• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sprinkles and Sprouts

Great food with grocery store ingredients

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • By Category
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • By Category
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ร—
    Home > Holidays and Events > Halloween

    Jack-o-Lantern Jello Heads

    Updated: Jul 22nd 2019 โ€ข Published: Oct 10th 2018 โ€ข 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe SaveSaved! Pin Recipe
    3 jello filled orange jack-o-lanterns, on a blue plate with text at the top
    close up on a single jelly filled orange with text at the top

    These Jack-o-lantern jello heads make the perfect halloween dessert. If you are looking for ideas for a kids party then these unique orange jellies are perfect; children and adults will love this fun and easy dessert.

    Learn how to make homemade fizzy jello from fruit and soda drinks. Plus you can carve your 'pumpkin' faces to be as cute or as scary as you like.

    a jack o lantern orange filled with orange jello on blue plate

    These jellies are so much fun! The jello is made with orange soda and the juice from the oranges. This gives the jelly so much flavor but it also means that it fizzes as you eat it. Isn't that just perfect for a halloween dessert!!!! Fizzing food!

    How to make Homemade Jello

    Don't be worried by using gelatine at home, as long as you follow a couple of steps you'll have no problems at all with it.

    Whether you are using the envelopes/packets or gelatin powder from a container, the steps are the same. And these steps can be used for any homemade jello, not just these jack-o-lantern jell-o heads!

    • Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the your cold liquid (ยผ cup per sachet).
    • Make sure you do sprinkle it evenly over the surface rather than tipping it in a pile. This ensures it dissolves better.
    • Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
    • Heat your mixture very gently for 3 minutes, stirring until all the gelatine has dissolved.
    • Add in the remaining liquid and chill until set.

    I use either Knox Unflavoured Gelatine sachets or Mckenzieโ€™s Gelatine Powder
    The Knox brand comes in pre-measured sachets where as the Mckenzie brand is loose powder.

    For this recipe you will need 2 sachets of the Knox gelatine or 4 teaspoon of the Mckenzie gelatine powder.

    If you have a different gelatine product, check the instructions on the back. You want to use enough gelatine to set 4 cups of liquid.

    orange jack-o-lantern with jelly inside, with a halloween candle in the background

    How to carve oranges into jack-o-lanten

    Oranges are so much easier to carve than pumpkins! Meaning oranges are great for a halloween dessert!

    To turn your orange into a jack-o-lanten you will need to cut off the top and scoop out as much of the inside as you can (see the picture below)

    For this recipe you want to save all the scooped out pulp as we are going to squeeze juice out of it to add a nice fresh edge to the jello.

    4 pictures showing how to cut the top off the orange and scoop out the insides
    close up on the orange jello oozing out of the jack o lantern

    Once the jello has set, you'll need to take a fork and rake it across the surface of the jello. This will break the jello apart and give it a lumpy finish....perfect for a halloween dessert and also much easier to get it inside the orange!

    If you lightly push the jello down as you fill the jack-o-lantern orange, you will find it slowly seeps out of the face, giving your dessert a slightly creepy look.

    My kids were fascinated with the oozing ๐Ÿ˜‰

    straight on view showing the different faces cut into the orange jack-o-lanterns

    Enjoy x


    RECIPE NEWSLETTER

    Signup and get my FREE soup cookbook.

    By clicking submit, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

    Pin this recipe for Jack-o-Lantern Jello Heads.ย Pin it here.

    Up close picture of an orange cut like a pumpkin filled with fizzy orange jelly
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Jack-o-Lantern Jello Heads

    These Jack-o-lantern jello heads make the perfect halloween dessert. If you are looking for ideas for a kids party then these unique orange jellies are perfect; children and adults will love this fun and easy dessert. Learn how to make homemade fizzy jello from fruit and soda drinks. Plus you can carve your 'pumpkin' faces to be as cute or as scary as you like.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Setting time4 hrs
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Modern Australian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 109kcal
    Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts
    For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Grams
    • 6 small oranges
    • 2 cups orange soda - see note 1
    • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatine - see note 2

