This Homemade Orange Jello recipe made with no refined sugars is a fun, nourishing, and delicious treat. Skip the packaged jello mixes and make your own using quality ingredients including freshly-squeezed orange juice and grass-fed gelatin. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free.

homemade orange jello on a table.

Gummy snacks are so satisfying and they aren’t just for kids.

I personally just love the texture of gummy bears, jello, and gummy fruit snacks. There is just something fun and tasty about the flavor and texture of this type of snack.

If you agree, then I think you’ll love this recipe for Homemade Orange Jello made without refined sugars. It’s perfect for both kids and adults.

Homemade Orange Jello Benefits

  • Making homemade jello over the boxed version allows you to have control over the ingredients, including using 100% fruit juice, honey or maple sugar as the sweetener, and grass-fed gelatin for the gelling agent. 
  • It is especially important to use grass-fed gelatin whenever possible, meaning that the ingredients come from cattle were raised on grass.
  • Gelatin from grass fed animals can benefit your health including helping to heal the gut. Collagen and gelatin can also benefit the skin and improve wound healing. Learn more about collagen supplements and potential side effects.
  • The other reason you might want to make a homemade paleo jello is to avoid the cost of a packaged and processed food. This recipe is just as easy as making the boxed jello, I promise!

Ingredients

freshly squeezed orange juice in a juicer.
  • You’ll need 2 1/2 cups of fruit juice for your homemade jello. You can use fresh juice or bottled juice, but try to find juice with no added sugar.
  • You will also need gelatin for your healthy jello. I recommend Vital Proteins grass-fed gelatin which I also use in my healthy gummy bears recipe.
  • Lastly, you may want to use a sweetener for your jello, especially if you use a juice that is not very sweet, such as pomegranate juice. I recommend using a bit of honey or maple syrup to complement the other simple ingredients.

Please see the full recipe card at the end of this post for the exact measurements.

Recipe Steps

Step One

Measure out your juice or use a juicer to juice your fruit.

See my list of the best juicer blenders or how to juice with a Vitamix.

Step Two 

Combine the ingredients into a medium saucepan, whisking the gelatin to make sure there are no clumps. You can also use a hand mixer but a whisk will work just fine.

saucepan with ingredients for making homemade orange jello.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Three

Next, pour the mixture into a glass baking dish to set.

You can put your homemade jello in the freezer or the refrigerator. If you put it in the freezer, the homemade jello should be ready to eat in just about an hour.

homemade orange jello in a baking dish to set.

Step Four

The last step is to just slice the jello and serve it.

This recipe is such a great healthy snack for kids and adults! I hope your family loves it as much as mine does. It’s traditional to serve orange gelatin with cottage cheese or mini marshmallows, but these are great on their own.

If you want an extra sweet treat, you can put the chopped jello in a large bowl and serve topped with a whipped topping (I like to use a coconut-based cool whip that I get in the freezer section of my local grocery store).

Otherwise, this is a great recipe to just have on hand when you want a chewy snack with fresh orange flavor.

And, if you want more healthy snack ideas, be sure to check out my entire list of gluten-free and dairy-free snacks.

serving of homemade healthy orange jello slices on a plate.

Recipe Tips

  • Store any leftover jello in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Feel free to use whatever type of juice you like. The only juices that don’t work great for making jello include pineapple juice, guava juice, papaya juice, mango juice, and kiwi juice.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make other flavors of homemade jello besides orange?

Yes, absolutely! You just need to use about 2 cups of juice to 1/4 cup of gelatin per batch.

What brand of gelatin do you like?

I like any brand that is certified grass fed and GMO-free. Vital Proteins is a great brand. 

Can I use collagen protein to make homemade jello?

You need to use the gelatin type of collagen to make homemade jello.

Is homemade jello vegan?

No, because gelatin is made from animals. If you want to make vegan jello, you have to use a product like agar agar powder. See my recipe for Vegan Gummies or Vegan Panna Cotta.

orange jello cut into cubes in a parfait glass.

More Snack Recipes You Might Like

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

And, consider following me on social media so we can stay connected. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!

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orange jello slices on a plate

Homemade Orange Jello Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

Print Recipe

This Homemade Orange Jello recipe made with no refined sugars is a fun, nourishing, and delicious treat. Skip the packaged jello mixes and make your own using quality ingredients. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 16

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups 100% juice (I used orange juice)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup gelatin powder

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, bring the juice and honey to a gentle simmer.
  2. Slowly pour in the gelatin and whisk briskly to prevent clumping.
  3. Turn off the heat continue whisking until the ingredients are combined.
  4. Pour the mixture into a 8-inch by 8-inch glass dish.
  5. Freeze the jello for at least 1 hour or refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.

Notes

  1. Store any leftover jello in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  2. Feel free to use whatever type of juice you like. The only juices that don’t work great for making jello include pineapple juice, guava juice, papaya juice, mango juice, and kiwi juice.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/16 of recipe
  • Calories: 36
  • Sugar: 6.9 g
  • Sodium: 4 mg
  • Fat: 0.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.6 g
  • Fiber: 0.1 g
  • Protein: 1.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is a certified holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.