Rhubarb Jello + Tips on How to Make Your Own Homemade Jello
Last updated on March 12, 2026 by Jessica Healey
Originally published on March 30, 2015
I didn’t grow up eating Jell-O®, but flavors like blue raspberry certainly weren’t a turn-off!
Hey, I was a kid…my imagination could have handled that leap but my mom didn’t buy it. She was a gourmet chef and purchased very few factory-made foods.
I’ve eaten more gelatin as an adult than I ever did back then. My gels have been made with sustainably-sourced gelatin, usually from freshly pressed juices or whole fruit.
Today I’m share a spring favorite: Rhubarb Jello, with basic recipe guidelines that can be used for most fruits and juices. Rhubarb Jello can be served with fresh strawberries and full fat yogurt or served simply, cut into shapes. It’s a great choice for those who can’t have fruit because, of course, rhubarb is a vegetable!
With that said, did you know there are certain fruits that won’t gel with gelatin?
If you’d like to branch out using the basic recipes, keep these in mind as off-limits: fresh pineapple, kiwi, figs, papaya, mango, guava, paw paw and even ginger root. These foods contain enzymes which prevent the chemical bonds that gelatin tries to create between chains of protein. One of these protein-digesting enzymes is bromelain. If heated above 158 degrees Fahrenheit, the enzyme is destroyed(1). So pineapple, for instance, will gel if used after heating or pasteurization.
Also, we cook rhubarb for this recipe, not to nullify enzymes, but simply because raw rhubarb doesn’t taste good. Rhubarb Jello’s light pink color is sooooo pretty and by pureeing the fruit after it stews you get an enhanced flavor profile of the citrusy, tangy treat.
For more great gelatin recipes head over to Eat Beautiful where I’ve just posted *embedded* kid-friendly shapes of Blueberry Mint and Creamy Vanilla Jello.
Also, did you know you can make wonderful hair gel with gelatin!?? It’s true!! Discover our recipe for DIY hair gel with only two ingredients (yes, gelatin being one)!
Rhubarb Jello
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place water in medium size saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over its surface, allowing it to dissolve 1 minute.
- Heat gelatin water, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until steaming and foamy.
- Add rhubarb and bring water to a simmer. Stir briefly; then cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool briefly, 10 minutes.
- Place rhubarb in blender with honey and vanilla. Puree for 30 seconds.
- Pour puree into desired mold and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, depending on the size and depth of your dish.
- To unmold, briefly run hot water on the sides and underside of your mold to loosen the gelatin’s bonds. Use a spatula to serve or flip directly onto a serving plate and garnish as desired.
Make Gelatin From Juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over juice, allowing it to dissolve 1 minute.
- Heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until steaming and foamy.
- Remove from heat and stir in honey.
- Pour into desired dish and refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours.
Make Gelatin From Whole Fruit
Instructions
- Place water in medium size saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over its surface, allowing it to dissolve 1 minute.
- Heat gelatin water, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until steaming and foamy.
- Add fruit and honey; stir. (Some fruits, such as apple, are better cooked briefly. Simmer any crunchy fruit over low heat for 5 minutes.)
- Leave fruit whole for chunky jello; or puree in blender for 30 seconds.
- Pour into desired mold and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, depending on the size and depth of your dish.
