Perfect Jello Jigglers Recipe (Secrets from a Jello Whisperer) (2024)

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Find out how to make perfect Jello Jigglers every time with these helpful Jello tips and tricks. This Jello Jiggler recipe works for both regular Jello and sugar-free Jello Jigglers.

*Don’t just skip to the Jello recipe — you will want to see all the helpful tips before you start to make the Jello!

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Perfect Jello Jigglers

Jello Jigglers are everything that is wonderful about Jello; they are colorful, delicious, and tons of fun to make and eat!

The perfect Jello Jiggler is firm and jiggly, but never hard.

Jello Jigglers can be cut into neat cubes and shapes and still hold their form. They make a great finger snack for toddlers and young children, who also love to assistwith making and cutting the Jello.

Making Jello Jigglers is less intuitive than you might believe; in fact, you will not follow the instructions on the box!

Read on and I will share the best Jello recipe for Jigglers and teach you how to make Jello Jigglers perfectly every time.

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You can even make multi-colored Jigglers!

What you need to make Jello Jigglers

To make Jello Jigglers you will need the following items, most of which can be found at your local supermarket or even on Amazon.

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes (3 oz each) of Jello, any flavor (regular or sugar-free)
  • 2 cups of boiling water

Tools:

You can choose any flavor of Jello to make Jello Jigglers; you can also choose to make regular or sugar-free Jigglers. I tested both regular and sugar-free and did not find a big texture or taste difference.

If you want to make a single color of Jello Jigglers you will need two boxes of the same flavor (unless you want to layer it to make multi-color jello).

If you choose to make multiple colors at once, you will want a mold for each color (I used three separate molds to get yellow, blue, and red).

Most people are used to making Jello with a glass Pyrex pan, but I also love to use my Japanese nagashikan moldfor Jello Jigglers; a nagashikan has a four-sided outer pan and an inner pan that slides out and is open on two sides. Since you are able to pull out the inner pan it is just easier to cut the Jello into perfectcubes.

This is the exact nagashikan that I own (it’s also great for making fruit jellies with agar agar):

Perfect Jello Jigglers Recipe (Secrets from a Jello Whisperer) (3)
Buy now!

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Jello tips and tricks

On to the Jello tips! Here is a list of tips on how to make Jello Jigglers without experiencing pesky problems, like having your Jello stick to the pan (the horror!)

  1. Water to Jello ratio: For Jello Jigglers, keep the water-to-Jello ratio at 1:1; that means that for every ONE BOX of Jello you will need one cup of water. This is half of what the regular Jello recipe on the box requires. As a rule, the less water you add the stronger the Jello will be.
  2. Don’t add cold water: Rather than adding cold water, as the directions on the box instructs, you are only going to use boiling water to make Jello Jigglers — this helps the gelatin molecules form a really strong bond and results in that strong and jiggly jello you love!
  3. Spray the pan with cooking spray before putting in the Jello, then wipe with a paper towel: Before you add the liquid Jello into the pan, take the time to spray the pan lightly with a cooking spray and wipe it in with a paper towel. The spray will help stop the Jello from sticking to the pan and the wiping will help make sure the surface of your Jello is smooth since the little droplets of cooking spray can cause indentations in the Jello.
  4. Pop or scoop out any bubbles: After adding the liquid Jello to the mold make sure to pop any bubbles with a toothpick (or scoop out with a spoon). If you don’t, those bubbles will remain and you will get holes and divets in the top of your Jello! This doesn’t impact the taste, but can make it look rather uneven.
  5. Make thicker jello cubes: if you want your jello to be more like large, jiggly cubes double this recipe
  6. How to get Jello out of the pan: Even with the spray beforehand, sometimes Jello can still stick to the pan — especially with glass pans! To stop Jello from sticking to the pan, fill your sink with 1-2 inches of warm water and place the Jello into the sink for 10-15 seconds (you only want a little bit, not so much the water spills over into the Jello). Remove and begin to cut into shapes.
  7. How to store Jello: To store Jello, place it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator; it should last 7-10 days this way.

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How to make Jello Jigglers

Compared to the regular Jello recipe, Jello Jigglers are firmer to the touch. Here is how to get perfect Jello Jigglers, every time.

1. Boil water; add to gelatin

Boil one cup of water for every one 3 oz box of Jello. If you are making more than one color keep them separated.

Add the water to the Jello and stir for two minutes until completely dissolved. Don’t forget to pop those bubbles!

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2. Pour into Jello mold

Spray the Jello mold or pan with cooking spray and wipe down.Slowly pour the Jello into the pan; you don’t want to create more bubbles!.

3. Refrigerate

Carefully place the Jello molds into the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight.

4. Cut and serve

To remove the Jello Jigglers cleanly and stop them from sticking to your pan, place in the sink with around 1-inch of warm water for 10-15 seconds, then remove for cutting.

Use cookie cutters to cut Jello Jigglers into fun shapes or simply use a knife to slice into squares. Serve cold.

Reserve the scraps for later snacking.

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I hope you enjoyed this Jello Jiggler recipe!

Please take the time to leave me a review if you found this recipe useful; I LIVE for your reviews.

How to make two-tone Jello Jigglers

If you want to make two-tone Jello Jigglers like the ones pictured below on the orange spoon, here’s how.

