Vibrant Broken Glass Jelly with Sweet Cream Base
Broken Glass Jelly
A stunning mosaic of colorful gelatin cubes suspended in a silky, sweetened condensed milk base.
Broken Glass Jelly, or Stained Glass Jello as some call it, is one of those nostalgic desserts that never fails to light up a room. It’s a stunning mosaic of vibrant, fruity gelatin cubes suspended in a snow-white, creamy base. Not only is it visually breathtaking—looking like shards of colorful glass—but the contrast between the tangy fruit flavors and the silky sweetened condensed milk is absolutely addictive and refreshing.
The best part about this recipe is how much fun it is to customize. You can pick colors to match a holiday, a birthday theme, or just use a rainbow of flavors for a classic look. While it does require a bit of patience for the chilling stages, the actual hands-on work is incredibly simple. It’s the perfect make-ahead treat for potlucks or family gatherings where you want to serve something that looks like a genuine work of art.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Dissolve each flavored gelatin package in 1 cup of boiling water in separate bowls or containers.
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2
Pour each color into its own shallow rectangular dish and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until very firm.
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3
Once firm, cut the colored gelatin into small, irregular cubes (roughly 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch).
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4
Gently toss the colored cubes together in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish to distribute the colors evenly.
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5
In a medium bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the 1/2 cup of cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
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6
Add 1.5 cups of boiling water to the bloomed gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
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7
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Allow this mixture to cool completely to room temperature.
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8
Carefully pour the cooled milk mixture over the gelatin cubes in the baking dish. If there are air bubbles on top, you can pop them with a toothpick.
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9
Refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours, or overnight, until the entire dessert is firm and set.
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10
Cut into squares and serve chilled.
Ingredients
- Strawberry flavored gelatin:3 oz
- Lime flavored gelatin:3 oz
- Berry Blue flavored gelatin:3 oz
- Orange flavored gelatin:3 oz
- Boiling water (divided):4 cups
- Unflavored gelatin powder:0.5 oz
- Cold water:0.5 cup
- Boiling water (for base):1.5 cups
- Sweetened condensed milk:14 oz
Tips & Notes
- Make sure the milk mixture is truly at room temperature before pouring; if it's even slightly warm, it will melt the colored cubes and muddy the colors.
- For extra-clean slices, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut.
- You can swap flavors based on the season—use red and green for Christmas, or shades of orange and purple for Halloween.
