These homemade heart-shaped Healthy Jello Snacks are loaded with healthy fruit and vegetables with no artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, or artificial flavors. Cut them into any fun shape you wish, but cut them into a heart shape and they're the perfect healthy Valentine's Day treat for kids!
These jello snacks are popular all year and can be made a few days in advance. They taste so good that you don't even realize they are healthy AND they are Weight Watchers friendly!
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Store-bought Jello is loaded with sugar, artificial flavor, and artificial color, whereas this gets all its flavor from real fruit and veggies and is packed with vitamins and minerals.
We weren't allowed jello very often and my Mom never made it at home. She said it was unhealthy and full of sugar. So whenever we went out and I got the chance to eat jello, I went to town and green Jello was my fave!
My kids always wonder why I never make jello and as you can guess, it's for the very same reasons.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
If I'm going to serve them jello, it's going to be healthy! And that's why I make jello with fruit and vegetables in it. It's so tasty that they don't even notice it has spinach in it. And if they do notice, it's so good that they don't seem to care. They're just happy to have jello in the house that I actually let them eat!
For this easy recipe, you'll need these simple ingredients:
- Baby spinach. Baby spinach leaves are smaller and they have a more tender and sweeter flavor than regular spinach.
- Raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen.
- Agave syrup. You need 30 percent less than you would sugar because agave syrup is considerably sweeter. Agave syrup has a milder and more neutral taste. It won't compromise the overall color and flavor of your recipes, allowing other ingredients to shine.
- Unflavored gelatin. I use unflavored gelatin because it has no added sweeteners, flavor, or color.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Shapes: I cut them into hearts for Valentine's Day (or just because :).) but you can cut them into squares or any shape you desire.
- Molds: You can also pour these into shaped molds or ice cube trays.
- Fruit: You can use strawberries or blueberries instead of raspberries
- Juice: You can substitute another type of fruit juice if you don't have orange juice
- Agave: You can substitute honey, but you'll need to use double the amount
🔪How to Make Healthy Jello Hearts
* Heads up! There is a 2 hour refrigeration (setting time).
PREP:
- Pour juice, spinach, and raspberries into food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Pour berry mixture into a saucepan. Add in agave, vanilla, and gelatin packets.
- Heat over a medium heat until gelatin is completely dissolved (3 to 5 minutes).
- Line a 9X13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 1: Pour fruit mixture onto parchment covered baking pan and spread evenly with spatula. Bang it on the counter a couple of times to remove any air bubbles and even thickness. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Step 2: Refrigerate for 2 hours until set. Cut into heart shapes (or other desired shapes) and serve
- Step 3: Store in the refrigerator, stacked between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use Fresh, High-Quality Ingredients. Fresh raspberries will give a brighter flavor, but frozen raspberries work just as well—just thaw them first.
Use fresh baby spinach for a milder taste; older spinach can have a slightly bitter flavor. - Blend Until Completely Smooth. To avoid any leafy bits in your jello, blend the spinach, juice, and fruit thoroughly. If needed, strain the mixture before heating for an ultra-smooth texture.
- Dissolve the Gelatin Properly. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the warm mixture and let it sit for 1–2 minutes before stirring to avoid clumping.
Stir continuously while heating to ensure it dissolves completely—undissolved gelatin will create lumps. - Bang the Pan on the Counter. After spreading the mixture onto the pan, gently tap it on the counter to remove air bubbles for an even, smooth surface.
- Use a Sharp Cookie Cutter. For the cleanest cuts, use a metal cookie cutter and press firmly. A dull cutter or plastic one might tear the jello. Lightly greasing the cutter with a bit of oil can help prevent sticking.
- Let It Fully Set. Be patient and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Rushing this step can lead to uneven texture.
- Storage Matters. Keep the jello pieces stacked between parchment paper in an airtight container to prevent them from sticking together. Avoid storing near strong-smelling foods in the fridge, as jello can absorb odors.
👪 Serving
This fruit snack recipe makes about 20 servings, depending on the size and shape of the cookie cutter you use. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You will need additional sheet pans if you increase the recipe.
I can't remember the last time I ate green jello and honestly have no desire to ever eat it again. However, I WILL eat this healthy homemade jello recipe.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 1 WW point
So if you're tired of the sugar overload during Valentine's Day, and looking for jello that's healthy, without added sugar, and made with natural ingredients, then give these a try!
