What Is Gelatin, unflavored and How Can I Use It?

Gelatin, unflavored is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 600 recipes to get you started.

What is gelatin, unflavored?

Gelatin is a protein produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle,pigs, and horses. The natural molecular bonds between individual collagen strands are broken down into a form that rearranges more easily. Gelatin melts to a liquid when heated and solidifies when cooled again.

Probably best known as a gelling agent in cooking, different types and grades of gelatin are used in a wide range of food and non-food products: Common examples of foods that contain gelatin are gelatin desserts, trifles, aspic, marshmallows, and confectioneries such as Peeps, gummy bears and jelly babies.

Gelatin may be used as a stabilizer, thickener, or texturizer in foods such as jams, yoghurt, cream cheese, and margarine; it is used, as well, in fat-reduced foods to simulate the mouthfeel of fat and to create volume without adding calories.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find gelatin, unflavored: Gelatin, unflavored is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Gelatin, unflavored is a member of the Sweets US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

明胶，无味

British (UK) term

Gelatin, unflavored

en français

la gélatine

en español

la gelatina

How much does gelatin, unflavored weigh?

Related

Sweets

Recipes using gelatin, unflavored

There are 600 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Graveyard Treat

Beneath a layer of ghostly whipped topping lies a chilling graveyard of cookie-crumb earth, with layers of creamy, eerie cheese filling and a tombstone of cookies marking the final resting place of your diet. Serve this spine-chilling dessert at your Halloween party, if you dare, and watch as your guests unearth the delicious secrets hidden within!

Creamy Cranberry Sherbet

Creamy cranberry sherbet whips fresh cranberries with evaporated skim milk and gelatin into a tart, frosty scoop. A low-calorie holiday dessert with rosy color and fluffy texture.

Lemon/Orange Cake Dessert

Lighter poke cake built on a yellow cake mix doctored with lemon gelatin, applesauce, and egg substitute, then drenched in a citrus glaze that soaks into every fork-pricked hole. Tangy, moist, easy.

Suzy's Lime Cheesecake

Suzy's lime cheesecake with a toasted coconut crust and a mousse-light filling set with gelatin, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites. Brighter and airier than a baked New York style.

Favourite Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Pumpkin chiffon pie layers warm-spiced pumpkin custard with stiff egg whites and whipped cream, then chills into an airy, mousse-like filling inside a graham cracker crust. A lighter no-bake alternative to traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

Fresh Strawberry Mousse

Fresh strawberry mousse with pureed strawberries, whipped cream, framboise, and a ribbon-stage egg base. A light, elegant French-style molded dessert.

Pumpkin Light Pie

Light pumpkin pie with a fluffy chiffon-style filling on a graham cracker crust, sweetened with sugar substitute and lifted with whipped egg whites. The lower-sugar pumpkin pie for the holiday table.

Sugarless Heart Cookies

Sugarless heart cookies sweetened with sugar-free fruit gelatin instead of granulated sugar. Roll-and-cut shortbread-style dough, six ingredients, flavor and color come straight from the gelatin packet.

Homemade Mashmallowes- Srilanka

Fluffy homemade marshmallows made with just gelatin, sugar, and hot water for pillowy Sri Lankan sweets. Whipped into cloud-like perfection in minutes, then dusted with powdered sugar.

No Cook Strawberry & Banana Jam

An easy to make jam that's so tasty, you'll end up using it on almost everything!

Sarah's Fig-Strawberry Preserves

Fig strawberry preserves use mashed fresh figs, sugar, and strawberry Jello for an old-fashioned three-ingredient preserve. Tastes like both fruits at once.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Nothing can compete with a homemade ice cream, especially with all these juicy blueberries being added. A perfect treat in summer.

Refrigerator Grape Jelly

Sugar-free refrigerator grape jelly made with unsweetened grape juice, unflavored gelatin, and lemon juice. No pectin, no canning, no special equipment. Ready in 35 minutes, keeps for 2 weeks.

Strawberry-Yogurt Popsicles

Strawberry yogurt popsicles made with frozen strawberries, plain yogurt, and a touch of gelatin for creamy, slow-melting texture. No added sugar, no ice cream maker. Just blend, freeze in paper cups, and pull them out on the hottest day.

Homemade Papaya Milk Pudding

A light, chilled papaya milk pudding, a silky gelatin-set custard folded with whipped egg whites and fresh papaya puree. Tropical, airy, and turned out of the mold for a cool, refreshing dessert.

Delicious Key Lime Pie

A key lime chiffon pie: tart key lime curd lightened with gelatin, fluffy meringue, and whipped cream, set in a graham crust. An airy, cloud-light take on key lime pie, far lighter than the condensed-milk version.

Fig or Strawberry Jam

Fig or strawberry jam cooks fresh figs and sugar with strawberry-flavored gelatin for an easy two-step preserve with a soft, spreadable set without traditional pectin.

Cherry & White Chocolate Chunk Chocolate Ice Cream

These is nothing better than a cold and creamy ice cream in summer, this ice cream is lower in fat and calories, and very delicious!

Brown Sugar & Toasted Almond Ice Cream

Brown sugar and toasted almond ice cream, a custard base with deep butterscotch notes, warm cinnamon, and crunchy toasted almonds. Made lighter with milk and evaporated milk, churned smooth and scoopable.

Fresh Apricot Ice Cream

Fresh apricot ice cream made with diced ripe apricots, apricot nectar, evaporated milk, and tangy yogurt. A cooler, lighter summer ice cream with bright stone-fruit flavor and no eggs.

Strawberry Mousse Cake

A homemade sponge cake split and soaked with strawberry liqueur syrup, then sandwiched around a fresh strawberry mousse made with yogurt and whipped cream. Patisserie-level elegance you can make at home.

