If you eat a vegan diet, you don’t have to give up jello. The trick is to use agar agar, a plant-based gelatin substitute that comes from seaweed. When mixed with water and fruit juice (or puree), agar agar creates a wonderfully fruity jello treat.
The best part? You can use fun silicone molds to make to make fun and enticing shapes. It will be a hit with kids and adults alike! Here you’ll find two ways to make vegan jello from scratch without gelatin.
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How to Make Vegan Jello with Juice
The first method uses juice. We used 100% cranberry juice for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite kind.
You will need:
- 100% fruit juice
- water
- sugar or maple syrup (optional)
- agar agar powder
You’ll also need silicone cupcake liners or a silicone mold. Alternatively, you can grease a deep dish and cut the jello into squares.
In a small pot, combine all the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, mixing frequently to dissolve the agar agar and sugar. This will also help prevent the agar agar from settling along the bottom of the pot.
Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Continue mixing.
Carefully pour the mixture into the silicone molds. We suggest placing the silicone molds in a larger baking dish or container so they’re easier to handle.
Let sit until close to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until set.
How to Make Vegan Jello with Fruit Puree
You can also use fruit puree instead of fruit juice. This option is ideal if you prefer fresh fruit or don’t have any juice on hand. Also, it calls for slightly less agar agar powder than the fruit juice version.
You will need:
- fruit puree
- water
- sugar or maple syrup (optional)
- agar agar powder
To make fruit puree, simply add 1 cup of chopped fresh fruit in a blender and blend until smooth. (Alternatively, you can leave a few chunks if you want jello with pieces of fruit!) We used mango puree for this recipe.
Want to use frozen fruit? Defrost the fruit first. Drain the excess liquid then puree as usual.
In a small pot, combine all the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, mixing frequently to dissolve the agar agar and sugar. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking often.
Grease a heat-safe dish with a neutral oil, like grapeseed or vegetable oil. You can also line the dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Pour the mixture into the dish, then let sit until it reaches room temperature.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until set. Carefully slice the jello into squares and serve.
Vegan jello squares can be served individually and topped with fruit or coconut flakes. Alternatively, you can cut the jello into smaller squares and serve them in a bowl. Anything goes when it comes to vegan homemade jello.
Again, take note: If you’re making vegan jello with fruit juice, you’ll need more agar agar powder than if you were using fruit puree. That’s because fruit juice is much thinner than puree, so it needs an extra boost of gelling power.
Vegan Jello
Ingredients
Vegan Jello with Fruit Juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fruit juice 100% fruit juice
- 4 tablespoons sugar adjust according to sweetness of juice
- 1 ¼ teaspoons agar agar powder
Vegan Jello with Fruit Puree
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup fruit puree
- 4 tbsp sugar adjust according to sweetness of juice
- 1 tsp agar agar powder
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small pot.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, mixing frequently. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Carefully pour into silicone molds or a greased heat-safe baking dish. Let sit until it reaches room temperature, then chill for 2 hours or until set.
I have not tried it yet, but after following the instructions on the new Agar Agar powder I just bought, it came out way too firm, so I think the instructions may have been meant for gummies. After seeing Sofie’s comment, I am wondering if this product isn’t going to be exactly what we’ve come to expect from commercial pectin-based jellos and maybe we need to adjust our expectations that it won’t be the same. This is my first attempt to make vegan jello, so it’s ok, it’s part of the wonderful adventure of discovering new foods (13 years and still discovering!). I will tinker with it a bit, and I actually might try adding it to the coconut-based yogurt I like, to thicken it a bit as the consistency tends to be runnier than most yogurts. Thank you for posting this and I will report back after I’ve tried your recipes!
Hi Karen — yes, agar agar certainly won’t be like commercial jellos! But it can hit the spot when you want something “jello-y.” Love the idea of using coconut-based yogurt, let us know how that works out!
Chunky and hard, was not close to any jello I have had before. However, the outside texture was nice.