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This small batch Pineapple Lime Jello Salad is a sweet, tangy, and creamy dish made with lime Jello, crushed pineapple, cottage cheese, and chopped nuts. It’s a family favorite that’s easy to make and perfect for one or two servings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Made with a few pantry staples and easy to prepare anytime.
- Versatile: Enjoy it as a side dish, light dessert, or snack.
- Nostalgic: A classic recipe that brings back memories of family gatherings.
- Easy to Customize: Use different Jello flavors or swap the nuts to suit your taste.
This Pineapple Lime Jello Salad, or Moonglow Salad as it was called in my husband’s family, is a recipe passed down from his mother. It’s one I’ve grown to love over the years—sweet, tangy, creamy, and just a little bit crunchy. It might sound unusual at first, but one bite is all it takes to understand why this nostalgic dish has stayed in the family for so long.
This Pineapple Lime Jello Salad has been a longtime favorite on our holiday table, and it may become one on yours too. We often serve it with dishes like Sweet Potato Casserole, Carrot Soufflé, and Citrus Glazed Carrots—perfect for a festive and flavorful Thanksgiving meal for two.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch lime jello salad recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Lime Jello: Use one 0.3-ounce (8.5 grams) package of sugar-free lime Jello. Lime is traditional, but lemon or orange can be used instead. Regular lime Jello works just as well if you prefer it.
- Crushed Pineapple: Use 10 ounces of crushed pineapple (half of a 20-ounce can). If you can only find 8-ounce cans, use two. Leftover pineapple can be used in our Mini Hummingbird Cake, Ambrosia, or a Tropical Smoothie.
- Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess to the salad. You can substitute with Greek yogurt or plain low-fat yogurt for a lighter option.
- Chopped Nuts: Chopped pecans add crunch, but walnuts work well too. You can also leave them out.
- Cottage Cheese: Use small curd cottage cheese for the best texture. It blends in well with the other ingredients.
How To Make Jello Salad
These photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this pineapple jello salad. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Prepare the Liquid: Drain the juice from 10 ounces of crushed pineapple into a measuring cup. Add hot water to make 1 cup total.
- Make the Base: In a medium bowl, stir together the drained pineapple, cottage cheese, and mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate.
- Dissolve the Jello: In a separate bowl, mix the Jello with the juice/water mixture. Stir until fully dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until slightly thickened.
- Whip the Jello: Whisk or beat the partially set Jello until frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Combine: Gently fold the whipped Jello into the cottage cheese mixture.
- Add Nuts: Stir in the chopped nuts.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.
Expert Tips
- Fully dissolve the Jello in hot water to avoid lumps.
- Whip the Jello when it’s slightly thickened, not fully set. An electric mixer works best.
- Use chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, or skip the nuts if preferred.
- Chill the salad completely before serving so the flavors can blend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can double the ingredients to make a larger batch for more servings.
Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 5 days.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this Pineapple Lime Jello Salad recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Small Batch Pineapple Lime Jello Salad
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces canned crushed pineapple (half of a 20-ounce can)
- 12 ounces small curd cottage cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1 (0.3-ounce) packet sugar-free lime jello
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Prepare the Liquid: Drain the juice from 10 ounces of crushed pineapple into a measuring cup. Add hot water to make 1 cup total.
- Make the Base: In a medium bowl, stir together the drained pineapple, cottage cheese, and mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate.
- Dissolve the Jello: In a separate bowl, mix the Jello with the juice/water mixture. Stir until fully dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until slightly thickened.
- Whip the Jello: Whisk or beat the partially set Jello until frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Combine: Gently fold the whipped Jello into the cottage cheese mixture.
- Add Nuts: Stir in the chopped nuts.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.
Notes
- Fully dissolve the Jello in hot water to avoid lumps.
- Whip the Jello when it’s slightly thickened, not fully set. An electric mixer works best.
- Use chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, or skip the nuts if preferred.
- Chill the salad completely before serving so the flavors can blend.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I am a senior living alone. I need recipes for 1 or 2 servings. I haven’t been cooking and not eating right.
Thank you
I’m so happy you found us and hope you find many new recipes you love!
My Mom use to make with lemon jello when we were way younger
I do not like cottage cheese is there an alternative I could use.
I’ve never made this jello salad without cottage cheese so I can’t recommend a good substitute. I actually don’t like cottage cheese either but cannot taste it in this recipe. Cottage cheese provides the texture this jello salad needs.
What other flavors could be used?? I don’t like lime . Maybe lemon or raspberry…need expert be opinion. I have made so many of your receipts and have not been disappointed. Thanks for your ideas
Hi Carolyn, other readers have used lemon jello and loved it. I haven’t tried making jello salad with any other type of jello but lime but I would imagine many other flavors would be just as delicious.
I have a question about the amount of Jello to use. The jello itself comes in 3oz (85g) packages and prepares 4 servings, ½ cup each. Are we really supposed to use a tenth of the small jello package? I appreciate any clarifications. This is the only recipe I’ve gotten confused with. Thank you for publishing the recipes. They have changed my life.
I’m so glad our recipes are helpful. For this recipe, use one 0.3-ounce (8.5 grams) package of sugar-free lime jello. You can take a look at the package we use in the ingredient photo on the recipe post. I don’t think the non-sugar free version comes in a packet this small.
I just made this recipe using the same jello! I followed the instructions on the box according to how many servings it made and used half the packet. It worked great! I also added marshmallows to it which made it really good as well.
*****Love this recipe but never made it with mayo. I use extra creamy Cool Whip instead. It’s so easy and quick to make. Thank you for all your recipes!! I always look forward to them.