Christmas Jell-O Poke Cake

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Make this Christmas Jell-O Poke Cake with just a few ingredients and have something festive and special for the holidays without a ton of work!

A FESTIVE HOLIDAY POKE CAKE

Get festive and ready for your upcoming Christmas parties with this Christmas Jell-O Poke Cake. Just like all your other favorite poke cakes, this one is made with a boxed cake mix then “poked” with red and green Jell-O and topped with whipped topping and sprinkles. It’s the perfect dessert to take to your upcoming holiday parties and gatherings!

A plate with a slice of Christmas Jello Poke Cake.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I use a different cake mix?

French vanilla cake mix can also be used – the colors just tend to show up a bit better with the white cake.

Can I make my own homemade cake?

Of course! I even have a Homemade White Cake recipe if you’d like to use that.

I don’t like Cool Whip, can I make my own whipped cream?

Yes but I’m not your Mom, y’all. This is your cake. You don’t need my permission to make your own whipped cream or your own homemade cake. Just look at this recipe as an idea if you don’t want to use the same ingredients and go for it! This is how I make it so I will only speak for this recipe.

Can I use more than half of each Jell-O packet?

I wouldn’t. I used only half packages of the Jell-O mixes, otherwise, it would have been way too much Jell-O to use with the two colors.

What’s the best way to ensure the Jell-O gets into each hole?

I used a measuring cup with a spout and added the green jello to every other hole, then did the same thing with the red to make sure they wouldn’t bleed too much into each other. You could also use a funnel to help direct the Jell-O easier.

What food coloring should I use?

I used gel food coloring because this is the most vibrant. I used Americolor in leaf green and super red. But you can use other ones if that is what you have and prefer. If you don’t want to use food coloring, that is fine too.

Can I make this for other holidays?

Absolutely! This is a great cake to work from and change up for other holidays. Change the flavors/colors of the Jell-O and the sprinkles on top for any holiday combination.

How to store leftover Christmas Poke Cake?

This Jell-O poke cake with whipped topping must be refrigerated when you aren’t serving it. It keeps in the refrigerator, covered for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

A fork with a bite of Christmas Jello Poke Cake next to the rest of the slice.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

white cake mix – as I stated above, you could use other cake mixes but the colors show up best with white.
ingredients needed to make the cake: egg whites, oil and water – you will be using the amounts on the back of your particular brand of cake mix.
lime Jell-O mix – you will only use ½ a box. Just eyeball it, you don’t have to exact measure it unless that makes you feel better.
strawberry Jell-O mix – again, you will only use ½ a box. You could use cherry Jell-O if you prefer that over strawberry.
boiling water – this will be divided between the two bowls of Jell-O.
cold water – the cold water combined with the boiling water is what activates the Jell-O and will help it set up once it is in the cake.
green and red food coloring -I really like adding the additional coloring. It just makes it so vibrant but if it’s not your thing then just skip it.
whipped topping – also known under the brand name of Cool Whip. If you’ve never bought it before, it is in the freezer section so you’ll need to put it in your refrigerator overnight to thaw (not on the counter).

Cool Whip, cake mix, vegetable oil eggs, water, red and green jello mixes, and
Christmas colored sprinkles.

HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS JELL-O POKE CAKE

Prepare the white cake mix per the directions on the back of the box. Once it is done baking, place it on the counter and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Take a wooden utensil with a round handle (or similar object) and poke holes into the cake all over about 2 inches apart. You want them to be large enough to really hold all those colors and so they show up good in the sliced cake.

collage of two photos: baked white cake in baking dish; holes poked into cake.

Add the lime Jell-O mix to a medium heatproof bowl. Add the strawberry Jell-O mix to a separate medium heatproof bowl. Add half of the boiling water to the lime Jell-O and the other half to the strawberry Jell-O. Whisk both bowls well to combine.

Add half of the cold water to the lime jello and the other half to the strawberry jello. Whisk both bowls well to combine. Add food coloring to each bowl and whisk to combine. Very carefully, add the Jell-O colors to the cake, concentrating on the holes in alternating colors.

collage of two photos: Red and green Jell-O in bowls with whisks; a cake with holes poked in it, filled with red and green Jell-O.

Place in the fridge for 2 hours to cool and set. Spread on the whipped topping, and place in the fridge for another 2 hours to set up nicely. Then sprinkle the top evenly with the Christmas sprinkles.