This easy Strawberry, Banana and Pineapple Jello Salad with pecans and a layer of sour cream is a cool and refreshing no-bake dessert that's great for summer picnics, potlucks or any day!
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
If you're looking for a simple, fruity, make-ahead cold dessert that feeds a crowd, this vintage strawberry jello salad is an excellent choice. You get 12 servings from this recipe, which makes it perfect for get-togethers. BUT it's great any time, and you can easily halve it if needed.
Back in the day, they sometimes called it "Sinful Salad." And with one bite, you can easily see why. It tastes quite a bit more indulgent than it actually is. Win!
Taste Test: The strawberries, bananas, pineapple and strawberry gelatin give you the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The bananas also provide a bit of a creaminess, as does the middle layer of sour cream...which also somehow it tricks my taste buds into thinking it's whipped cream! And the pecans, if you choose to use them, add a welcome crunch and their own hint of sweetness.
You can enjoy this jello salad as a dessert, which is how I most often serve it (a dollop of whipped cream on top makes it extra-special). It's also popular served as a side dish, and it's also yummy as a snack.
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Ingredients & Notes
This photo shows all of the ingredients you'll need to make this easy jello salad; amounts are in the recipe card below. I've also included a few notes below on some of the ingredients regarding making the best selections, preparation and some easy substitutions.
- Strawberry-Flavored Gelatin - I use the regular gelatin with sugar, but you can use sugar-free if you prefer.
- Frozen Whole Strawberries - Thaw them completely, then halve or quarter and drain very well. Or you can use frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and drained.
- Bananas - Mash them with a fork. I recommend using riper bananas, ones that have at least some brown spots on them, as they will be more sweet.
- Canned Crushed Pineapple In Juice - Drain it very well.
- Chopped Pecans - These are optional. You can omit them if you can't eat nuts or would rather leave them out.
- Sour Cream - I use and recommend full-fat for the most creaminess.
- Substitution: Plain Greek yogurt also works very well (it's just a bit more tangy).
How To Make Strawberry, Banana and Pineapple Jello Salad
This is a brief overview with step-by-step photos for visual guidance. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Combine the strawberry gelatin and boiling water in a large bowl; stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
Add the strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and pecans; stir until well combined.
Pour half of the gelatin mixture into a 9x13-inch dish. Refrigerate until partially set.
Spread the sour cream over the gelatin mixture.
Pour the remaining gelatin mixture over the sour cream. Cover and refrigerate until fully set.
Cut into 12 squares and serve cold.
Recipe Tips
- Only make this salad several hours or up to a day ahead. You don't want to make it too far in advance, as the fruit will start to break down and get watery after a few days.
- Too much liquid can cause the gelatin to not set up properly. So be sure to drain off any liquid that accumulates from thawing the strawberries, and make sure you drain the pineapple very well. Also, remember that we are only using 1 cup of boiling water total in this recipe, and not the amount of water specified on the box of gelatin.
- Serve it straight from the fridge. It slices, holds up and tastes best when cold. And because of that sour cream layer, it shouldn't sit at room temperature for too long.
Storage
Store this jello salad in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 to 4 days. Since the fruit will eventually start to release liquid, the sooner you enjoy it, the better. Do not freeze (the texture becomes mushy, watery and grainy when thawed).
Easy Variation
Make individual grab-and-go servings by layering the jello mixture and sour cream in 12 clear dessert cups.
Love Jello recipes?
Also try my Cherry Applesauce Jello Salad, Pear and Lime Jello Salad and Greek Yogurt Jello Cups.
I hope you try this Strawberry, Banana and Pineapple Jello Salad recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Fruity Dessert Recipes To Try
If you try this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Strawberry, Banana and Pineapple Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (3-ounce) boxes strawberry-flavored gelatin, or one 6-ounce box
- 1 cup boiling water, see Notes below
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen whole strawberries, thawed completely, then halved or quartered and drained well of any liquid
- 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed with a fork until mostly smooth
- 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained very well
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
- 1 pint sour cream, I use full-fat sour cream for the most creaminess
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the gelatin and 1 cup boiling water; stir until the gelatin has dissolved completely, about 2 minutes.
