Glass trifle bowl filled with Coca Cola fruit trifle topped with whipped cream and cherries, surrounded by cherry pie filling, Jell-O box, and a glass Coke bottle.

Coca Cola Trifle is a nostalgic gelatin salad made with cherry gelatin, crushed pineapple, dark sweet cherries, and Coca-Cola, creating a sweet, fruity dish with a light, jiggly texture. Quick to prepare and perfect for everything from holiday meals to potlucks, this classic recipe is an easy, crowd-friendly favorite.

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Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time4 45

Servings

Table of Contents

Coca Cola Jello Salad Ingredients
Tips For The Best Cherry Coke Jello Salad
How to Store Coke Salad
More Trifle Recipes
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You’ve never had a dessert quite like this! Coca-Cola Trifle tastes like a retro cherry cola float meets fruit salad with a creamy twist—playful, nostalgic, and downright delicious. It’s built with layers of cherry Jello mixed with Coca-Cola, juicy pineapple, dark sweet cherries, and crunchy walnuts. It’s all topped with a fluffy whipped cream cheese layer. The result? A fizzy, fruity, creamy dessert salad that’s perfect for potlucks, holidays, or whenever you want to serve up something fun and unforgettable.

Glass trifle bowl filled with Coca Cola fruit trifle topped with whipped cream and cherries.

Coca Cola Jello Salad Ingredients

Overhead image of ingredients laid out on a marble surface for a Coca-Cola salad recipe. Items include: 8 oz Cool Whip, 4 oz cream cheese, maraschino cherries, 2 (3 oz) packages cherry Jello, 8 oz Coke, 15 oz dark sweet cherries, 1 cup chopped walnuts, and 20 oz crushed pineapple. Each item is labeled with bold black and white text.

Ingredients You’ll Need

20-ounce canned crushed pineapple
15-ounce canned pitted dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup
2 three-ounce packages cherry flavored gelatin
8-oz Coca Cola
1 cup chopped walnuts
8-oz container thawed whipped topping
4-oz cream cheese softened
Maraschino cherries

Ingredient Substitutions

🍒 Cherry Jello: Swap for black cherry, raspberry or strawberry jello.

🥤 Coca-Cola: Try cherry cola if you prefer a stronger cherry taste.

🌰 Chopped Walnuts: Switch to pecans, or leave them out for a nut-free version.

🧁 Whipped Topping: If you don’t have access to Cool Whip sub it with stabilized homemade whipped cream.

Tips For The Best Cherry Coke Jello Salad

✅ Let the Gelatin Mixture Cool Before Adding Coca-Cola

After dissolving the cherry gelatin in hot juice, let it cool slightly before stirring in the Coca-Cola. Adding the soda while the mixture is too hot can cause it to lose its fizz too quickly, and this can affect the final texture of the salad.

Cooling it first keeps the carbonation intact and helps the gelatin mixture set properly. It helps the salad have a light, smooth texture instead of dense and rubbery.

❄️ Use Well-Chilled Coke For the Best Results

Use cold soda to help preserve more of its sweetness, and improve the flavor of the final dish.

Hand pouring Coca-Cola from a glass bottle into a bowl of red liquid (Jello mixture) on a marble countertop. Above the image, there are preparation tips in bold black text: make sure the Jello is fully dissolved, let the mixture cool for 10–15 minutes before adding soda, and pour Coke in slowly while stirring gently.

🧁 Keep the Whipped Cream Topping from Melting

The whipped topping layer is the secret to having a creamy contrast in this gelatin salad, but it can soften too quickly if the salad isn’t fully chilled. Here’s how to prevent that:

Make sure the gelatin has completely set in the fridge for at least four hours before adding the topping.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth before mixing it with Cool Whip. This will give you a more stable topping that stays firm and makes its own separate layer on top of the salad.
Keep your dish refrigerated until serving for the best taste and texture.

Close-up of Coca Cola trifle served on a plate with whipped topping and cherries.

How to Store Coke Salad

Make Ahead: This vintage recipe is perfect for making ahead. Prepare the salad up to 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.

For the best texture, add the whipped topping and cream cheese layer just before serving.

In the Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container or cover the dish with plastic wrap to keep it fresh. Coca Cola salad will stay good in the fridge for three to four days.

Avoid stirring once it’s set to keep the gelatin mixture firm.

In the Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing your Coca Cola salad since gelatin salads lose their structure when they thaw. The texture can become watery, and the fruit may become mushy.

a spoonful of Coca Cola fruit trifle topped with whipped cream and cherries.

Bring this Coca-Cola Trifle to your next potluck, picnic, or holiday gathering and watch it disappear. With its vibrant layers, creamy topping, and nostalgic cherry cola flavor, it’s the kind of vintage dessert that turns heads and gets people talking. Easy to make ahead, no-bake, and loaded with crowd-pleasing flavor—it’s everything you want in a retro dessert and more. Expect requests for the recipe, because once they taste it, they’ll be hooked.

More Trifle Recipes

Coca Cola Trifle

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 4 45

Servings

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Ingredients

20 ounces crushed pineapple, drained but juice reserved
15 ounces pitted dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup, drained but juice reserved
6 ounces cherry flavored gelatin (two 3-ounce packages)
8 ounces Coca Cola, I used the glass bottle Coca Cola
1 cup chopped walnuts
8 ounces thawed whipped topping
4 ounces cream cheese, softened

Garnish

Maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry

Instructions

Measure out 1 cup each of the reserved pineapple and cherry juices. (You can add water to the juice to ensure you have 2 cups of juice in total)
In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring the juices to a low boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the juice into a heat safe bowl.
Stir both packages of cherry gelatin into the hot juice until completely dissolved.
Slowly stir in the Coca Cola. Set the liquid aside to cool for just a few minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will allow the juice and gelatin to cool to a thin syrup-like consistency.
Remove the plastic wrap from the cooled gelatin and stir in the crushed pineapple, cherries and chopped walnuts. Stir to combine.
Spoon the gelatin, fruit and nut mixture into a 3 quart footed trifle bowl, or a serving bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight, or until firmly set.
Just before serving, using an electric hand mixer and a medium size bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth. Spoon in the thawed whipped topping and continue to mix until well combined.
Spoon the topping mixture over the top of the set gelatin, and top with the maraschino cherries. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

Raspberry, strawberry and even black cherry flavored gelatin can be substituted for plain cherry gelatin.
If canned pitted dark sweet cherries are not available in your area, substitute regular canned pitted cherries, or well drained stem-less maraschino cherries.
Cherry Coca Cola is also a great option for an extra burst of cherry flavor.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Amy Tandiko Graphic Designer

Coca Cola Trifle