Creamy Yogurt Jello
Boring, ‘ol jello gets a major upgrade with the addition of yogurt and cream! This simple addition transforms it into a creamy dessert that is light in texture, rich in flavor, perfectly sweet with lovely notes of tanginess.
This recipe has been in my family even before I was born, and I’ve been keeping it from you all this time.
Why?
Because it’s so easy, I almost feel silly posting it.
Simple flavors, simple steps…a non-recipe recipe sort of thing, that I thought everyone knew how to make.
Turns out…it’s not as well known as I thought it was, so I had to shed some light on it.
If you’re familiar with this dessert, I’m sure you already know how good it is.
But if you’ve been in the dark about yogurt jello, I’m sorry to tell you that you’ve been missing out. Dude…forget regular ‘ol jello! This is way, waaay better, and if anything…a bit more nutritious too!
I’m actually not a jello fan at all. I realize I’m probably in the minority here, but that jiggly, gelatinous texture is just not my cup of tea (cringe!).
This, on the other hand…I LOVE.
Simply substituting half of the water used to “cook” the jello with a mix of yogurt and heavy cream (or ALL yogurt, if you wanna keep things lean), transforms that gel-like, monotonous texture with a flavor that leaves a lot to be desired, into a creamy, silky dessert with rich flavor and heightened complexity.
It’s like eating a denser chilled soufflé!
This is one of those recipes that was passed on to me by my Grandma, may her beautiful soul rest in peace. And if you’ve tried her Creamy Dreamy Rice Pudding and Balah El Sham (Middle Eastern Fritters), you know how exceptional her recipes are.
She used to refer to this one as “Strawberry Souffle,” and the name kind of stuck. We still call it “soufflé” to this day, but I had to change it here for technical accuracy. It’s definitely not a soufflé, but in some ways a faint reminder of it. That light and creamy texture, with refreshing fruity flavor is probably where the connection came from.
No matter what you choose to name it, this simple, yet delectable treat is guaranteed to satisfy both kids and grownups alike.
It’s light in texture, rich in flavor, perfectly sweet with notes of tanginess, and just the perfect quick dessert to throw together on a hot summer day. Horray for no-bake desserts!
The other great thing about it, is that you can easily customize the flavor to your liking! Swap out the strawberry jello mix with whatever flavor you fancy and boom! you got yourself a totally new dessert. If you have a big gathering, consider making several flavors at once and serving them side by side…because who doesn’t like variety. Grandma would always make a big bowl of strawberry flavored and another mango. Strawberry had always been my favorite. I mean…its PINK! How can a little girl resist?!
Whether you go for pink, orange, purple, or green, you’ll just need 4 ingredients for this laughably easy recipe:
- 1 packet jello flavor of your choice. I’m doing strawberry today.
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (which may be substituted with more yogurt, but I love the richness it adds and how it mellows out the tanginess of the yogurt)
So you pour the boiling water over the jello mix, and whisk until it has completely dissolved. At this point, you’ll want to let the hot mixture cool down to near room temperature before adding in the dairy. Adding yogurt to a hot mixture can cause it to split and curdle and no one likes that.
I also like to make sure that my dairy isn’t cold when I add it in. When all components have similar temperatures, they blend together better into a more homogenous manner and you won’t be left with bits of yogurt floating around.
But that’s pretty much it! You simply whisk in the yogurt and heavy cream until nice and smooth.
Then pour it evenly into small cups or ramekins for individual servings or 1 big bowl, a la family style. Then into the fridge it goes to set.
Pipe (or dollop) some whipped cream over the top if you like. Grandma didn’t do that 🙂
Top with a berry or two, a spring of mint for color, and fool everyone into thinking your serving them a fancy French dessert that took you all day and night to make.
Shhhhh…no one needs to know ?
Creamy Yogurt Jello

A major jello upgrade, transforming it into a creamy dessert with the addition yogurt and heavy cream. Light in texture, rich in flavor, perfectly sweet with lovely notes of tanginess.
Ingredients
- 1 package Jello (flavor of your choice; I used Strawberry)*
- 1 cup boiling water (measure after boiling)
- 1/2 cup (127g) plain, full fat natural yogurt*
- 1/2 cup (118ml) heavy whipping cream*
- For Garnish: (optional)
- Whipped cream
- Berries of choice
- Mint leaves
Instructions
- Empty the contents of the jello envelope into a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water over the jello and whisk until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool down to warm room temperature; about 30 minutes. Do not attempt to speed up the cooling process by refrigerating it, as this will solidify the jello.
