Home » Recipes » Side Dish Recipes » Meme’s Cherry co*ke Jello Salad
by Whitney Bond
November 5, 2023
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4.20 stars (25 ratings)
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No Bond family holiday meal is complete without Grandma Meme’s Cherry co*ke Jello Salad! This vintage southern recipe combines cherries, pineapple, coca-cola and cherry jello. It’s the perfect easy side dish to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter!
Table of contents
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Recipe tips
- More Bond family recipes
This post originally appeared on the blog in March 2013 and was blog post #300. For posts 100, 200 and 300, I published a recipe from my Grandma Meme’s cookbook in her memory. Post 100 featured my Grandma Meme’s Pink Lemonade Pie and post 200 featured her Graham Cracker Cookie Sandwiches.
I was lucky enough to grow up across the street from my wonderful grandparents. And my Grandma Meme taught me so much about the love that goes into cooking!
Today I’m sharing her Cherry co*ke Salad, with some updated photos and tips! This classic southern side dish was served at every holiday meal when I was growing up, and we still continue the tradition today.
It contains jello, sugar and coca-cola, so can you really call it a salad? Well there’s also fruit in there, so we’ll just call it a fruit salad! That would totally have been Meme’s logic, so we’re sticking with it!
Ingredients
- Canned Red Tart Cherries (pitted in water) – these are generally found on the baking aisle at most grocery stores. These cherries should not be confused with cherry pie filling, which contains added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. For this recipe, you’ll add the entire can of filling.
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Boxed cherry Jello powder
- Coca-Cola
- Canned crushed pineapple
Walnuts can also be added to this jello salad. My Grandma’s original recipe called for 1 cup of chopped walnuts, but my brother and I didn’t like the nuts in the salad, so they’ve been left out of our families recipe for decades now. Feel free to add them if you’d like!
Instructions
- Heat the cherries, sugar and water.
- Add the cherries, sugar and water to a medium pot on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
- Dissolve the jello powder in the boiling cherry mixture.
- Add the cherry Jello powder to a large glass bowl or serving dish.
- Pour the hot cherry mixture from the pot over the jello powder in the bowl or dish.
- Stir to combine the jello powder with the hot liquid, making sure all of the powder dissolves into the liquid.
- Allow this mixture to cool on the counter for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and refrigerate the jello salad.
- Add the coca-cola and crushed pineapple.
- Note: You do not need to drain the pineapple, just add the entire can to the salad.
- Note 2: If you’d like to add the walnuts that I mentioned above, you’ll add them at this time with the crushed pineapple.
- Stir everything together, then place in the refrigerator to set for 6-8 hours.
- Add the coca-cola and crushed pineapple.
Recipe tips
- Make sure the powdered jello dissolves COMPLETELY in the hot liquid. The jello salad will not set properly if the jello is not dissolved in the hot liquid before refrigeration.
- Jello with fruit in it will take longer to set than traditional jello by itself. So make sure to allow at least 6 hours for the jello salad to refrigerate before serving.
- Do NOT put the jello salad in the freezer to speed up the setting process. This will ruin the jello and therefore ruin your cherry co*ke salad.
- Do NOT use fresh pineapple in this recipe. I unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way. Not to get too science-class on you, but basically pineapple has an enzyme in it that will kill the gelatin and prevent it from setting. Canned pineapple is heated during the canning process, therefore breaking apart the enzyme that attacks the jello. In conclusion, fresh or frozen pineapple + jello = bad, canned pineapple + jello = good.
- You can make this jello salad in a bundt pan or jello mold to create a ring shape. A classic way of serving this vintage recipe! Just be sure to spray the inside of either pan with cooking spray, so that the jello slides out easily in one ring for a fun presentation.
- Leftover cherry co*ke jello salad will last in the refrigerator for up to a week. But I highly doubt it will last that long! It’s always the first Thanksgiving leftover to go after the big meal. This family treasure continues to be a favorite year-after-year!
More Bond family recipes
Check out more of my family’s most popular recipes from my grandma Meme, Mom and Dad!
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4.20 stars (25 ratings)
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Meme’s Cherry co*ke Jello Salad
Grandma Meme's Cherry co*ke Jello Salad recipe combines cherries, pineapple, coca-cola & cherry jello. It's the perfect easy side dish to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter!
Servings: 8 people
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Refrigeration Time: 6 hours hrs
Total Time: 6 hours hrs 25 minutes mins
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounce can red tart cherries, pitted in water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 6 ounce box cherry jello powder
- 1 cup coca-cola
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple
Instructions
Add the cherries, sugar and water to a medium pot on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Add the jello powder to a large bowl or serving dish.
Pour the boiling cherry mixture over the jello powder in the bowl or dish, stir to combine until all of the jello powder is dissolved.
Allow to cool on the counter for 15-20 minutes.
Add the coca-cola and pineapple and stir until everything is combined.
Place in the refrigerator to set for 6-8 hours.
Notes
- The most important step of this recipe is making sure the jello is dissolved in the hot liquid. If the jello does not dissolve in the liquid, your jello salad will not set.
