This sparkling grapefruit jello is a bubbly and super refreshing treat that proves making your own jello is incredibly easy. Bonus: you control the sweetness!
I feel like I’ve either reverted to a 5 year old or aged considerably to nursing home, denture status lately with my obsession surrounding all things jello.
Last I checked though, I’m still 33 so this whole thing is a little weird/embarrassing.
I’ve decided to embrace it though or just pretend it’s normal to get this excited about gelatin and make my own.
While I’m a sucker for raspberry, black cherry and the classic strawberry (just do not try to get me to do lime because all I can think of is my great aunt’s lime jello bundt cake mold with pineapple chunks in it and that freaks me out), the fact that there isn’t actually any real fruit in those flavors isn’t really my cup of tea.
Dyes, artificial sweeteners and who knows what else fill up the ingredient list on those boxes and while the $.79 price tag is tempting, it’s sort of ridiculous once you see how easy it is to make your own jello at home.
If you’ve ever had an intermezzo at a fancy restaurant, that’s the best way to describe this sparkling grapefruit jello.
It’s slightly bubbly, so incredibly refreshing and the perfect palate cleanser.
With grapefruit season winding down, I wanted to take advantage of my favorite citrus before you start finding rogue dried up, non-sweet ones in the mix (how disappointing is that when you cut it in half?!) at the store.
All it takes is juicing a few grapefruits (if you own a juicer <–that’s the one I have, it’s even easier since it strains the pulp for you), adding some gelatin and liquid and having the patience to let it do its thing for a few hours in the fridge.
I use this grass-fed gelatin for all my jello making as well as these tart cherry gummies I like to have on hand for a natural sleep aid – make sure to buy a quality pastured, grass-fed gelatin!
This recipe is just so delicious, so simple and a much healthier way to continue the jello obsession.
If you want to jazz up the finished look of this grapefruit jello, use my candied lemon slice tutorial to make candied grapefruit slices instead and garnish each jar of jello before serving!
Love this sparkling grapefruit jello recipe?
Check out these other grapefruit inspired posts: 3 Ways To Use Grapefruit and Pickled Fennel Citrus Salad.
And don’t forget this happy hour worthy grapefruit martini!
Sparkling Grapefruit Jello
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, about 3 medium grapefruits, strained to remove any pulp
- 2 packets, about 4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup seltzer/soda water
- 2 tablespoons agave, or honey
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of grapefruit juice to a medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top to soften. Let sit about 5 minutes then stir.
- Add remaining cup of grapefruit juice to a small sauce pot with the agave (or honey) and bring to a low simmer. Stir until sweetener is dissolved into juice.
- Pour the hot juice mixture into the bowl with the juice and gelatin slowly and whisk until well combined.
- Add the seltzer and continue whisking until smooth and combined.
- Pour the mixture into jars or a pan (if you want to cut into cubes after it’s set) and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until set.
- Serve once firm to the touch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I just made a batch and am excited for it to set.
I think Id like to try ginger ale in place of the seltzer.
Thank you for sharing your craft!
Can you use a bundt mold for this instead of jars or a pan?
I haven’t tried it in a bundt cake pan so I can’t be sure if the gelatin amount would be sufficient but I’d assume so!
I am absolutely making this! I don’t have any grapefruit on hand so I think I might take a chance and use some oranges! Beautiful pictures, they really drew me in. :)
Thank you, Angie!
Is there a reason for straining out the pulp? I love the pulp in the juice so wondering if leaving it in will cause problems???
Nope, just to have a smooth consistency, you can definitely leave it in if you prefer!
Ooh I’ve never tried sparkling jello before but it looks amazing!! And grapefruit is one of my favorite fruits!
not a hugeee fan of jello but love grapefruit, so i’d be up for it :)
Texas grapefruit is seriously the best! I love that you turned it into a fun dessert like jello. Normally I’m not super excited about jello because of the fake flavor, but THIS is jello to get excited about! Love your styling in these photos, make me want to sit there and eat a jar. :-)