- Meanwhile, take both the yogurt and cream out of the fridge, to bring them close to room temperature. By ensuring that all components are at a similar temperature, prevents the mixture from curdling. Adding cold dairy to hot jello mixture, will cause the mixture to curdle and split and the texture won't be pleasant.
- When the jello mixture is no longer hot to the touch, whisk in the yogurt and cream until evenly combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly into 4 ramekins or glasses or 1 medium serving bowl, if serving family-style. Refrigerate until set, 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight.
- If desired, garnish with whipping cream, topped with a berry and mint leaves. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Depending on the brand of Jello (aka Jelly) used, the weight can vary from 70 grams (2 1/2oz) to 85 grams (3oz). I use Dreem brand in Egypt which is 70g (2 1/2oz), but the 85g (3oz) packages, like Jell-O brand, will work just as well.
- I've only ever used natural, full fat yogurt in this recipe; just the way my Grandma made it, so I'm unsure how lower fat or Greek yogurt will work in this recipe. My guess would be that lower fat yogurt will taste less rich; not entirely a bad thing. As for Greek yogurt, I imagine it turning out thicker in consistency, which may actually be quite nice.
- For a leaner version of this dessert, you may substitute the heavy cream with more yogurt. Just note that it will be tangier in taste.
- For a bigger serving, feel free to double, triple or quadruple this recipe.
Recipe adapted from my sweet Grandma
Measurements Note: All recipes of this site have been developed using weight measurements. Although US volume measurements have been included for your convenience, it is highly encouraged that you weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale to get the best possible results. Due to the sensitive nature of baking, kitchen scales are proven to yield more accurate and consistent results than measuring cups. Enjoy!
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Salaam, any big plans for Eid? You are so lucky that you have easy access to jello without questionable gelatin in it. My husband really is strict about not buying any jello or marshmallow products which are readily available everywhere. But this seriously looks so refreshing.
Hey Iram! Sorry it took too long to reply; it’s been a crazy month. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to do anything special for Eid because I was traveling with no baking equipment…torture! I hope you had a great one!
Have you tried checking at Middle Eastern speciality stores for Jello? Almost all jello produced in Arab countries are made from either beef or fish gelatin; so you might have luck there.
Amazingly simple and delicious. Eating as I type in lovely Ladner, British Columbia, Canada.
This is music to my ears Violet! So happy you’re enjoying it & thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. British Columbia is on next year’s summer travel plans ? Been hearing wonders about it.
I would not want to be anywhere else in the world. Hope you enjoy your trip here next year.
Hi tasbih
I did a mistake and i dno if itll affect the end result ?, i added boiling water but double
ur amount( i thought we follow instructions as the jello Package and then We add yoghurt and cream ?.
So instead of 1 cup it was 2 cups !
Oh no! I’m sorry my instructions confused you. Thank you for pointing this out so I could edit it to a more understandable way. Your jello might not set up to the desired consistency. If it’s not too late, I recommend adding more jello powder & yogurt accordingly, to make up for the added water.
Made this with Greek yogurt. Very rich, tart, and creamy. I recommend cherry flavor with Greek yogurt if you like it to taste like sour cherries.
Could I add fresh raspberries to the mix? Would it still set?
Thanks!
Hi Theresa! Please accept my apologies for my late reply. I haven’t tried adding fruit to it before to be able to say for certainty, but it sets very similarly to regular jello, so it should work just fine.
Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe, i ve just tried it, i liked it. I think if we ll use different Jelly colors and tastes, each one separate , we ll have many small glasses with various colors and decors for a children party.
I’m really happy you enjoyed this recipe Alexndra. A variety of colors next to each other would look stunning…I can already imagine it. It’s such a kid friendly treat…so I hope they love it.
That was one lovely and easy recipe. It seems like a a sophisticated dessert but in fact its super duper easy and yummie. We are in love. I think the best addition to it is whipping cream and lots of fresh berries. Thanks again.
It’s my pleasure Sara! Don’t you just love deceptively sophisticated recipes like these? Happy you loved them as much as we do!
Those look perfect for a tea party.
Thank you Megan!
Have made this soufflé, it’s very refreshing n delicious & easy to make.
I will be adding this to my dessert recipes.
Thank you n so happy I found it.
So happy you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for your sweet comment ?
Is there a way to make this recipe keto friendly?
Thanks to Sammie, I couldn’t have suggested it better. Hope you can now enjoy this treat without straying from your eating lifestyle. Enjoy ?
Adele, you asked about making this Keto friendly? I’ve been on Keto for about 8 months now, and have never had sugar free Jello kick me out of ketosis. Make sure you use the following and you’ll have no issues staying within Keto boundaries. Use sugar free jello, whipping cream and full fat Greek yogurt. It’s actually a nice treat and I hope you enjoy it, hope this helps!!
