Foodie Monday: Vegan Jell-O

Has the title processed yet? Let me say it again. Vegan Jell-O!

Oh Pinterest! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! There are so many wonderful things on Pinterest. I could check it obsessively or infrequently and still be amazed by all the wonderful creations and ideas. Were it not for Pinterest, I would never have found vegan Jell-O.

I used to like Jell-O. It is quick, low in calories, and satisfies my insatiable sweet tooth. Back before I was vegan, the second I found out that it and Junior Mints had gelatin, I stopped eating them. Every once in a while there is something that I used to eat as a non-vegan that I have a hankering for. Recently, it was Jell-O. Even though I don’t drink much anymore, for some reason I was thinking about how to make vegan Jell-O shots. Lo and behold I stumbled across a pin last week for vegan Jell-O shots!

The blog, Tia Tofu, said I could find the vegan Jell-O powder at Whole Paycheck (Foods). I am a Whole Paycheck regular who goes up and down every aisle. Seriously, they know me at two Whole Paychecks! Wouldn’t I know if there was a vegan Jell-O equivalent in Whole Paycheck?! Apparently, it had been staring at me the whole time and I never saw it. I found it next to all the packaged Bob’s Red Mill flours instead of near baking products and gelatin.

Simply Delish’s Jel Dessert is vegan Jell-O! I bought all three for a taste test. They’ll do! To make the jel, you dissolve the powder in 400ml (14 oz) of boiling water, pour into a small dish or mold, and let stand (no refrigeration necessary) for 40 minutes. That’s it! No heating up agar-agar or anything. 🙂

The ingredients aren’t too scary. The main ingredient is xylitol which is a “naturally occurring (take that with a grain of salt)” sweetener that doesn’t increase your glycemic index too much. It is toxic to dogs, so be careful if you have four-legged companions around. The coloring is made mostly from beta carotene and beets. While Simply Delish’s Jel Dessert isn’t something I’d buy regularly, I will probably buy it from time to time.

There are a number of places that sell dessert jel. Amazon carries a couple of brands and a simple Google search will direct you to online vegan stores like Pangea that carry them too. Now, go buy it and make your own! :p

2 Comments

tokyovegan - September 17, 2013

I enjoyed your article, though I don’t care for artificial sweeteners, especially xylitol for its effects on my digestion. I prefer making things from scratch whenever possible. For example, you can prepare a kind of pudding with fruit juice (I use fresh limes) and your sweetener of choice in a high-speed blender with agar-agar until it gets warm to the touch, then letting it solidify in the fridge. This eliminates the need to boil agar-agar separately.

- the superdiva, dk - September 17, 2013
  
  Thanks for the idea. While I do make most of my meals from scratch, sometimes I just don’t feel like doing more than boiling water and stirring. 😛