I Tried 9 Classic Jell-O Flavors, Here’s My All-Time Favorite

During the summer, I need chilled desserts. I usually reach for ice cream or an ice-cold slushie, but lately my TikTok feed has been packed with colorful clips of Jell-O-based sweets, from watermelon slices filled with Jell-O to boozy Jell-O shots. All of these fun ideas pulled me right back into the world of this nostalgic treat, and I felt inspired to revisit the classic dessert.

Honestly, I hadn’t made a batch in years. So when Allrecipes News Editor Andrea Lobas mentioned being on the same Jell-O revival wavelength, I jumped at the chance to taste-test a bunch of popular flavors. I plan on making some cute Jell-O creations this summer, so I was curious which ones are worth grabbing.

With a free weekend ahead, I poured powdered gelatin into mason jars, filled those vessels with boiling and ice-cold water, and patiently waited for each batch to set. Below, you’ll find my personal ranking of the best flavors.

How I Chose the Jell-O Flavors

Luckily, most grocery stores carry a wide variety of Jell-O gelatin flavors. For this test, I picked up all the ones I could find on the shelf. Although there are certainly limited-time or discontinued options like cranberry or peach, I only selected flavors that are widely available year-round—and, of course, were in stock at the time I was shopping.

How I Tested the Jell-O 

I scanned the directions on the back of each Jell-O box to prepare the different flavors. To avoid sugar and Jell-O overload, I limited myself to trying only three in one sitting so that I could give each one a genuine shot. When I dug into the different Jell-O varieties, I judged them based on sweetness and flavor accuracy. I didn’t pay too much attention to texture, since they all had the same gelatinous consistency.

The Best Jell-O Gelatin Flavors, Ranked

9th Place: Orange

After one bite of the orange-flavored Jell-O, I struggled to keep going. The flavor feels very cloying. Although it has slight citrus notes, the sugary notes overpower the entire dessert, masking any sourness that you’d traditionally find from an orange-flavored treat.

8th Place: Strawberry

The strawberry-flavored Jell-O delivers punchy, tart, and slightly medicinal notes. I don’t usually associate strawberries with sourness unless it’s in lemonade, so the flavor here felt off to me. The overall sweetness also overwhelmed its taste, making it hard to enjoy more than a few bites.

7th Place: Cherry

The cherry flavor emits a sweet, fragrant aroma. I expected a bright fruit flavor when I sampled this Jell-O. Instead, this chilled dessert delivered a very mild taste. It lacked sweetness, tartness, and the cherry flavor I was hoping for, which was somewhat disappointing.

6th Place: Lime

The lime-flavored Jell-O offers a bright citrus experience I appreciate, especially since I love sour desserts. But compared to the higher-ranking flavors, it leans too sweet. Slight artificial notes also crept in, leaving a medicinal aftertaste.

5th Place: Berry Blue

If you think of that classic blue raspberry flavor, like the kind found in Jolly Ranchers or Airheads, that’s exactly what this Jell-O delivers. The only difference is that the flavor comes through a bit muted. Don’t get me wrong, you can still taste that sweet, almost cotton candy–like profile with a puckering sour profile. But for me, it needed a little more sweetness to really hit the mark.

4th Place: Raspberry

The raspberry one delivers a punchy flavor right from the first bite. Sweetness leads the way, but tart notes step in to keep it balanced. I couldn’t help but imagine making this Jell-O again with fresh raspberries from my garden to add an even more refreshing bite to this chilled dessert.

3rd Place: Grape

I love grape-flavored treats so much that I recently reviewed a bunch of grape sodas to find the best one. To me, grape-flavored Jell-O (and any grape snack, whether a drink, candy, or even a Pop-Tart) needs that classic Welch’s-like profile. This dessert nailed it, and I appreciated that it didn’t go overboard on sweetness.

2nd Place: Lemon

I didn’t expect to enjoy the lemon flavor as much as I did. I braced for something artificial, but bright citrus notes took over instead. A subtle, sweet honey taste rounded it out without overwhelming the palate, while a kick of sourness kept me coming back for more. The neon yellow shade looked stunning too, making me excited at the prospect of using it for boozy shots.

1st Place Winner: Black Cherry

I reach for black cherry whenever I grab a soda, so spotting a permanent Jell-O version piqued my interest. After the first bite, it delivered. The sweetness and tartness were perfectly balanced, with a bold, fruity flavor that stood out.

I pictured this black cherry-flavored Jell-O molded into a show-stopping centerpiece—spiked with vodka, studded with fresh pitted cherries, and ready for a dinner party. Its deep violet shade adds a sophisticated touch, and the flavor itself is the black cherry on top.