- Do NOT use fresh or frozen pineapple in this recipe. An enzyme in the pineapple will cause the jello not to set. Canned pineapple is fine, as the enzyme is broken down in the heating and canning process.
- You can make this recipe ahead of time, as it will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving 6gCalories 287kcal (14%)Carbohydrates 72g (24%)Protein 3g (6%)Fat 1g (2%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Sodium 107mg (4%)Potassium 159mg (5%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugar 56g (62%)Vitamin A 576mg (12%)Vitamin C 8mg (10%)Calcium 19mg (2%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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originally published October 29, 2020 — last updated November 5, 2023 43 Comments
Posted in: 4th of July Recipes, Christmas Recipes, Easter Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Recipes, Recipes with 6 Ingredients or Less, Side Dish Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes
About Whitney Bond
I’m a sports-loving, coffee-drinking, food blogger, the host of “29 Minute Meals”, a contributing writer for TODAY Food, cookbook author and on-camera food and lifestyle expert! Here you’ll find most recipes are made in 29 minutes or less, in one pot, or in a crock pot!
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Leave a Reply
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Colleen Rouse — December 18, 2023 @ 6:57 PM Reply
Hi Whitney was wondering if this recipe will fill a 9×13 glass dish
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Whitney Bond — December 18, 2023 @ 8:37 PM Reply
Hi Colleen, yes, that will work!
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Patricia Sanders — November 21, 2023 @ 8:04 AM Reply
My mom introduced this salad to me when I was 10…I’m now 73. Hopefully as good
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Whitney Bond — November 21, 2023 @ 8:09 AM Reply
I hope it takes you right back to childhood! I can’t wait to make it tomorrow. It’s always a favorite at the Thanksgiving dinner table!
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Pam C — November 19, 2023 @ 7:05 AM Reply
Do you drain the pineapple before you add to the mixture or do you use the juice & pineapple both?
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Whitney Bond — November 19, 2023 @ 7:34 AM Reply
Hi Pam, you use the entire can of pineapple. Enjoy!
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Karen Bryant — September 24, 2023 @ 7:23 PM Reply
Hey, do you use the cherries whole? You don’t have to chop them up, or anything? I am going to make this, & didn’t see, what looked like whole cherries, in the finished product. Thanks!!
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Whitney Bond — September 25, 2023 @ 11:30 AM Reply
Hi Karen, yes, the cherries are whole and you add the entire can to the recipe, with the liquid from the can. Enjoy!
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Sheila — April 10, 2023 @ 8:10 PM Reply
I have pitted black cherries in my freezer, and we have cherry co*ke.. will I be able to use them?
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Whitney Bond — April 12, 2023 @ 1:01 PM Reply
Hi Sheila, you could try the frozen cherries, but the canned cherries contain water and I’m not sure of the ratio of cherries to water in the can, so I wouldn’t know the exact amount of water that you would need to add, but I would say around 1/2 cup, if you want to give it a try. Cherry co*ke will work fine as a substitute for traditional coca cola.
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Sue G — March 31, 2023 @ 6:04 PM Reply
I’m looking for a jello salad to serve with ham and this is exactly what I was looking for as I have canned sour cherries. I want to do a jello with cherries and pineapple since I LOVE those 2 things paired with ham but I have 1 question. I don’t want to be sacreligious to the recipe but do you think this would work if I substituted Ginger Ale for the Cola? I love making a ham glaze using ginger ale, pineapple & cherries and thought it might be nice to use that instead as a nice pairing.
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Sue G — March 31, 2023 @ 6:12 PM Reply
Oh and one more question! How firm does this set up? It looks like you serve yours out of a dish but if I were to make a mold out of this I’m wondering if I should decrease the liquid. Most recipes for molding Jello recommend decreasing the amount of liquid used to have it set up firmly and keep it’s shape.
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Whitney Bond — April 4, 2023 @ 5:21 PM
Hi Sue, unfortunately I have not made this recipe in a mold. If you’ve read recommendations for decreasing the liquid, you can certainly try that.
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Whitney Bond — April 4, 2023 @ 5:23 PM Reply
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried this recipe with Ginger Ale, so I can’t guarantee the results, but I would assume it would work just fine if you use the same quantity of ginger ale to replace the coca cola.
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Cassandra — November 17, 2022 @ 10:27 AM Reply
Hi! For a more Thanksgiving touch, how do you think fresh cranberries would work – in sub for the cherries?? Thanks!
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Whitney Bond — November 17, 2022 @ 2:10 PM Reply
Hi Cassandra, you could try the fresh cranberries, but the canned cherries contain water and I’m not sure of the ratio of cherries to water in the can, so I wouldn’t know the exact amount of water that you would need to add, but I would say around 1/2 cup, if you want to give it a try.
