With a box cake mix, two types of Jello, and whipped cream, this red and green Jello Poke Cake is the perfect dessert for your Christmas get-together. It’s flavorful, super moist, and festive!

Serve this cake with some Easy Christmas Punch to wash it down – alcohol and non-alcoholic options included.

An Easy Christmas Cake

We took our popular Red, White, and Blue Jello Poke Cake and converted it for Christmas with red and green!

Poke cakes are great way to turn a box mix into something special. Nothing beats a from-scratch cake, of course, but there’s no shame in taking some shortcuts when the end result is just as delicious. Plus, anything to make life easier around the holidays.

Here, I turned boxed white cake mix and jello into a multi-color, festive, and flavorful dessert. The jello comes through not just in color but in flavor too, adding hints of lime and cherry to a vanilla cake. The jello also helps make the cake super moist.

Jello Poke Cake Recipe Ingredients

There’s only 5 ingredients in this poke cake, plus the ingredients needed to make your box cake, like eggs, oil, etc.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Box white cake mix + ingredients to prepare it – Of course, if you want to, you can certainly make a cake from scratch instead.
• Lime Jell-O – Adds the green color to the cake.
• Cherry Jell-O – Adds the red color to the cake.
• Whipped Topping – Such as Cool Whip. Or use our homemade whipped cream.
• Christmas sprinkles – You can find festive trees and other shapes, or just stick with red and green sprinkles.

How to Make Christmas Jello Poke Cake

Making this Christmas poke cake is as simple as making a box cake. Just prepare the cake, add the jell-O and the whipped topping, chill, and serve.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Make the cake. Prepare the cake mix according to the package in a 9×13 pan, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
• Prepare the Jell-O. Use 1 cup of boiling water and 1/2 cup of cold water for each box.
• Add the Jell-O to the cake. Use a straw or small wooden spoon handle to poke holes all over the cake. Then pour or spoon the green Jell-O over part of the cake, and the red Jell-O over the other part, making sure to get liquid into the holes. Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.
• Add whipped topping and serve. Spread the Cool Whip on top. Add Christmas sprinkles, if desired, cut and serve.

Tips for Success

This red and green cake is simple to make, but these few tips will help you make the best cake possible every time!

• Use white cake. Be sure to use white cake to get the truest red and green jell-O colors.
• Ignore the Jell-O box instructions. Be sure to follow the instructions in this recipe for preparing the jell-O, as you use less cold water than the box directs.
• Prepare the night before. I recommend letting the cake chill for at least 6 hours but overnight is best! It gives the jell-O time to set and infuse into the cake.

Serving Suggestions

Wait to add the Cool Whip and sprinkles to this cake just before cutting and serving.

I typically cut this cake into squares, with the size varying depending on how many I’m serving. Cut into normal-sized pieces, you’ll end up with about 10 slices of cake but you can easily double or triple that by making smaller slices.

Take care not to leave the cake at room temperature or outside in the heat for too long, due to the jell-O and whipped topping.

How to Store & Freeze Leftover Cake

Store any leftover Christmas cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Due to the jell-O and whipped topping, it should not be left out on the counter.

You can freeze this poke cake in a tightly sealed container for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge before serving. You should freeze it without the whipped topping and sprinkles.

More Christmas Desserts:

• Grinch Rice Krispie Treats
• Cranberry Christmas Cake
• Broken Glass Jello
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Chocolate Swiss Roll

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!