Homemade Sweet Milk Pudding

Homemade sweet milk pudding, a light molded custard set with gelatin and lightened with whipped egg whites. Vanilla-scented, jiggly, and topped with cashews and raisins for a simple, delicate dessert.

Homemade Coffee Milk Pudding

A two-layer coffee milk pudding, a creamy vanilla milk base topped with a sweet coffee layer, both set with gelatin and chilled until sliceable. A light, pretty dessert for coffee lovers.

Cheeseless Pumpkin Cheesecake

A delicious cross between cheesecake and pumpkin pie without cheese or the need to bake. If you love cheesecake but have a stomach that is sensitive to cream cheese - this is the one for you.

Watermelon Sherbet

Creamy watermelon sherbet churned with evaporated skim milk, lemon juice, and a touch of gelatin for silky smooth scoops. A lighter frozen treat that captures peak summer melon flavor.

Margarita Jello Shooters

Jello shooters are a really fun way to get the crowd loose. Thanks to Lori, my neighbor, for this delicious recipe...just in time for the NFL season!

Better Than Oreo Ice Cream

A rich chocolate taste but surprisingly light chocolate ice cream studded with chunks of chocolate wafers and walnuts.

Homemade Chocolate Milk Pudding

Homemade chocolate milk pudding is easy and tasty.

Rhubarb Dump Cake

Rhubarb dump cake is a Midwestern shortcut dessert with tart fresh rhubarb, raspberry gelatin, marshmallows, and a layer of white cake mix batter on top. Bright pink, sweet-tart, and dead simple.

Strawberry Upside Down Shortcake

Strawberry upside-down cake with marshmallows, frozen berries, and strawberry gelatin baked into the batter. This easy sheet cake flips to reveal a jammy strawberry top.

Ball Park Cherry Berry Ice Cream

Cherry berry ice cream churned with strawberries, dark sweet cherries, and a rich half-and-half base. Old-school ballpark flavor with a velvety texture and big fruit chunks in every scoop.

Oreo Cookies

Homemade chocolate sandwich cookies with a stabilized vanilla cream filling. These Oreo-style treats use cake mix for the cookies and gelatin-enriched frosting.

Very Blueberry Cheesecake

Very blueberry cheesecake is a no-bake stunner: pureed fresh blueberries folded into a light, lemony cream cheese filling set with gelatin over a vanilla wafer crust. No oven, just chill until firm.

Do-Ahead Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Make-ahead pumpkin chiffon pie with a cloud-light gelatin filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg folded into stiff egg whites. Lighter than classic pumpkin pie and a Thanksgiving prep-day winner.

Lemon Butter Mousse

It's heavenly delicious, that's all I can say! Buttery, creamy, silky, and oh, my... It had everything that I was craving :) Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!

7-Up Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry Glaze

7-Up Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry Glaze recipe

Irish Cream Frozen Yogurt

A touch of Irish Cream teams up with chocolate for a mouth-watering change of pace.

Homemade Milk Pudding

Homemade Milk Pudding is very sweet and delicious.

Mom's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Pumpkin chiffon pie with a fluffy gelatin-set filling lightened by beaten egg whites and whipped cream. Brown sugar, warm spices, and orange zest make it taste like a holiday cloud. Easier on the stomach than custard pumpkin pie.

Low Calorie Strawberry Chiffon Pie

Very easy recipe. I substituted peach-mango Kool Aid for the strawberry, and diced a fresh mango for garnish. Delicious and light!

Homemade Marshmallows

Fluffy homemade marshmallows from just gelatin, sugar, water, and vanilla, boiled to a syrup and whipped into pillowy clouds. No corn syrup, and far softer than anything from a bag.

Low Fat & Whole Wheat Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Smooth and beautiful chocolate tart, some chocolate swirls on top with some toasted hazelnuts, you can serve it with some whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Low-Sugar Refrigerator Strawberry Jam

Low-sugar refrigerator strawberry jam sets in minutes with gelatin, not pectin. Just ⅓ cup sugar for 4 cups of berries. Bright, fresh-tasting fruit straight from the saucepan.

Christmas Marshmallow Snowflakes

Make your own marshmallows, then cut out shapes into snow flakes; elegant looking with delicious flavour will definitely impress your family and friends at your Christmas party!

Pannacotta with Blueberry Coulis

Pannacotta is a bit like like very creamy "Jello", this one is sweetened slightly with sugar and gently flavored with a real vanilla. Panna cotta has roots as an Italian dessert. It is eaten all over Italy typically being served with fresh berries, caramel and chocolate. This recipe was inspired by a recipe in one of Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks.

Glorious Grape Gelatin

Only 4 ingredients! Grape juice studded with banana slices makes this all-natural dessert delightfully glorious!

Homemade Jujubes

Chewy homemade fruit gummies set with gelatin and flavored with vanilla and strawberry essence. These colorful jujubes need just a candy thermometer and patience while they firm up overnight.

No Bake Raspberry & Ginger Cheesecake

An easy to make no bake raspberry topped cheesecake with gingersnaps for the crust. Disappears quickly, light and fluffy dessert.

Chocolate Coffee Cream Roll

Rich and delectable, this showy dessert makes an elegant finale to any dinner.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are a classic Easter treat, fragrant with warm spices and studded with juicy raisins. Fresh from the oven, their golden crust, tender crumb, and glossy glaze make them irresistible. This recipe yields soft, fluffy buns that are easy to prepare, perfect for a festive breakfast or afternoon tea. With clear steps and pro tips, you’ll create a batch of 12 buns to share with family and friends.

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