This fun kid snack makes a great healthy snack for a kid's Valentine's party, potluck, or lunch bag. But they're really great all year round - you can cut them into any shape. Remember- hearts aren't just for Valentine's Day!
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes! You can substitute strawberries or blueberries for raspberries. If swapping the spinach, try mild greens like kale, but be aware that it may slightly change the flavor.
For firmer jello, add an extra packet of unflavored gelatin. For a softer texture, reduce the gelatin slightly.
Yes! You can pour the mixture into silicone molds or ice cube trays for fun, easy-to-remove shapes.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender to puree the ingredients until smooth.
If your jello isn’t setting, double-check that you used the correct amount of gelatin. Also, make sure the mixture was heated long enough for the gelatin to fully dissolve. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow it to set completely.
If you're looking for additional healthy recipes your kids will LOVE, then check out these Healthy Applesauce & Spinach Brownies!
📋 More Healthy Snacks
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❤️Healthy Jello Fruit and Veggie Snacks Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange juice
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 3 cups frozen raspberries, defrosted (fresh fruit, if preferred) *strawberries can be substituted
- ¼ cup agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 -7 gram packets of unflavored gelatin
Instructions
- * Heads up! There is a 2 hour refrigeration (setting time). Pour juice, spinach and raspberries into food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Pour berry mixture into a saucepan. Add in agave, vanilla, and gelatin packets.
- Heat over a medium-high heat until gelatin is completely dissolved (3 to 5 minutes).
- Line a 9X13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour fruit mixture onto pan and spread evenly with spatula. Bang on counter to remove any air bubbles and even thickness. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours until set. Cut into heart shapes (or other desired shapes) and serve.
- Store in the refrigerator, stacked between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use Fresh, High-Quality Ingredients. Fresh raspberries will give a brighter flavor, but frozen raspberries work just as well—just thaw them first.
Use fresh baby spinach for a milder taste; older spinach can have a slightly bitter flavor. - Blend Until Completely Smooth. To avoid any leafy bits in your jello, blend the spinach, juice, and fruit thoroughly. If needed, strain the mixture before heating for an ultra-smooth texture.
- Dissolve the Gelatin Properly. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the warm mixture and let it sit for 1–2 minutes before stirring to avoid clumping.
Stir continuously while heating to ensure it dissolves completely—undissolved gelatin will create lumps. - Bang the Pan on the Counter. After spreading the mixture onto the pan, gently tap it on the counter to remove air bubbles for an even, smooth surface.
- Use a Sharp Cookie Cutter. For the cleanest cuts, use a metal cookie cutter and press firmly. A dull cutter or plastic one might tear the jello. Lightly greasing the cutter with a bit of oil can help prevent sticking.
- Let It Fully Set. Be patient and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Rushing this step can lead to uneven texture.
- Storage Matters. Keep the jello pieces stacked between parchment paper in an airtight container to prevent them from sticking together. Avoid storing near strong-smelling foods in the fridge, as jello can absorb odors.
Elaine
Hi! Planning on making these today. Can they be frozen?
Terri Gilson
Hi Elaine,
No, I do not recommend freezing them, as gelatin doesn't freeze well. It will turn into a runny mess when you thaw it out.
Enjoy!
Terri
Katie
I have no idea how you got yours so red and pretty - mine look like straight up mud - but my 17-month-old scarfed them right up! I was short on OJ from the fresh oranges I had so I added some water for liquid + zest and subbed strawberries.
They stuck a little in the molds I used but that’s no big deal. Pan next time! I could have been a few grams off on my gelatin so maybe that’s why.
I doubled the recipe to freeze a bunch (gummies have typically done fine for me in the freezer then just thaw overnight).
Thanks for the recipe!
Terri Gilson
Hi Katie,
I think it's the raspberries that give it a much brighter red than the strawberries.
Did you grease your molds? I would spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Hope you enjoyed them!
Terri
Melissa
How many 5-7g gelatin packets need to be used?
It’s plural but doesn’t state whether there’s more then 1?
Thanks!
Terri Gilson
Hi Melissa,
You need to use FIVE (5) 7-gram-sized packages of gelatin. They come in an orange box and each package is 7 grams. You need 5 of those little packets. I hope that makes sense!
Terri
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
My parents made jello (or jelly as we called it) every Sunday when I was growing up. And it wasn't the healthy kind! Love that you healthified (is that a word?) a childhood treat!
Terri Gilson
Healthified is totally a word, Leanne 🙂 You are so lucky to have had that as a kid - jealous!