Halloween Layered Jello Jigglers
Everyone loves jello! Especially when that jello is super jiggly and perfectly layered for Halloween. Combine orange and grape flavored jello with the smooth, creamy taste of sweetened condensed milk and you’ll have a spooky treat that kids love. This scary take on a vintage recipe is simple to prepare, it just requires a bit of time but it is incredibly worth it.
You’ll love this recipe because:
It’s festive and fun! This layered jello jiggler recipe is perfect for Halloween, combining vibrant colors and a spooky theme that will be enjoyed by both kids and adults at your Halloween party.
It’s simple. While this festive jello recipe requires a bit of patience, it’s made with easy-to-find ingredients like flavored jello, sweetened condensed milk, and gelatin.
It’s great to make ahead. The recipe can be prepared a day in advance, allowing you to focus on other party preparations.
Here’s what you’ll need:
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Jello – You’ll need orange and grape Jello for this recipe.
- Black Food Coloring – Adding black food coloring will darken the grape jello for a spooky effect. Gel food coloring works best for achieving a deep, dark black. Be aware that it darkens over time, so add gradually.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – Use full-fat sweetened condensed milk for the creamiest texture. Avoid evaporated milk as it won’t provide the same sweetness or consistency.
- Gelatin Packets – You can find unflavored gelatin near the flavored Jello boxes at your local grocery store. Look for a 1 ounce box, which usually has 4 individual packets that are .25 ounce each in it.
- Water – You’ll need both boiled water and room temperature water for this recipe. The boiling water is used to dissolve the Jello and gelatin completely to ensure a smooth mixture, whereas the room temperature water is used to bloom the gelatin properly.
When working with layered jello desserts, patience is key. Each layer must cool to room temperature before pouring it over the previous one to prevent melting and ensure clean, distinct layers.
Step-by-step instructions
This Halloween layered jello recipe is very easy to make with a few simple ingredients. All you need is some time and a bit of patience! The steps below with matching photos are meant to help you see the recipe at various stages so that you can make these festive jigglers perfectly every time.
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.
Mix one orange jello packet with gelatin and boiling water. Let cool to room temperature.
Pour the orange jello mixture into the glass baking dish in an even layer. Refrigerate until firm.
Mix sweetened condensed milk with boiling water. Bloom gelatin in room temperature water, melt, and mix into the milk mixture.
Let cool, then pour one-third over the set orange layer and refrigerate.
Mix one grape jello packet with gelatin, boiling water, and black food coloring.
Let cool, then pour over the set milk layer and refrigerate.
Pour another one-third of the milk mixture over the set grape layer and refrigerate. Repeat the making the orange and purple layers with the remaining jello, gelatin and water and continue layering the dessert, letting each layer set in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate the layered jello jigglers for at least an hour or overnight to fully set. Cut into squares or desired shapes and enjoy your festive Halloween treat!
Expert Tips
FAQs
You can, but you won’t get the orange and black effect if you use other flavors. However, I think if you want to add a green flavor and additional purple flavor into the mix, that would be so fun! I love adding purple and green in with my orange and black Halloween colors.
You can make this dessert up to 3 days in advance. However, I don’t recommend cutting the jello into squares until ready to serve. I find that the colors start to bleed into each other after they sit for awhile.
While regular liquid food coloring can be used, gel food coloring is more concentrated and provides a deeper color without affecting the jello’s consistency.
If the condensed milk mixture starts to harden while waiting for the layers to set, you can gently reheat it in the microwave in 15-20 second increments, stirring between each, until it returns to a pourable consistency. Ensure it cools to room temperature before pouring.
Storage Instructions
Storage: Store your layered jello jigglers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh and maintain their texture for up to 3 days. If possible, I recommend not slicing the jello until you’re ready to serve it so the colors don’t blend together. However, if you store leftover sliced jigglers, they’ll still taste delicious!
Freezing jello is not recommended. Jello does not freeze well and tends to become watery and lose its texture when thawed. It is best to enjoy this dessert fresh from the refrigerator.
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More holiday desserts to try
Halloween Layered Jello Jigglers
Ingredients
- 2 (3 oz each) boxes orange jello, divided (85g each box, 179g/ 6 oz total)
- 1 ounce unflavored gelatin, divided (there are 4 packets in a 1 oz box, 2.5 teaspoons each packet)
- 2 (3 oz each) boxes grape jello, divided (85g each box, 179g/ 6 oz total)
- 1 teaspoon black gel food coloring, divided
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 397ml
- 5 cups boiling water, divided (40 oz, 1183ml)
- 1/4 cup room temperature water, 2 oz, 59ml
Instructions
- Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Use a paper towel to remove any excess puddles that may have formed. You just want a light coat.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the contents of one of the orange jello packets (reserving the other for later) with half of a packet (1 and 1/4 teaspoons) of gelatin. Add one cup of boiling water and whisk until dissolved. Cool for 10 minutes so it is not boiling hot.
- Pour the contents into the bottom of the prepared dish. Place in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
- While the jello is chilling, make the condensed milk layer. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the room temperature water with 2 packets (5 teaspoons) of unflavored gelatin. Let stand for 3 minutes to bloom. Once bloomed, pop in the microwave for 20 seconds on high to liquify the gelatin. Whisk the gelatin mixture into the sweetened condensed mixture and let cool until room temperature.
- Pour 1/3 of the cooled sweetened condensed milk layer over the orange jello layer. You’ll be using approximately 3/4 cup of the milk mixture per layer. Place the dish in the fridge to set for about 20 minutes. It takes a bit longer to set the white layer.
- While the milk layer is setting, we’ll get started on the black layer. In a small bowl, whisk together one box of grape jello, 1 packet (.25 oz or 2.5 teaspoons) of unflavored gelatin, 1 cup of boiling water and 1/2 teaspoon of black food coloring. If the jello isn’t dark enough for you, simply add another 1/4 teaspoon of food coloring. Cool until it reaches room temperature.
- Pour the grape jello layer over the set condensed milk layer. Place in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
- Once the grape layer has set, pour another layer (1/3 of the mixture) of the condensed milk mixture. Place in the fridge to set for 20 minutes.
- Repeat step 2 & 3 with the second box of orange jello. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Once set, pour the last of the condensed milk mixture over the final orange layer. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Lastly, repeat step 8 with the second box of grape jello. This will be your final layer. Once all the layers are complete, place the layered dessert in the fridge for at least one hour but up to overnight.
Notes
- Due to the cooling time, this dessert should be made a day in advance of needing it.
- While any 9×13 dish will work, I find that a clear glass one really helps to see the individual layers and also helps to ensure that the dish is laying flat.
- It is so important to cool the liquid jello layers to room temperature. If the mixture is too hot, it will melt the previous layer as soon as it touches it.
- Why don’t we make the orange and grape jello all at once? so it doesn’t set on the counter while you are waiting for the layers to chill
- There is a very small chance that the remaining condensed milk mixture will start to harden while you are waiting for the layers to set. Just pop the mixture in the microwave on high in 15-20 second increments, whisking between each increment. Be sure that is it at room temperature before you pour the layer on.
- Remember: black food coloring darkens over time and will take about 20 minutes to get the full impact of the black.
Nutrition
