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.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Chill Time4 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Total Time4 hourshrs45 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Coca Cola Salad Recipe, Coca Cola Trifle Recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 376kcal
Ingredients
20ouncescrushed pineapple,drained but juice reserved
15ouncespitted dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup,drained but juice reserved
8ouncesCoca Cola,I used the glass bottle Coca Cola
1cupchopped walnuts
8ouncesthawed whipped topping
4ouncescream 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.