Name: Smooth Grape Dessert
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups water; 2 cups grape pulp; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup perma-flo (cornstarch); 1/4 cup black cherry gelatin

Jump to Recipe

This Smooth Grape Dessert Recipe is a unique Mennonite-style dessert made with grape pulp. This grape dessert has a deep purple color and a velvety, smooth texture, perfect for eating with chocolate cake, ice cream or brownies.

A Simple Grape Dessert using Pulp Leftover from making Jam or Juice

Ok, this recipe for Grape Dessert is definitely a Mennonite classic, so if you’ve never heard of it, that might be why! We would actually call it Grape Danish Dessert and I’m honestly not sure why, because when you search grape Danish dessert online, almost everything that comes up is a pastry.

I like to save those grapes when I mix up a pitcher or grape juice from a jar of my Home Canned Grape Juice Concentrate and turn the pulp into dessert! Any time you have grape pulp left from making jam or jelly, you can use them to make dessert.

And even if you don’t have canned grape juice concentrate, you can still make this recipe!

A few great things about the recipe:

💜Smooth and silky texture. Eat it plain, with a piece of good old chocolate cake, or even drizzle it over vanilla ice cream. Grape dessert is delish!

🪙Budget friendly, less waste. It’s very inexpensive to make, and it works great to repurpose those grapes from canned concentrate and turn them into dessert!

🍇Very simple to make. It only takes a few minutes to whip up a batch of grape dessert! For sure if you have the pulp already on hand.

Ingredients

Grape pulp – you can see below how to turn grapes into pulp, if you’re wondering.
Water
Sugar – white granulated sugar
Perma-flo (or cornstarch) – for thickening. You may not be able to find perma-flo (a modified corn starch) at local grocery stores, and regular cornstarch works just fine.
Gelatin – black cherry jello to add flavor and thickening. (You can also use grape!)

Whipped topping – spread some Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream on top for a garnish!

Supplies we used:

Strainer
Saucepan – a medium saucepan to do the cooking; let’s see, I believe the pan I used is a 2 quart.
Whisk – to stir everything together into a smooth, lump-free mixture
Measuring cups and spoons
A spatula or two

This post contains affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you purchase through our links. Thanks for supporting our little family!

How to Make Grape Pulp

Wash grapes and remove the stems. Place the grapes in a large saucepan, add a little bit of water in the bottom and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Simmer for about 10 minutes (You’ll need about 6-8 cups of grapes for this recipe.) Then follow one of these methods:

Steam/cooking and straining: dump the cooked grapes into a fine mesh strainer and press them through with a spoon or spatula.
Using a food mill: dump the cooked grapes into the top of the food mill and process them through the mill. (I personally wouldn’t use this method unless I want to make a bunch of pulp at once for freezing.)
Using a blender or food processor: dump the cooked grapes into the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. (Caution: cover with a towel or use a vented lid to allow steam to escape while blending!) An immersion blender can also work, and to make sure your pulp is truly smooth, run it through a strainer yet, too.

Tip: Your grape pulp should be somewhat runny, so if it’s not, add some water!

(I’m using grapes left over from canned grape juice concentrate, and here’s how I do it⬇️)

And there you have your pulp to make Smooth Grape Dessert! Any type of grape should work, though I always use Concord grapes left over from my canned grape juice concentrate.

How to make our Smooth Grape Dessert Recipe

Whisk all the ingredients together in a saucepan.

Place the saucepan on the stovetop and heat on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the grape mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

Garnish with Cool Whip and serve. Enjoy!💜

How to Store Smooth Grape Dessert

Stick it in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Tips, Tricks & Notes

Another garnish idea: marshmallows. Sprinkle the dessert with mini marshmallows to serve, instead of adding a layer of whipped topping.
If your dessert ends up too thick, just whisk in a little water.
If you’re making grape dessert with grapes from canned grape juice like I do, you’ll probably need to use the grapes from 2 quarts of canned concentrate to get enough pulp. I like to save pulp in a freezer box in my freezer, then make this dessert when I have enough pulp saved!

More Dessert Recipes

Share this Smooth Grape Dessert recipe!

Thanks, we appreciate it.

pin image for smooth grape dessert recipe

8-10 servings

Smooth Grape Dessert

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Smooth Grape Dessert is a unique Mennonite-style dessert made with grape pulp. It has a velvety, smooth texture, perfect for eating with chocolate cake, ice cream or brownies.