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Mertie — November 15, 2022 @ 10:55 PM Reply
I saw that no comment has been posted regarding the use of diet co*ke. I have diabetes and cannot even taste this recipe due to the enormous amount of carbs! I can change most of the other highly carb ingredients but still need to address the co*ke ingredient. I’d hate to try and not have it work out, especially with the high cost of canned fruit nowadays. Did you ever get an answer or try it yourself? It looks so gooood! Thanks, Mertie
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Whitney Bond — November 16, 2022 @ 10:43 AM Reply
Hi Mertie, I’m sorry, unfortunately I have not tried it myself. I do not see why it wouldn’t work, but I totally understand your hesitation to be the first one to try it.
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GiGi — May 17, 2023 @ 12:21 AM Reply
Hello, Mertie,
I use diet, caffeine free co*ke and it works out fine….. my Mother’s recipe is a little different from this one. We also add strawberry jello and a few other things. it’s great!
She started making this in the 1950’s.
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Fran — November 13, 2022 @ 5:17 PM Reply
Do you use the water that cherries are in from the can? Also, can this recipe be doubled?
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Whitney Bond — November 13, 2022 @ 6:38 PM Reply
Hi Fran, yes you use the entire can of cherries, including the water, and you can absolutely double the recipe! Enjoy!
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Ann Pomponio — July 3, 2022 @ 6:15 PM Reply
My whole family liked the recipe and gave it a big approval for the holiday dinner. I would have liked it firmer but perhaps it was the effect of today’s hot temp or my not giving it the time to chill.
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Luanne Vandehey — June 21, 2022 @ 3:27 PM Reply
Can I use frozen sour cherries in place of the canned sour cherries? If so, should I add some water to them or just use the frozen cherries as is?
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Whitney Bond — June 21, 2022 @ 4:11 PM Reply
Hi Luanne, I use the liquid from the can of cherries and I’ve never measured just the liquid, so unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to tell you how much to add. You could try it with frozen cherries and 1/2 cup water, but I just couldn’t guarantee the results would be the same.
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Becky — April 17, 2022 @ 7:15 AM Reply
Mine hasn’t set up yet and I made it yesterday around 5
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Whitney Bond — April 18, 2022 @ 1:52 PM Reply
Hi Becky, did you happen to make it with fresh pineapple? That’s the only time that I’ve had a problem with mine setting up properly.
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Mary — April 16, 2022 @ 11:22 AM Reply
When I make this recipe the cherries and pineapple tend to float to the top. It still taste wonderful and is loved, just wondering if this is normal.
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Whitney Bond — April 18, 2022 @ 1:54 PM Reply
Hi Mary, yes that does happen sometimes. I try to stir everything together well so that the fruit will settle, but that’s also why I like to use a large casserole dish to make the recipe so that even if the fruit floats to the top, you can still get everything in one scoop of the salad!
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Connie — August 4, 2022 @ 6:41 AM Reply
I find you need to refrigerate the jello til it thickens a little befor stirring in the fruit etc. Then put it in what youd like and let it set. It blends together much better.
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Sue G — March 31, 2023 @ 6:08 PM Reply
I would just like to point out that when you are making jello molds with fruit in them, recipes always advise to let the jello partially set before you mix in the fruit. This way the fruit is suspended and don’t sink!
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Kathy Weber — December 31, 2021 @ 8:28 AM Reply
Hi, This sounds good! 2 questions- can you use pepsi? and if you hear of successful results with diet, pass it on!
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Whitney Bond — January 2, 2022 @ 12:16 PM Reply
Hi Kathy, you can use Pepsi. I still don’t know about diet, but I’ll test it out soon and let you know the results!
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Gerre Tyrone — December 17, 2021 @ 7:17 PM Reply
Your recipes are great. I like the updated flavor and use of fresh ingredients. Gerre Lynne Turner Tyrone🎄
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Linda — December 8, 2021 @ 6:22 PM Reply
Hi
Do you need to drain the pineapple?-
Whitney Bond — December 8, 2021 @ 6:39 PM Reply
Hi Linda, no, you don’t need to drain the pineapple. Add the entire can to the recipe.
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Teresa Wright — November 22, 2021 @ 1:21 PM Reply
My mother’s maiden name is Bond. Would love to know if we share blood. I know we share the love of food.
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Whitney Bond — November 22, 2021 @ 3:09 PM Reply
Hi Teresa, my family is from Oklahoma, but we’re a very small family, so I doubt there’s any relation. Do you have family in Oklahoma?
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Ann Faught — November 2, 2021 @ 5:51 PM Reply
wondering if you can substitute diet drink for the co*ke and a sugar substitute
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Whitney Bond — November 2, 2021 @ 6:01 PM Reply
Hi Ann, unfortunately I haven’t tested the recipe with a diet soda or sugar substitute, so I couldn’t guarantee that the results would be the same. Let me know if you try it and how it works for you!
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Vonna — July 12, 2021 @ 8:25 PM Reply
Should the can of cherries be drained ?
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Whitney Bond — July 13, 2021 @ 11:56 AM Reply
Hi Vonna, great question, no you do not need to drain the can of cherries!
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Martha — July 11, 2021 @ 7:56 AM Reply
This is the exact recipe that my grandmother used, but she added chopped pecans and cream cheese. So good!
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Whitney Bond — July 12, 2021 @ 3:52 PM Reply
Love it! Such a fun, nostalgic recipe!
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