  1. Make one color of Jello (two 3 oz boxes and 2 cups of boiling water) per the directions above and refrigerate in the mold for 30 minutes or until firm.
  2. Make the second color, pour gently on top, and refrigerate again until ready to serve!

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Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Find out how to make perfect Jello Jigglers every time with these helpful Jello tips and tricks. This Jello Jiggler recipe works for both regular Jello and sugar-free Jello Jigglers.

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes (3 oz) Jello, any flavor
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Bring water to a boil. Add the boiling water to the dry gelatin and stir for two minutes until fully dissolved.
  2. Spray Jello mold or pan with cooking spray; wipe with paper towel. Slowly pour the Jello into the 9x13 pan or nagashikan. Poke/remove any bubbles.
  3. Place Jello into the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until completely set.
  4. To remove Jello placethe pan in 1 inch of warm water in the sink for 10-15 seconds, then remove. Cut and serve.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 20Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 0g

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Perfect Jello Jigglers Recipe (Secrets from a Jello Whisperer) (2024)

FAQs

How to make Jello better? ›

It's important to use the right amount of water, as using too much or too little can affect the taste and texture of the Jell-O. Additionally, you can add fruit, whipped cream, or other ingredients to enhance the flavor.

What happens if you add less water to Jello? ›

This is half of what the regular Jello recipe on the box requires. As a rule, the less water you add the stronger the Jello will be.

Does lemon juice prevent Jell-O from setting? ›

Acidic ingredients, such as pineapple, kiwi, or fresh lemon juice, can interfere with the setting process of gelatin.

Can I use parchment paper with Jell-O? ›

Mix and chill.

Prepare an 8-inch square pan by lightly spraying it with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom. This will ensure the jello is easy to remove later. Use a slotted spoon to remove any excess bubbles on top, if you like.

What not to put in jello? ›

Fruits That Ruin Jell-O
  1. pineapple - bromelain.
  2. kiwi - actinidin.
  3. figs - ficain.
  4. papaya - papain.
  5. pawpaw - papain.
  6. mango.
  7. guava.
  8. ginger root.
May 8, 2019

Why do you put vinegar in Jello? ›

Entire cookbooks were devoted to lime Jell-O, according to Belluscio, often instructing cooks to add a tablespoon of vinegar to cut the sweetness when using flavored gelatins in savory vegetable salads.

What is the secret ingredient in Jello? ›

Gelatin is made from animal collagen — a protein that makes up connective tissues, such as skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones. The hides and bones of certain animals — often cows and pigs — are boiled, dried, treated with a strong acid or base, and finally filtered until the collagen is extracted.

How do you make a jiggler? ›

Dump the boiling water in a bowl. Slowly stir in the jello, add a little at a time. Stir well. Pour into small bread pan or jello molds.

How much Jello powder for 1 cup of water? ›

Soft Set: Use 1 teaspoon of unflavored powdered gelatin for 1 cup of liquid. Medium Set: Use 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin for 1 cup of liquid. Firm Set: Use 1 tablespoon of unflavored powdered gelatin for 1 cup of liquid.

Why is my Jello not firm enough? ›

You can just heat the water above 50°C/122°F and dissolve the Jello powders, and let it cool to set. But is much faster to dissolve in boiling water and then add cold water and refrigerate to set.

Does putting Jell-O in the freezer work? ›

When Jell-O freezes, the tiny pockets of liquid trapped inside harden and expand, but the gelatin itself stays flexible and pliable. What you end up with is a blend of hard and soft textures in a cool, chewy treat. Shockingly, you can eat it straight out of the freezer before it thaws without hurting your teeth.

How do you get Jell-O to harden? ›

Tips for Making Jello Set Faster

If you want to speed up the jello setting process, the effective way is to put your plastic serving bowl of gelatin jello mix in ice-cold water. Then, stir the bowl in the cold water and ensure the water doesn't get inside the container while dipping it in water.

How do you keep Jell-O from getting hard on the bottom? ›

Preventing gelatin from solidifying at the bottom?
  1. Rest sheets of gelatin for 10 minutes in very cold water.
  2. Grab the sheets and sqish them until dry enough.
  3. Drop into bowl, then add boiling water until it it covers the sheet.
Nov 19, 2022

Will Jell-O stick to a metal pan? ›

Metal pans work better than glass or ceramic. I am not sure why, but the Jello Jigglers are less likely to stick to a metal pan. If they don't easily remove, let the pan warm up in a shallow dish of warm water for a few seconds OR just leave the pan out of the refrigerator for a little bit to let the pan warm.

How do you keep gelatin from clumping? ›

To prevent gelatin from clumping up, always pour gelatin into water and never pour water into large amounts of gelatin. Stir the liquid vigorously with a fork or whisk while you sift the gelatin powder in. Always use cold liquids. Never pour dry gelatin powder into hot liquids directly.

Will Jell-O set in aluminum pans? ›

Jello table: I used aluminum mini loaf pans to set smaller amounts of gelatin so I could have multiple colors. I use plant based food dye for the colors, as we avoid synthetic dyes in our foods in general.

Do you spray Jell-O pan? ›

How do you keep the Jell-O from sticking to the mold? Cooking spray to the rescue! These days, a pliable silicone mold is not always what we reach for' especially if you're trying out your grandma's vintage metal tube pan! This recipe was made in a metal Bundt pan liberally sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

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