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    Home » Recipes » Mousse & Pudding

    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert

    Published: Dec 20, 2014 · Modified: Jul 16, 2022 by Audrey · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

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    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert Recipe {Refined Sugar-Free}

    {Gluten-Free, Vegan, Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free, AIP}

    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert Recipe {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, AIP}

    I made this festive looking vegan jello dessert recipe the other day, feeling all inspired by some fresh pomegranate I was gifted by my mother. I was contemplating how to use my pomegranate best {important decisions, ya know... ;) } and decided I wanted to either make a jelly out of it {maybe for some thumbprint cookies, linzer cookies, etc.}, and then suddenly I got a very strong urge to make some pomegranate jello! I haven't had jello in ages, so I set out to explore my options. I've heard of people using agar agar to create vegan gelatin, so I just had to try it out for myself to see what that's all about. And so I ended up with these gorgeous pomegranate jello cups topped with some dairy-free whipped cream and a few arils for garnish -- delicious!

    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert Recipe {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, AIP}

    This gelatin-free jello dessert can really be made in any flavor though -- doesn't need to be pomegranate at all. I think it would be absolutely incredible with cherry or strawberry juice, or maybe even some blueberry or peach... You can also easily dress it up for any occasion with your choice of fruit juice base. The gorgeous red from the pomegranate is just perfect for the winter holidays, Valentine's day, Canada Day, etc. I'm already seeing this working with a bit of blueberry juice for 4th of July, a pink juice for a shower, etc... So many options!

    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert Recipe {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, AIP}

    I made my own pomegranate juice by placing the arils of 1 fruit in a blender, blending for just a few seconds {if you over-blend you'll end up with a murky juice}, and then pressing the juice through a sieve. That's how I ended up with about 1 ¼ cups of fresh juice. You're welcome to use store-bought or freshly squeezed juice of any kind instead though for a much faster way to make this. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, etc. for a larger batch, but since that's all the juice I had on hand, it made 4 small dessert cups. I found the size to actually be just perfect, so I recommend using little shot glasses or small clear disposable cups for the purpose, especially if serving at a party, etc.

    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert Recipe {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, AIP}

    Note: this recipe is as close as I've ever come or seen to a vegan jello. Sure you can buy the commercial stuff, but I don't find it much better and I haven't been able to find any without weird ingredients anyways. The main difference between this vegan dessert jello recipe and the real stuff is that it's a tiny touch less clear than jello, and also a tiny touch softer. But it totally works as a jello substitute in most recipes {like jello eggs, etc.} and I'm pretty excited to have a jello I can use in desserts back as an option! So I guess this is a bit of disclosure -- it's not a perfect jello substitute, but it's pretty darn close and tastes delicious! You can see what it looks like ungarnished in the photo below:

    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert Recipe {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, AIP}

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    Festive Vegan Jello Dessert

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    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 review

    Fun vegan jello dessert to spruce up your holiday season. Jello part adapted from this Vegan Gelatin Recipe.

    • Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
    • Yield: 4 jello dessert cups
    • Category: Pudding
    • Cuisine: Dessert

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup + ¼ cup pomegranate juice, divided {or any other clear juice of your choice}
    • 1 tbsp agar agar flakes
    • 1 tsp tapioca starch
    • 1 cup vegan whipped cream of your choice {see notes section for recipe}
    • optional: a few pomegranate arils {or bits of a fruit of your choice} for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Place 1 cup of juice and the agar agar flakes in a saucepan and bring to a light simmer on medium heat. Stir occasionally to help the agar agar dissolve faster. Once simmering, lower temperature to low heat and simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
    2. Place the remaining ¼ cup of juice in a cup. Add in tapioca starch and stir really well to dissolve all the starch. Pour this mixture into the saucepan. Stir everything to combine.
    3. Carefully pour the jello mixture into serving cups {taking extra care not to spill the mixture on the sides or rims of the cups}. Place cups in the fridge and refrigerate overnight {or at least for 4-5 hours} to allow the jello to set.
    4. Prior to serving, remove from fridge, top each cup with about ¼ cup whipped cream, and garnish with pomegranate arils {or fruit of your choice}. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    Feel free to use a non-dairy whipped cream of your choice for this recipe {store-bought or homemade}.

    Here's how to make your own coconut whipped cream: Chill 1 can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. When ready to use, open the can and scoop out only the solid part of the milk into a medium sized mixing bowl. {Store remaining coconut water for later use or discard}. Add in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup {or liquid sweetener of choice} to the mixing bowl and whip it up with a mixer until it’s light and fluffy.

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    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      November 17, 2015 at 12:31 am

      These remind me of the irresistible little dessert shooter you can get at Olive Garden (but probably way better...obviously!) I included them in a BuzzFeed post if you'd like to check it out! http://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahlorraine/13-dazzling-pomegranate-recipes-to-try-this-thanks-1xym3

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        September 06, 2019 at 8:38 pm

        Hi Sarah, thanks so much! :)

        Reply
    2. vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says

      February 08, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      So fun! The presentation is fantastic! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I can't wait to see what you share next time!
      -Cindy

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        February 11, 2015 at 12:05 am

        Thanks Cindy! :)

        Reply
    3. Miz Helen says

      February 03, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      I just pinned your delicious dessert. Thanks so much for sharing your post with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us real soon!
      Miz Helen

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Rozelyn says

      January 30, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      I love agar agar and this recipe looks perfect for valentine's day. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 31, 2015 at 12:14 am

        You're most welcome, Rozelyn! Enjoy it :)

        Reply
    5. Jules says

      January 18, 2015 at 11:58 am

      This looks amazing!!! Since I have an abundance of Great Lakes gelatin, could this be substituted for the agar? And if so, green or orange can and how much? Thanks a bunch, can't wait to try this for my ladies Valentines bunco night!!!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 18, 2015 at 12:18 pm

        Thanks Jules -- this would be lovely for a Valentine's night! Easy to make and so pretty :)

        Yes, you can substitute gelatin for the agar agar. From looking it up -- the orange can is regular gelatin, whereas the green one is a different product, so go with orange. 1 tbsp agar agar flakes = 1 tsp gelatin powder.

        Note: you'll probably want to multiply the recipe for a larger party {this recipe makes 4 of the small glasses pictured -- not sure how many people you're intending this for, but figured probably more than 4 :) } . Enjoy it!

        Reply

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