Festive Vegan Jello Dessert

{Gluten-Free, Vegan, Paleo, 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!

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!

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.

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

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★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• 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

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Description

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

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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

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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.