Found your recipe while looking for a substitute for cream cheese in a similar recipe. Thinking your recipe is totally adaptable. The difference is that the jello is soft-set with half the liquid (water) and pureed raspberries. Then the cream cheese (maybe substitute yogurt?) is whipped in with an electric mixer. When that is soft set, whipped heavy cream is folded in and then chilled until set. It makes it very light and fluffy. It was a dessert a friend of mine always brought to potlucks. I used to call it “Rasberry Cloud.’
Oh that sounds like a cloud indeed. Now I’m drooling ? Sounds like something I’d love to try one day.
Hi, I love this recipe and planning on making it for dessert tonight. I could only find sugar free jell-0, and the packet is only 17g. Yet the instructions say add 2 cups boiling water and 2 cups cold water. Can I still follow the proportions in your recipe? Urgently need your reply asap, thanks!
Ok just an update, I had to make it just now so I improvised – I figured if they instructions say 4 cups of liquid, I will expand your recipe to 2 cups of boiling water, 1 cup of yoghurt and 1 cup of cream. I added 2 tbsp of sugar after adding the boiling water to compensate for the sugar free jell-o. And the results are amazing!!! Tastes so soft and lovely, not at all like typical jell-o, not too sweet either! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks so much xx
Awesome! You took the right decision! Was going to suggest that. Rule of the of the thumb is to substitute half the amount of boiling water with equal amounts of yogurt and cream. So glad you loved the results and thanks for the update!
What size box of jello did you use?
Hi Margie! I used a 70g box. Kindly refer to point #1 in the recipe notes for more details regarding jello size. Enjoy ?
I made this it was okay. I used a strawberry gelatin from the food pantry, my homemade yougert and whipping cream I bought for another purpose. I was really looking forward to eating this I have to say I was a bit disappointed. It didn’t have much taste. I’ll give it another try with some name brand jello and see if that helps
delicious, i used sugar free jello ( 2 boxes) 1 1/2 cups fage 5% and 1/2 heavy cream. Very smooth, nice consistency with the right amount of sweetness.
Have you ever used sour cream instead of yogurt? Might be too tangy, thought I’d ask though.
Hi Mary! No I haven’t but I think it should work just fine. Just expect a heavier consistency, richer taste and like you said, probably a tangier taste.
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Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe. I will be using greek yogurt in all my jello treats from now on. The flavor of the lime jello was subtle and tangy in this treat, we loved it. The texture is unique, not quite jello and not quite a mousse. It is wonderful, you will not be sorry that you tried this lovely treat. BK
It’s my pleasure Gerry! I’m really glad that you liked it. I can imagine how nice lime jello would go really nicely with Greek yogurt. YUM!
I made this last night and used a large sugar free Raspberry Jello. I split it in half though and made soft set regular Jello in case it didn’t turn out.
So i added your 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream & 1/2 cup of yogurt, but I used raspberry Tillamook yogurt. i think the flavor is absolutely wonderful, however it set up a lot more than i thought; it set up pretty much like Jello, and I made this recipe because i don’t like the consistency of Jello. I would really like it to be fluffy & soft set. Tried soft set Jello as well with adding more water and it still set up the same. bummer. Can you give me any ideas on how to make it whippier and softer set??? i am excited to make again tomorrow night but need help.. Thanks so much!!
Hi Margo! I’m happy you liked the flavor. It does set quite well, but it shouldn’t be as gelatinous in texture nor as jiggly as jello. You can try increasing the amount of cream to 3/4 cup. If you’re after something with a more whipped and airy texture, I’m thinking that maybe you can try whipping the cream before adding it in. Just be sure that the jello mixture has cooled to room temperature before folding in the whipped cream though, so the heat doesn’t melt all the air bubbles. I’d love to know how it goes, if you do try that ?
Despite my leaving the jelly to cool out of the fridge, it still solidified. Any reason why?
Sounds like your kitchen was too cold perhaps? Or maybe you left out for too long?
Did this yesterday. Worked really well. Used yoghurt and cream. The jello was banana flavoured. Will use this recipe again in the future. Very practical, great for the summer. Was gonna take a picture but we ate it all. ?
Hahahaaaaa ? Bon appétit Jael! I’m really happy it was that well received ?
This was soooo good made with So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt substitute, and guilt free.
Hey there! This looks delish, but can I substitute the heavy whipping cream with milk? Have a great day!
What a Fantastic Post!! Love your work.
This has become one of our families favourite dishes. Thank you for sharing it. I am wondering if you have any idea of the calory count using regular strawberry jello, strawberry yogurt and no whipping cream and a layer of strawberries on the bottom.
Thanks for your help.