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 assist with 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.
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:
- A 9×13 pan or nagashikan mold
- Measuring cups
- A whisk
- Cooking spray
- Toothpicks
- Cookie cutters or just a knife
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 mold for 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 perfect cubes.
This is the exact nagashikan that I own (it’s also great for making fruit jellies with agar agar):
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!)
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- Make thicker jello cubes: if you want your jello to be more like large, jiggly cubes double this recipe
- 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.
- 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.
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!
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.
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.
- 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.
- Make the second color, pour gently on top, and refrigerate again until ready to serve!
PERFECT JELLO JIGGLERS RECIPE
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
- Bring water to a boil. Add the boiling water to the dry gelatin and stir for two minutes until fully dissolved.
- 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.
- Place Jello into the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until completely set.
- To remove Jello place the pan in 1 inch of warm water in the sink for 10-15 seconds, then remove. Cut and serve.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 20Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 0g
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Julie Briones says
Love that last tip on layering! I remember making these when we were young. Well, not THAT young, but youngER. 😉
Marissa says
Ha! You really can do it all, Julie! <3
Kelly says
How would this recipe turn out if I decided to use an 8×8 glass pan with only one box of jello?? Thanks 😊
Marissa says
Hi Kelly! It’s going to end up pretty thin with one box, but if you cut it into VERY small pieces they might still hold together – I haven’t tried it myself, but I can imagine it would be very thin…two boxes would be better, but I’m all about working with what you’ve got! Good luck. <3
Kelly says
Ok so I re-read the recipe and I see two 3oz boxes. So if I use a 6 Oz box I would be ok, correct?? Sorry for all the questions. I want to make jello with my daughter to pass the time during quarantine 🙂 thanks!
Marissa says
It should be totally fine! Have fun. 🙂
Dee says
In the past I made these with a cream layer. It was many years ago. Do you happen to have that recipe?
Marissa says
I don’t have the exact recipe on my blog yet, but I bet it was something similar to the green layer in this, with heavy whipping cream? https://www.squirrelsofafeather.com/green-blue-jello-balls-recipe/
Marie says
Can you put sliced bananas in the jigglers and if so will they still stay fresh 7-10 sealed good in the refrigerator?
Marissa says
Marie, I think you CAN but they will probably start turning brown — I’ve never tried it, so let me know how it goes if you do. 🙂
Kate says
The sugar free boxes come in 0.3oz box… would you use one cup water with that amount or do I need 3 whole ounces of sugar free?
Marissa says
Kate it should be the same amount of water as the 3 oz boxes! It’s like magic. 🙂
Billie says
Will this ratio work well with the silicone molds? Should I still spray and wipe them?
Marissa says
Honestly, Billie, I have trouble with silicone molds – they stick a lot more than metal, glass, or ceramic. Definitely spray and ALSO really soak in the warm bath to remove without it falling about. If you are really set on using the silicone molds, you might even reduce the water ratio even more so it’s even “tougher”. Good luck, may the Jello odds be ever in your favor!