- Add the strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and pecans to the gelatin; stir until well combined.
- Pour half of the gelatin mixture into a 9x13x2-inch glass dish.Set aside the remaining mixture, keeping it at room temperature so that it doesn't set up while you are waiting for the first layer to partially set in the fridge in the next step.
- Place the dish in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill until partially set, about 30 minutes. It only needs to be set up just enough that you can easily spread the sour cream over it in the next step.
- Give the sour cream a quick stir (this will loosen it up and make it easier to spread). Put several dollops on top of the partially-set gelatin mixture, and then spread it out evenly, going all the way to the edges of the dish.
- Pour the remaining half of the gelatin mixture over the sour cream layer, evenly spreading it out and going all the way to the edges of the dish.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
- Cut into 12 squares and serve cold straight from the refrigerator. If desired, top each serving with whipped cream.
Notes
- If you prefer to use sugar-free strawberry gelatin, use two 0.3-ounce boxes or one 0.6-ounce box. All other ingredient amounts remain the same.
- You can use frozen sliced strawberries instead of whole strawberries; thaw completely and drain well.
- Please note that we are only using 1 cup of boiling water total in this recipe. Don't follow the instructions on the box of gelatin. Also be sure that your strawberries and pineapple are very well drained. Too much liquid can prevent the gelatin from setting up properly.
- Keep the finished salad cold and serve it straight from the fridge. Not only does it slice and taste best cold, but because of that sour cream layer, you don't want it sitting out at room temperature for too long.
- You can make this salad several hours or up to a day in advance. But don't make it too far ahead, as the fruit will start to break down and get watery after a few days.
- Don't need 12 servings? Here's how I halve the recipe: I use an 8x8-inch dish and halve all of the ingredients except I use an 8-ounce can of pineapple (I can't find 10-ounce cans), and I use 2 bananas instead of 1½ so I'm not left with half a banana.
Patricia A Kelley says
Can we use fresh strawberries for this?
Michelle says
Hi, Patricia! Yes, you can use fresh strawberries. I use frozen simply because the cold temperature helps the gelatin set faster, so you may just need a little extra time when using fresh. Also, the texture of the strawberries will be different; fresh will be more firm, while the thawed frozen ones will be much softer.
Pat Kelley says
Thanks. We will see. I've tried this receipt (maybe another similar) and I've fondly called it strawberry soup and serve in a bowl because it didn't jell completely. I'll make it today for tomorrow evening. Hopefully it's enough jell time.
Michelle says
Hi, Pat! Let me know how it goes!
Jo says
The Jello didn't set, even overnight. It was impossible to spread the straight sour cream on the top of the partially set Jello. I could only flick dollops of sour cream onto the top of the slippery surface. Since it was like watery soup, I've put it in the freezer. We'll have to eat it frozen.
Michelle says
Hi, Jo! First, thank you for giving my recipe a try. I'm not sure why your Jello didn't set, but the most probable reason why that would happen is too much liquid. That could happen a few ways. First, you only add the 1 cup of boiling water shown in the ingredient list to the Jello, ignoring the instructions on the box (on occasion, there have been a few instances where people have inadvertently used the amount of water on the box instructions when making some of my Jello recipes). Second, the strawberries and pineapple weren't drained well enough. Third, the strawberries weren't thawed enough and then they released more water into the Jello as they thawed.
Deb Galloway says
My Mom used to make this for Christmas all the time. It was so good. I hope mine comes out as good. My husband used to love hers. She passed awhile back and I am trying to make some of the stuff we used to have.
Michelle says
Hey, Deb! Hope this version is as good as your mom's; those holiday food memories are so very special when we can recreate them. Merry Christmas!
Debbie says
I would ask for this salad instead of birthday cake. I love it. Now my mom has passed away Im going to make it.
Michelle says
Hey, Debbie! I hope it's as good as your mom's!