    Instructions

    • Before you start make sure the soda is in the fridge (see note 3)
    • Place a metal bowl into the fridge to chill. (see note 4)
    • Give the oranges a wash with warm water.
    • Use a knife to cut the top off each of the oranges.
    • Use a teaspoon to scoop out as much as the orange flesh as you can and reserve it in a bowl. Be careful to not puncture the bottom of the orange.
    • Carve your pumpkin-style faces into each of the orange shells. Wrap lightly in glad wrap and refrigerate until later.
    • Place the orange flesh into a sieve and squeeze out the juice, you are aiming for 2 cups of juice. (see note 1)
    • Pour ยฝ cup of the orange juice into a small saucepan, sprinkle the 2 envelopes of unflavoured gelatin evenly over the surface of the liquid and let it stand for 5 minute.
    • Place the pan over a low heat and stir constantly until the gelatine has all dissolved - about 3 minutes.
    • Remove from the heat and pour in the remaining orange juice and stir well.
    • Then carefully add your cold soda and stir gently.
    • Pour the prepared jelly into your cold metal bowl and refrigerate until set.
    • When youโ€™re ready to serve use a fork to rough up the jelly, making it look mushy.
    • Spoon the jelly into the orange shells, pushing it down so it starts to ooze out of the carved faces.

    Notes

    1. You may need ย little more soda if your oranges don't release enough juice.
    2. I use the Knox Unflavoured Gelatine, if you are using a different brand check the instructions and add enough gelatine to set 4 cups of liquid. (see bulk of post for more detailed instructions on this)
    3. The soda wants to be as cold as possible, this helps the jelly to set quickly, locking in the bubbles and giving you the fizz when you eat the jelly. Also use a unopened bottle of soda to maximise the bubbles.
    4. The bowl should have the capability to hold 4 cups of liquid, and the metal helps it to chill quickly thus setting the jelly more quickly and locking in the bubbles (as mentioned in note 3)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 82.7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

    More Halloween

    • close up on a bowl of pasta with olives and halloween decorations
      Dead Fly Pasta
    • close up on the side of a bliss ball bug showing the pretzel sticks used as legs
      Bliss Ball Bugs - Healthy Halloween Treat
    • close up on the cut out pastry face on top of the halloween pie
      Halloween Pies - Sausage Party Pies
    • a black bowl willed with red penne and frankfurter fingers
      Severed Finger Pasta - Halloween Pasta

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adrianne says

      July 22, 2019 at 10:34 am

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness, I LOVE these!! Talk about creative and original. They are perfect and hit the spot on the head. Also love the story about your farm and the photo of it on your more about Claire page. I can see why these would be a total hit at Halloween. Great work.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        July 24, 2019 at 6:13 am

        Thank you so much Adrianne ๐Ÿ˜€ ๐Ÿ˜€
        The kids loved them!

        Reply
    2. Aimee Shugarman says

      October 15, 2018 at 8:39 pm

      5 stars
      OMG this is so fun and easy. My kids want it every year now ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        October 16, 2018 at 5:19 am

        My kids were the same....and their competitive nature mean I have to judge who makes the 'best' spooky face......
        Glad yours loved these little jellies ๐Ÿ˜€

        Reply
    3. Kelly Anthony says

      October 15, 2018 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      These are ADORABLE and so perfect for Halloween! Any kid would go crazy for these. A must-make!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        October 16, 2018 at 5:20 am

        Thank you Kelly, they are always a hit at halloween parties ๐Ÿ˜€

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    a lady stood in a white kitchen chopping a tomato

    I'm Claire and I love food!
    I dream about food and I am happiest when I am in the kitchen cooking. Whether that is dinner for my family, snacks for drinks with my girlfriends or testing new recipes for my site, the kitchen is my happy place. Sprinkles and Sprouts is where I share it all and I am so happy you are here.

    Read More โ†’

    As featured in

    Popular

    • close up on a ladle of gravy pouring into a white gravy boat
    • square picture of a cast iron skillet of pasta
    • close up on the coriander and charred top of a sweet naan bread
    • Garlic bacon spaghetti in a large shallow grey bowl
    • Close up on roasted lemon potatoes in a white bowl

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    About

    • About Sprinkles
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted to Claire McEwen and are the property of Sprinkles and Sprouts.
    THEY MAY NOT BE REPUBLISHED IN PART OR WHOLE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDIT.
    Contact me to see republishing and syndication rights.

    Copyright ยฉ 2020 Sprinkles and Sprouts

    Copyright © 2023 ยท Cravings Pro Theme on Genesis Framework ยท WordPress ยท Log in