Let’s get wild with wild blueberries. This low carb Jello Ring is a fun and healthy take on a totally retro dessert. Whether you call it stained glass jello, jello cake, or gelatin dessert, it’s an eye-catching summer recipe. This post is sponsored by Wyman’s of Maine.
Let’s discuss wild blueberries for a second here. I am becoming convinced that they should be renamed wild Purple-berries. Oh sure, so they look all blue from the outside. Or really, a deep, deep indigo. But they bleed purple all over. Cook them, and you get purple juice. Stir the into a cake or a muffin batter, and you get purple swirls. They stain your fingers (and your clothes if you’re not careful) a distinct purple. Especially the frozen wild blueberries, which I love to keep on hand at all times for smoothies and baking and just general snacking. . My kids love to eat them right out of the bag and their purple-tipped fingers are a dead giveaway that they’ve been into the freezer.
I think I’ve told you that my dad was a serious wild blueberry lover. Apparently he passed that trait on to his grandchildren in spades. So I always purchase the big bag of Wyman’s Wild Blueberries and quite honestly, it doesn’t last that long in my house. And thank goodness, because as a mother of three kids (two of which are pre-teens now!), I am in that age old battle of trying to get them to make healthy choices. I’d love to tell you that, as a healthy low carb food blogger, I have it all figured out and I can get them to eat good stuff all the time. But it’s simply not true and I can use all the help I can get.
So wild blueberries to the rescue! They are pretty amazing little purple berries, with more antioxidants than almost all other fruits and vegetables. Wyman’s recently challenged me to “get wild” with my wild blueberry recipes. And I confess I was a bit stumped. I can think of all sorts of uses for wild blueberries but they all seem pretty darn tame. Pancakes, muffins, scones, cakes, smoothies, ice cream, popsicles…distinctly un-wild stuff. I considered drinks and cocktails, being the wild party animal that I am (not so much) but I have a low carb blueberry mojito recipe already.
I decided to go a slightly different direction and do a fun and “wild” dessert that looks super cool and eye-catching. It is actually very retro and old school, and yet still very much out of my realm and my comfort zone. I guess you could say that for me, this Blueberries & Cream Jello Ring is really quite wild. It’s fun, it’s funky, and it tastes like blueberry ice cream! Wild blueberry ice cream. It’s a great way to get all the amazing anti-oxidant benefits of those purple-berries, as well as the gut-healing properties of grassfed gelatin.
Let's get wild with wild blueberries. This low carb Jello Ring is a fun and healthy take on a totally retro dessert. Whether you call it stained glass jello, jello cake, or gelatin dessert, it's an eye-catching summer recipe.
- 1 3/4 cups Wyman's frozen wild blueberries
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp grassfed gelatin
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Additional 1/4 cup frozen blueberries optional
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Line a 9x9 square baking pan with parchment paper and set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl.
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.
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Pour the mixture into the sieve and press on the solids to release as much juice as possible. Transfer all the liquids back into the pan. Whisk in the sweetener and gelatin and bring back to a simmer, whisking continuously until they have completely dissolved.
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Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into cubes.
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the water to just a simmer. Add the gelatin and whisk briskly to dissolve.
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Whisk in the cream, sweetener and vanilla extract. Allow to cool to lukewarm (should be still liquid and not really beginning to firm up).
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Lightly spray a bundt pan or jello mold with coconut oil spray and wipe out the excess (you want it very lightly greased but you should not be able to see drops of oil or they will show up on your final product).
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Pour about 1/3 of the vanilla mixture into the mold and sprinkle with the blueberry jello cubes. Pour the remaining vanilla mixture over and sprinkle with some of the extra wild blueberries, if using. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 more hours.
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To release, fill a large bowl or your sink with very warm water (not hot or boiling). Place the whole pan into the water so that it comes up the sides but not over the top of the pan (you don't want water to actually touch the jello), and let sit 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from the bowl and cover with a serving platter, then flip upside down together. Give a few good shakes and the ring should release in one piece.
Many thanks to Wyman’s of Maine for partnering with me to bring you this recipe.
Jolene says
Oooooo!!!! Yum! I love how it looks in the ring and it has been forever since the kids and I have had jello. This is on my list of things to make also! Thank you!
Jessica says
Do you know what the equivalent would be if I used liquid stevia instead of swerve?
Carolyn says
Depends very much on what brand of liquid stevia but since Swerve measure like sugar, just figure out how much you need in relation to sugar. Typically, it’s about 1/4 tsp of liquid stevia for 1/4 cup of sugar/Swerve.
Ruth says
Gotta make that! Soon! At least as soon as my refrigerator is running again, Wee of next Thursday.
Wyman’s wild blueberries are available a Safeway here and I love them! Yummmm!
Ruth says
I meant a week from next Thursday!
Sigh
Jenny says
I hate to keep asking for alternatives because your recipes are really, really amazing. We just don’t like blueberries all that much. (GASP! I know….). We are more of a cherry loving family. Are cherries higher on the glycemic index and would they effect the carb count that you know of? Also, just generally speaking, do you think I could swap out the frozen blueberries for frozen cherries? Thank you!
Carolyn says
You may put in whatever you like but…yes cherries are going to be a lot more carby.
Lisa says
Dies it have to be grasses gelatin? I haveknox gelatin.
Carolyn says
You can use that but you need to dissolve it in a little cold water first, before mixing it and bringing it to a simmer.
Candace @ Cabot says
It’s blueberry season in my yard. I’m going to have a huge crop, so a new recipe is always welcome. This one looks like such fun. Perfect for summer. I LOVE light desserts like this one!
Christine says
Could both of these Jello’s be made/combined as One? …..Set up as one?
Carolyn says
Sure.
Margaret L Skinner says
I love Jello, I have never tried the blueberry. I like the part of low carbs. This is a must make desert for me.
I made this with fresh blueberries(couldn't wait :D) it turned out delicious! Only thing, I didn't wait until vanilla jello was cool enough, poured it over the blueberry and it turned into this layered jello instead. Will make again soon! says
Hi Carolyn,
could you use fresh blueberries instead of frozen? does that alter the amount of liquid you will need?
Carolyn says
I think it would be fine with either.
it came out perfect and it was delicious. Thank youjanet says
Made this! it came out perfect and it was delicious. Thank you
Anat says
I made it for the weekend it tastes delicious ? I have thanks for that amazing recipe
Erica says
We really liked this conceptually, and will make it a bit differently in the future. 4 T of Great Lakes gelatin in 4 cups of liquid made for a pretty firm mold, even after sitting at room temp for 30 minutes. The blueberry gelatin was so pretty, but also very mild in flavor. I think I’ll try 4-5 teaspoons of gelatin in each component next time, and I want to try strained strawberry purée in lieu of the blueberry “tea.” It’s such a nice dessert idea, I’m sure I’ll make it again! Thank you, Carolyn.
Patti Pike says
I have your cookbook Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen (which I adore, BTW) and I noticed in some recipes there, which led me here, that you call for grass-fed gelatin. I have a product by Great Lakes Gelatin that is called collagen hydrolysate. Can I use this for the gelatin in your recipes? Or can I use just plain unflavored gelatin?
Thanks for creating such marvelous recipes. In my book, you are the queen of Keto cooking and baking. Can’t wait for your next cookbook.
Carolyn says
If it’s the green can, then it’s not the same thing and it won’t gel. It’s meant to dissolve easily. You want the orange can from Great Lakes for gelatin.
Patti Pike says
Thanks. Unfortunately, it is the green can. Will plain unflavored gelatin by knox work. I do have some of that.