Side angle of a molded green seafoam salad topped with whipped cream dollops and a cherry, with plates and forks in the background.

Seafoam salad is a creamy, retro jello salad made with lime gelatin, cream cheese, and whipped cream, giving it a light, fluffy texture. Easy to prepare and perfect for holidays, potlucks, or as a fun dessert, this nostalgic recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients and a few hours of chilling time.

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Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time4 48

Servings

Seafoam Salad is one of those retro classics that never really went out of style—it’s just been waiting for the right moment to shine again. Light, creamy, and packed with sweet lime-pear flavor, this vintage-inspired lime jello salad makes the perfect throwback side dish or an easy make-ahead dessert.

Side angle of a molded green seafoam salad topped with whipped cream dollops and a cherry.

What is seafoam salad? 👉 A soft, airy gelatin salad that holds its shape beautifully and tastes like a cross between a fruit mousse and a cheesecake fluff.

Seafoam Salad Ingredients

seafoam salad raw ingredients that are labeled

You Will Need

1 (15 ounce) canned pear halves in juice
1 (3 ounce) lime flavored gelatin
6 ounces cream cheese
1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup reserved pear juice
¾ cup cold heavy cream
Thawed whipped topping (optional topping)
Maraschino cherries (optional garnish)

How To Get The Best Texture and Flavor

Here’s how to make sure your seafoam salad turns out light, creamy, and perfectly set every time.

🥶 Chill at the Right Stages

Let the Jello mixture cool for five minutes before mixing it with the cream cheese. If it’s too hot, it can ruin the creaminess and melt the cream cheese.
Chill the gelatin mixture for 30 minutes before folding in the whipped cream—this helps thicken it just enough to hold everything together.

🥄 Mash Pears to the Right Consistency

Use a fork, potato masher, or food processor to create an applesauce-like consistency.
Leaving large chunks can make the salad uneven, while over-processing will make it too thin and watery.

pear and whipped cream combined in a bowl

🥛 Whip the Cream Properly

Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form—this creates a fluffy, stable texture. If you stir it in without whipping, the salad will be denser and not as fluffy.
Adding whipped cream while the gelatin is too warm can affect the setting process.

🌀 Fold, Don’t Stir

Gently fold the whipped cream and mashed pears into the gelatin mixture using a spatula. Stirring too hard can deflate the fluffiness.

How to Use a Mold for Perfect Seafoam Salad

A little prep goes a long way when it comes to unmolding cleanly. Before filling your mold, give it a light mist of non-stick spray or brush with a neutral oil—just enough to coat the surface without pooling.

Once the mixture is in, smooth the top flat so it sets evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours—overnight is even better for that firm, sliceable texture.

seafoam salad mixture spooned into the mold

When it’s time to serve, dip the mold in warm water for five to 10 seconds to loosen it. Place your serving plate on top, flip with confidence, and give the base a gentle tap.

Still stuck? Another few seconds in the warm water usually does the trick. Avoid running a knife around the edge—it’ll ruin that smooth finish.

How To Serve

Seafoam salad is a bit of a chameleon. It’s sweet enough to pass as dessert, but light and fruity enough to sit comfortably next to savory dishes.

Serve it with ham or tuck it onto the holiday dessert table, or bring it to a potluck alongside other retro faves like Watergate salad and ambrosia salad.

Storage Instructions

Store covered in the fridge for up to five days. This one doesn’t freeze well—the gelatin texture gets gritty after thawing.

a slice of green seafoam salad topped with whipped cream dollops and a cherry on a plate.

Seafoam Salad

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 4 48

Servings

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Ingredients

15 ounces canned pear halves in juice, drained but reserve the juice
3 ounces lime flavored gelatin
6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature
1 cup reserved pear juice, or add water to make 1 cup if needed
¾ cup cold heavy cream

Garnish

Thawed whipped topping
Maraschino cherries

Instructions

Measure 1 cup of the reserved pear juice. (If it doesn’t measure 1 cup, add enough water to make 1 cup)
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the full 1 cup of liquid (reserved pear juice + water if needed) to a low boil.
Stir the lime flavored gelatin into the hot juice until completely dissolved. Set the bowl aside for about 5 minutes to cool.
Using a medium size mixing bowl and handheld mixer on medium high speed, beat together the room temperature cream cheese and 1 ½ tablespoon heavy cream until completely smooth.
Lower the mixer speed to low and slowly drizzle the gelatin into the cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the mixture slightly thickens but is not fully set.
Mash the pears with a fork, potato masher or ricer. Set it aside.
Add the cold heavy cream to a small mixing bowl and beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. (Stiff peaks are formed when the cream holds its shape and stands straight up when held upside down)
Fold the mashed pears into the whipped cream. (Folding ingredients means to use a spoon or spatula to gently lift and fold something heavier into a lighter without deflating)
Remove the cream cheese and gelatin from the refrigerator and fold the mashed pears and whipped cream into the cream cheese and gelatin mixture.
Lightly spray a gelatin mold or bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and spoon the gelatin mixture into the mold. (I used an 8 inch silicone gelatin mold) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours to overnight.
Just before you are ready to serve, carefully run warm water around the outside of the mold for a 5 – 10 seconds before placing a plate over the top of the mold and quickly flip it over. You can tap the outside of the mold to encourage the gelatin to release. You can top the sea foam salad with small dollops of thawed whipped topping and maraschino cherries.

Notes

Chopped nuts and multi colored or plain mini marshmallows can be added for variety.
Thawed whipped topping can be substituted for the homemade whipped cream for convenience. The measurement is still ¾ cup.
The pear halves can also be mashed in a food processor.

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!

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Seafoam Salad