Sure, You Can Freeze Jell-O, But There's A Major Catch

There may be one childhood treat that can follow us into adulthood quite nicely: Jell-O. It's not because, as of a certain age, we'll suddenly be willing to try Jello-O salads (yes, they were real), but there are other adult-approved recipes. There's no shame in taking a serving for yourself when you're doling out the brightly colored jiggly stuff to your kids. Whether it's the original form, mixed into a summertime pie, or you're adding Jell-O to your cake mix, it can be considered an ageless delight. Heck, even if I see you at a game and you've used the powder to dye your hair blue for team spirit while smelling like raspberries, I'm not going to judge.

But there's another way to use Jell-O that's kind of a game changer: freezing it. Yep, you can freeze Jell-O. And, it's amazing. The texture changes to a less-wiggly, soft, and chewy version of itself with tiny bits of ice sprinkled throughout, but it's not so hard that it hurts your teeth to bite it. Visually, it changes too, into a cloudier but brighter color that's almost opaque. Sounds good so far, right? Well, we've got some ideas on how to use frozen Jell-O — but be forewarned, you'll want to eat them quickly because when frozen Jell-O defrosts, it loses its appeal.

The trick to enjoying frozen Jell-O is to eat it while it's still frozen. It doesn't revert back into jiggly gelatin; unfortunately, defrosted Jell-O melts into a runny mess. But there's no reason to despair, there are plenty of delicious ways you can enjoy frozen Jell-O that are so good that defrosting won't even be an option.

Snow cones, or "shave ice" in Hawaii, aren't just for kids. Freeze Jell-O in ice cube trays, and throw them in your ice shaver machine to make the summertime favorite, or turn them into an adults-only version and add some alcohol of choice. Did I hear someone say bellinis?

Keep it simple by making Jell-O bites. Follow the instructions on the box, making your Jell-O with hot and cold water, and let it set in a rectangular baking dish. Cut it into squares, use a cookie cutter for shapes, or just scoop the prepared Jell-O into balls and lay them out (separated) on a flat-surfaced pan to freeze. Or, make frozen Jell-O clouds by adding an 8-ounce container of whipped topping just before the gelatin has completely set (fold it in and don't overmix!). Scoop out dollops on a sheet pan and freeze for at least an hour. The mix won't completely freeze solid, so you'll get an airy, fluffy bite — just be sure to serve and eat promptly.

Of course, there's always the legendary Jell-O shots, made by replacing the water with cold gin or vodka — you can make around 16 shots from one box of Jell-O. Once set, move them to the freezer — but again, serve and eat quickly or they'll melt into a liquid (though that isn't necessarily a bad thing).