Old-fashioned lime 7 Up Salad recipe with pineapple and Cool Whip. A favorite in the Midwest and perfect for summer get-togethers.
7-Up Jello Salad
This Old-Fashioned Lime 7-Up Salad is a retro Midwestern favorite made with lime Jell-O, crushed pineapple, lemon-lime soda, and Cool Whip.
Whether you grew up seeing this green fluff on your grandma's Sunday table or you're new to vintage desserts, this sweet, fluffy salad is perfect for holiday meals, church picnics, fish fries, and neighborhood and family gatherings.
Trust me, you will find yourself going back for seconds and thirds. And bonus, it keeps for several days in the fridge. So feel free to make it a day or two in advance of your party.
Good luck staying out of it.
If you're looking for other retro recipes to try, consider making the Best Ambrosia Salad Recipe, Orange Dreamsicle Salad, Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing, Hobo Stew and Cornflake Candy
Ingredients for 7 Up Salad
- Cream cheese contributes texture and creaminess to the salad.
- Boiling water-Actual boiling water is essential to dissolve Jello powder. Not almost boiling. Boiling.
- Lime-flavored Jello provides the refreshing flavor that is the base of this salad and makes it the fun green color.
- 7 Up or other lemon-lime soda helps increase the lime flavor profile.
- Whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, or use Homemade Whipped Cream, gives the fluffiness.
- Crushed pineapple brings texture and another layer of flavor. Do NOT use fresh pineapple.
- Cottage Cheese, Optional--Add a cup of cottage cheese for a more old-fashioned flavor. This seemingly weird ingredient gives a great texture. But skip it if it weirds you out.
Step-by-Step Instructions for 7 Up Salad
- Using a hand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese.
- Heat the water to a boil in the microwave or over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Once the water is boiling, dissolve the Jello powder in the boiling water.
- Add the Jello mixture to the cream cheese and mix well until most of the cream cheese lumps are dissolved.
- Add the 7 Up and stir.
- Chill the gelatin mixture in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes or until partially set up.
- Drain the pineapple and squeeze out the juice using a fine mesh strainer. Stir the drained pineapple and cottage chees into the chilled 7-Up Jello.
- Gently fold in the whipped topping using a rubber scraper. Be careful to keep the whipped topping as fluffy as possible by bringing the Jello salad from the bottom and folding it over the top.
- Transfer to a jello mold or baking dish, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and place the Jello Salad back in the fridge. Chill it until firm, which will take at least 3 hours. If you have time for extra chilling, overnight works well.
Pro Tips
- Using the hand mixer, do your best to get the cream cheese mixed in the Jello liquid. Some small chunks of cream cheese may remain-don't worry!
- Draining pineapple - I find it easiest to use a fine mesh strainer for draining the juice from the crushed pineapple. Drain it over a bowl though to save the liquid gold. I provide some suggestions for uses below.
- For a quicker draining approach, sometimes I just use the lid of the can to squish the juice out. Just be sure to squeeze the pineapple enough to make it pretty dry.
FAQ
Lime Jello is my favorite Jello flavor for this recipe because I love the pastel green color of the finished salad and the cool refreshing lime flavor, but lemon jello or orange jello could certainly work.
Either would be delicious in this old-fashioned lime Jello salad recipe. Try them both at your next holiday dinner and let us know which you like best.
In short, no.
Jello is made with gelatin AND sugar, colorings, and flavorings. Gelatin is ONLY gelatin. Plain Gelatin is used for thickening certain recipes, but is not what is needed for this recipe.
When a recipe calls for "gelatin" they typically mean plain gelatin. Plain gelatin is often used as a thickener but is not used for flavoring a dish.
Canned pineapple works great as a stir in 7 Up Jello Salad, but keep in mind that fresh mango, guava, kiwi, figs, papaya, ginger, and pineapple are just a few fruits that contain enzymes that prevent Jello from properly setting.
These fresh fruits should NOT be used in Jello. Isn't that neat? I love food science!
However, canned fruits including fruit cocktail can be used because the pasteurization process in canning destroys the enzymes.
