crust.
I used to make a jello pie with a can of super chilled Milnot evaporated milk and whipped that up. Not sure where the recipe is now, but I bet if I look in an old church cookbook, it would be in there. This looks so refreshing for spring
I may be dating myself, but this looks like Whip ‘N Chill that was popular back in the 70’s! Can’t wait to try it!
Ha, I’ve never heard of that!!