Broken Glass Jello

Prep 15 minutes
Servings 24

Broken Glass Jello (also known as Stained Glass Jello) looks so impressive, but is really easy to make! Different colors of Jello float in a sweetened white gelatin mixture. Vary it every time by using different flavors and colors to suit your occasion. This classic make-ahead recipe looks so lovely on a buffet table and is always a hit at holidays, potlucks, and luncheons!

close up square of broken glass jello on white plate

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.

5 STAR REVIEWS

Ever had Broken Glass Jello (aka Stained Glass Jello)? It’s a classic Kraft recipe that’s been around for decades. Different flavors of Jello cubes are submerged in a condensed milk-gelatin mixture, then it chills in the refrigerator until solid before cutting into squares.

Isn’t it beautiful? It’s like a mosaic or church windows. Seems as though it would be a ton of work to make, but it’s so easy. We love how sweet and light it is, fun to eat, plus so eye-catching put out on a dessert table for any occasion.

Recipe Tips

  • Any flavor and color of jello works. Use whatever colors and flavors of Jello that would fit the holiday or special occasion you’re celebrating. I included a list of suggestions below.
  • Regular or Sugar Free jello. Sugar free Jello works the same way for this Jello recipe, so feel free to use that, if preferred.
  • DO NOT follow the directions on the boxes of jello. You will not be following the directions on the box of Jello, which calls for more water than you need or the cubes will be too diluted and harder to slice once solid.
  • Pour the dissolved gelatin into separate rectangular containers. Use shallow containers that will give you no more than 1-inch thick cubes, otherwise it takes longer for the Jello to set and also more challenging to cut. The Jello should only take about 2-3 hours to set if you chill it in shallow containers.
  • Make a beautiful Jello mold instead. If you’ve got a bundt pan, make a jello mold and then slice like a cake instead of squares.
5 from 27

Broken Glass Jello

Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 24
This Broken Glass Jello recipe looks so impressive, but is really easy to make. Customize with any colors or flavors to suit your occasion. It's always a hit at holidays and potlucks!

Ingredients 

  • (4) 3 ounce boxes Jello gelatin, , assorted colors
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • (2) .25 ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions 

  • Gather your ingredients.
    boxes of lime, orange, grape, and cherry jello
  • Dissolve each 3 ounce box of jello into its own individual container, using 1 cup of boiling water per flavor (no more than 1-inch deep.) Chill until solid, about 3 hours or overnight.
    plastic containers filled with orange, red, green, and purple jello
  • Once solid, cut each of the different flavors into small square cubes.
  • Using a 9ร—13 glass dish, gently mix the cubes together in an even layer (being very careful not to break or tear them.)
    small cubes of orange, red, green, and purple jello in casserole dish
  • In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin in 2 cups of hot water. Let the hot mixture cool slightly and then whisk in a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
    custard mixture in bowl with whisk
  • Let mixture cool to the touch (If it's too warm, it could melt the Jello cubes.) Then evenly pour the mixture over the cubes of Jello.ย 
    colorful small cubes of jello floating in custard in casserole dish
  • Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Cut into squares and serve.
    slices of broken glass jello on plate

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 61mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
overhead Stained Glass Jello in glass baking dish, uncut

Recipe Variations for Holidays

Use whatever colors and flavors of Jello that would fit the holiday or special occasion you’re celebrating. Here are some ideas:

  • Valentine’s Day: cherry and cotton candy.
  • Saint Patrick’s Day: lime.
  • Easter: lemon, peach, and strawberry.
  • 4th of July: cherry and berry blue.
  • Halloween: grape, orange, and lime.
  • Christmas: cherry and lime.
  • Kid Party: cherry, lemon, berry blue (primary colors.)

Proper Storage

Keep any leftover jelloย in the refrigerator tightly covered with plastic wrap or a lid to prevent it from picking up other smells or flavors from the refrigerator. It will keep for 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

More Jello Recipes:

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe โ€“ be sure to give it a review below! Also donโ€™t forget to follow Belly Full onย TikTok,ย Facebook,ย Instagram,ย Pinterest, andย YouTube!

squares of broken glass jello on white serving tray

Share this post

About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If youโ€™re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, youโ€™ve come to the right place.

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made This? Rate This Recipe!




34 Comments

  1. Kolohe Girl says:

    5 stars
    Itโ€™s a family favorite. I always make sure i have all the ingredients on hand.
    Aloha from Hawaii

  2. Karen Johns says:

    5 stars
    This is a no fail recipe. Easy, light, delicious, and beautiful.

