No-Bake Raspberry Jello Pie

This no-bake raspberry jello pie is my from-scratch take on a pie I loved growing up. The filling starts with real raspberries and a packet of plain gelatin instead of a box of Jell-O, so it tastes like fresh berries and gets its pretty pink color from the fruit.

I made it because my grocery store put raspberries on sale for 69 cents a container, and I bought a lot more than we could eat. Two of those containers turned into this pie, and it’s so good that I’ll happily make it again at full price.

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A Raspberry Pie Without the Box

The pie I remember from childhood used a box of raspberry gelatin, a tub of Cool Whip, and a graham cracker crust. This version keeps the Cool Whip and the crust and swaps the box for fresh fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and unflavored gelatin.

You still don’t turn on the oven. You cook the berries for about 10 minutes, strain out the seeds, and the pie sets in the fridge.

I skip the box for the same reason when I make my Homemade Strawberry Cake. Real fruit tastes better than any mix.

What You Need

You need seven ingredients, and each one is easy to find at the grocery store.

• Raspberries. You need 12 ounces, which is two of the standard 6-ounce containers. Frozen raspberries work too, and I explain how in the FAQ below.
• Granulated sugar. It sweetens the tart berries and draws the juice from them as they cook.
• Lemon juice. A tablespoon brightens the raspberry flavor. I used bottled this time, but fresh is always better.
• Cold water. You only need 1/4 cup, and you use all of it to bloom the gelatin.
• Unflavored gelatin. One 0.25-ounce packet of Knox sets the whole pie.
• Cool Whip. One 8-ounce tub, thawed, gives the filling its light, mousse-like texture.
• Graham cracker crust. I used a 9-inch Keebler crust from the store, and the filling fit perfectly with just a little rounding in the middle. A homemade graham cracker crust works just as well if you’d rather make your own.

How to Make No-Bake Raspberry Jello Pie

Put the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. There’s no water in the pan, so stir and mash the berries for the first couple of minutes while the sugar draws the juice from them.

Once you see liquid in the bottom of the pan, turn the heat up to medium. Starting low keeps the berries from scorching on the bottom of the pan before they release their juice.

Because you cook them in their own juice, the filling tastes like pure raspberry, with no extra water to thin it out and soften the filling’s consistency.

Let the berries cook for about 10 minutes, mashing them every so often, until they break down completely and the sugar dissolves.

While the berries cook, pour 1/4 cup of cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let it sit for five minutes. Cold water lets the granules soak up the liquid evenly, while warm water swells the outsides too fast and leaves you with hard lumps.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour in the hot berries. Press firmly with a rubber spatula to push every bit of puree through, then throw away the seeds. Don’t skip this step, since raspberry seeds are hard and would ruin the smooth filling.

My fine-mesh strainers catch every last raspberry seed, and they’re sturdy enough that I can press hard without bending the mesh.

Right away, add the bloomed gelatin to the hot puree and stir until it melts completely. You shouldn’t see any granules when you’re done.

Let the mixture sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes, until it feels neutral to the touch. If it’s still warm, it’ll melt the Cool Whip and deflate the filling. If it sits too long and gets too cool, the gelatin starts to set in the bowl, and you’ll end up with rubbery lumps when you fold in the topping.

Whisk about 1/2 cup of the Cool Whip into the raspberry mixture until it’s completely smooth. This sacrificial scoop lightens the dense puree so it blends easily with the rest of the topping.

Add the rest of the Cool Whip and switch to a rubber spatula. Fold gently until you don’t see any white streaks, since stirring hard deflates the topping.

Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. It’ll round up a little in the middle, and that’s fine.

Cover the pie lightly with plastic wrap, or flip the plastic lid from the crust package upside down over it. Chill it for at least four hours so the gelatin sets firmly.

I topped ours with extra Cool Whip. Fresh raspberries on top would be really pretty too, but my kids ate the rest of the berries before I could use them. Keep the pie in the fridge until right before you serve it, since it slices much more cleanly when it’s fully chilled.

If you’re planning a holiday dessert table, this pie looks great next to my Cranberry Curd Pie. For another easy fruit pie that skips the oven, try my No-Bake Mango Pie.

Can You Use Frozen Raspberries?

Yes, frozen raspberries work in this pie. Use a 12-ounce bag and add the berries to the pan straight from the freezer with all their juice. They take a little longer to cook since they need to thaw first, but they break down faster once they do because they’ve already released so much juice.

Can You Make This Pie With Strawberries?

It should work, though I haven’t tested it yet. Use 12 ounces of hulled, chopped strawberries in place of the raspberries and follow the same steps.

If you have a lot of fresh strawberries, my Fresh Strawberry Pie is another great way to use them.

How Long Does Raspberry Jello Pie Last?

Covered lightly in the fridge, the pie keeps for three to four days. After day three, moisture from the filling soaks into the graham cracker crust, making it soggy, and the gelatin can start to weep liquid.

That makes it an easy dessert to make ahead for Thanksgiving. Make it the day before so it has plenty of time to set.

Can You Freeze Raspberry Jello Pie?

I don’t recommend freezing it if you plan to thaw it and serve it later. Cool Whip handles the freezer fine, but gelatin doesn’t. Ice crystals break apart the gelatin’s structure, so the thawed filling turns rubbery and spongy instead of smooth and airy.

The broken gelatin also weeps liquid that separates from the whipped topping and pools in the crust. This makes it soggy as it thaws.

The one exception is serving it completely frozen, like a raspberry ice cream pie. That works well, as long as you slice it and serve it straight from the freezer and don’t let the leftovers thaw on the counter.

Is This Raspberry Pie Dye-Free?

The filling has no synthetic dyes like Red 40. The pink comes straight from the raspberries, and Cool Whip gets its creamy color from beta carotene.

Store-bought crusts can have added color, though. The Keebler crust I used lists caramel color plus annatto and turmeric extracts, so if you want to skip added color completely, make your own graham cracker crust and check the label on your graham crackers.

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