Yes! 7 Up Jello Salad holds up very well in the refrigerator for several days (if it lasts that long) which makes it perfect for Christmas dinner or special occasions when you need a dish that is made ahead of time.
Save the pineapple juice! This is liquid gold. Pineapple juice comes in handy for all kinds of uses.
Use leftover pineapple juice in a smoothie, for a meat marinade, freeze it in ice cube trays, dip fruits to keep them from turning brown (bananas, apples, etc), add it to your mixed drinks, and …
The uses are endless. If you don't need it right now, pour the juice into ice cube trays or a flexible plastic bowl.
Then when it's completely frozen, pop it out of the bowl place it in a zip-top freezer bag, and label the bag for longer storage.
Sugar-Free 7-Up Salad
Use the sugar-free Jello flavors, diet soda pop, and sugar-free whipped topping if you want to reduce calories and carbohydrates. No other modifications to the recipe are needed to have a sugar-free creamy jello salad.
Make it Your Own
- Fold in mini marshmallows
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts
- Layer it with crushed vanilla wafers in a trifle dish
- Turn it into a frozen salad (chill in a loaf pan and slice to serve)
Use Leftover Pineapple Juice in Meat Marinades
Pineapple juice has an enzyme called bromelain that softens muscle fiber.
This enzyme reacts with the protein in meat such as chicken, beef or pork, to break it down and increases the meat's potential to absorb more moisture.
This is the reason why pineapple is one of the most preferred tenderizers. So, add your pineapple juice to your next meat marinade.
Plus, the added benefit of the slight sweetness it brings will have you singing.
Serving Ideas for 7 Up Salad
Kids and adults love to feel special. Make this Jell-o Salad feel special by topping it with maraschino cherries after pouring the mixture into:
- Jello Molds: there are all kinds of fun designs of molds that make Jello salads even prettier. I enjoy searching my local thrift stores to find retro molds to try.
- Wine Glasses or Champagne Flutes: 7 Up Salad naturally creates layers that will be visible if you use a clear wine or champagne flute.
- Jelly or Pint Canning Jars: Fill the jars, place them on a tray, and put them in the fridge until serving. You could even cute this presentation up by tying ribbons that match your theme around the jar rim.
- Ramekins/Small Bowls: Perfect for individual serving! And... for holding me accountable for the volume of 7 Up Salad I've consumed.
- Lunch Box Containers: Pour the mixture into small, lidded containers to pack in your lunch. They are cheaper and healthier than those little cups you sometimes buy at the store. Plus, no container to throw in the trash!
Related Recipes
Applesauce Jello is a classic recipe that is a favorite of kids. With just a little cherry jello and some applesauce, it's also a sneaky way to get a fruit serving in their bellies.
Red Hot Applesauce Jello is a holiday dinner staple that is easy to put together.
Or try one of these other recipe treasures.
Did You Try this Recipe?
Lastly, if you made 7 Up Salad following this recipe, please let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and/or giving a rating!
I love hearing from you! I'll do my best to respond to each comment.
And of course, if you do make this recipe, tag me on Instagram! Seeing your photos is my favorite thing!
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands before cooking
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
7 Up Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Using a hand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese.
- Heat the water to a boil in the microwave or over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Once the water is boiling, dissolve the Jello powder in the boiling water.
- Add the Jello mixture to the cream cheese and mix well until most of the cream cheese lumps are dissolved.
- Add the 7 Up and stir.
- Chill the gelatin mixture in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes or until partially set up.
- Stir the drained pineapple and cottage cheese (if using) into the chilled 7-Up Jello.
- Gently fold in the whipped topping using a rubber scraper. Be careful to keep the whipped topping as fluffy as possible by bringing the Jello salad from the bottom and folding it over the top.
- Transfer to a jello mold or baking dish, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and place the Jello Salad back in the fridge. Chill it until firm, which will take at least 3 hours. If you have time for extra chilling, overnight works well.
- Leave a review and comment on the website.
Terry T says
If I like 7 up, am I going to like this?
Chuckie says
I think if you do or don't like 7-Up you will like it! 😉