  3. Fran Glassboro says:

    5 stars
    I made this and took it to a potluck. I was asked several times for the recipe. Thank you for sharing.

  4. Deborah A says:

    Hello, I’ve tried once before but the less water tip is greatly appreciated! Wondering also if you can use Pre-made jello cups? Cube them up and continue with the next step?

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      I’ve never tired this recipe with pre-made jello but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Just keep all the ratios the same.

  5. Patti_Cakes says:

    5 stars
    I made this for the first time yesterday for a party on this upcoming Sunday. I was so happy it looked just like your photo. The one thing I did different was add 2 of the airline size bottles of Malibu Rama with coconut liquor into the condensed milk portion. I cannot wait to taste this!

  6. E says:

    5 stars
    Made this on a base of graham cracker crumbs and butter (like what a cheesecake would be made on) and topped with this recipe. Turned out great! We scooped it as a dessert rather than cut into bars

  7. Robyn R says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I make a dairy free version using sweetened coconut condensed milk (Natureโ€™s Charm). It isnโ€™t as white as when you use regular condensed milk but my dairy-free people enjoyed it!

  8. Kerry Spencer says:

    5 stars
    i just tried this love it looked up on internet can’t wait to try it thankyou so much for sharing will let you know when i make hopefully like yours thanks Kerry S from Aussie.

  9. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    Made this for Christmas and we all loved it. Super fun dessert. I added almond extract.

  10. Carrie says:

    5 stars
    Made this for Christmas dinner and it was such a hit! I did cherry and lime jello only for red and green colors. Super fun and easy dessert!

  11. Renee Karns says:

    Plan on making this next week. However need to make totally sugar free .so could I substitute regular sweetened condensed milk for a Home made sugar free version? Thanks!

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      Without further testing, I can’t vouch for substitution results, sorry.

  12. Ivy says:

    5 stars
    My family and I really loved this jello. Itโ€™s one of our favorites. Thank you for SHARING!

  13. CaliKam says:

    5 stars
    Love this EASY BEAUTIFUL treat?
    I prefer the Nestle La Lechera sweetened condensed milk?

  14. Nancy Burkhart says:

    What size are the containers that you make the individual jello colors in?

  15. Noreen says:

    5 stars
    This was easy, delicious, and just lovely.

  16. Tim B. says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Thanks, Amy.

  17. Anita Spencer says:

    5 stars
    We loved this made it for a party was a big hit! Will make again and again!!

  18. Cristina says:

    5 stars
    My kids asked for this recipe for a long time and finally did it! They loved it and I loved the recipe. Thank you.

  19. Andreโ€™a says:

    5 stars
    Iโ€™m so glad I found this recipe. The texture of the jello cubes came out wonderful. ? I did add some Mexican vanilla extract and it made it perfect!! So good, Thankyou Amy. ?

  20. MP says:

    5 stars
    This was the hit of the party and disappeared before I could get a slice. Making it as a birthday cake for my son on Christmas.

  21. TT says:

    5 stars
    I loved it

  22. Shelby says:

    5 stars
    This is such an easy, delicious, and beautiful recipe!

  23. Maricela Konicki says:

    5 stars
    Easy, low cost and delicious. A wonderful addition to any meal, even my picky grandson loved it. Be prepared for the ohhhs and ahhhs and how did you do that. Had seen it and wanted to try it for years, your recipe made it happen. Thank you so much!

  24. Julie Madsen says:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe for Christmas last year using cherry and lime jello as suggested and it was a big hit! Going to make it again this year.

  25. Tina Franklin says:

    5 stars
    Loved this! Easy and pretty and looked lovely on the brunch table. I added a touch of vanilla.

    1. Carol Atton says:

      5 stars
      Making this next week for our Easter dinner. It’s always a hit and so many compliments. Looks like spring with all the pretty colors of jello.

  26. Bonnie Cody says:

    5 stars
    Was a great addition to my pool psrty menu

  27. Beth says:

    5 stars
    This is such a fun dessert to serve. What could be substituted for the condensed milk to have a clear look?

  28. Sheila says:

    Can this be made 2 days in advance? Or is it best the day to serve within one day of preparation?

    1. Amy @Belly Full says:

      Hi Sheila – 2 days prior is fine. Keep it in the fridge tightly covered.

  29. johanne says:

    5 stars
    a success every time

  30. Katy Nelson says:

    5 stars
    This is the best!…my favourite…and…Easy Peasy…I love it! Thanks!