Something Sarah Loves.. Homemade Jello Jigglers, GAPS friendly, gluten free, paleo.
Who doesn’t love some jello? Well.. me, actually. I remember my mom making big batches of sugar free jello, and she would serve it with cool whip. Say what you will about the ingredients, it was a sweet treat that we were allowed occasionally. I think the concept was great..The tangy, sweet jello with the creamy whipped topping. I just never bought into the concept of actual jello.
Which is why my children have never eaten jello made by me. I’m sure they have had some at a party here or there, but since I don’t care for it.. it doesn’t cross my mind to make some.
Now that I know what is really in those brightly colored boxes of Jello, I definitely stay away. But, what’s a mom to do when a kiddo starts asking for jello knowing how good gelatin is for health?
You figure out how to make it. And so, I did. Even better, I figured out how to add some creamy coolness in the form of homemade kefir. It makes the jello that much more delish, and adds a dose of probiotics as well. Win win.
The steps are pretty simple.. 5 minutes to prep, and 2 hours to wait while it sets up. Here’s how I did it.
Start with a cup of juice. We are using unsweetened cherry juice from Trader’s.
Mix together 1 cup of your homemade kefir, or store-bought yogurt smoothie and a dollop of honey.
This is the kind of gelatin I buy on Amazon Click the link, and it will take you directly to my list of natural products I buy regularly. This stuff is grass fed, with huge health benefits.
Mix in 2 Tablespoons gelatin into the cold smoothie. Don’t skip this step. This kind of gelatin needs to “bloom” in a cold liquid before adding it to a hot liquid to dissolve. Stir really well, and let sit while waiting for the next step.
Add your juice to a small sauce pan and heat until just boiling.
Remove from heat, and let it cool just a few minutes. You don’t want to kill all the good bacteria by adding your yogurt/kefir to boiling hot juice.
Add your “bloomed” gelatin kefir mix a little at a time and whisk rapidly. The goal here is to dissolve the gelatin, and cool off the liquid at the same time. Some good bacteria will be lost, but most won’t. And I know.. this looks sketchy. The beautiful dusty pink color at the end is worth it. Whisk, baby. 
Because we are letting the juice cool a little before adding the gelatin, little lumps of gelatin can form. So I take an extra 10 seconds and strain my jello before chilling. Pop it in the fridge for 2 hours to set up. 
And cut into fun shapes and let the kiddos have at it.
My daughter slurped down quite a bit of these jello jigglers after this was made. I didn’t mind. I knew she was getting great stuff from the collagen in the gelatin, probiotics in the kefir, and the rest of the goodness in the cherry juice and honey. This is a perfect summer treat to keep in the fridge. You can pack and take to the beach to help replenish those little bodies after playing in the sun. I guess I should eat some too.. my 36 years and counting skin could use a collagen boost. Amen? 🙂
Happy Jello Jiggling!!
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