I wanted to offer the people who buy 300 million boxes of animal gelatin every year a healthy alternative, and bring back all the folks like me who have given up on gelatin.

I just knew if I was diligent, I could track down and offer a sea vegetable with just the right amount of gel power and no aftertaste. After many, many attempts (I’ll spare you the details), I finally discovered a variety that works, as well as an amount. (The amount used and what it’s used with are key components in creating meals and desserts without any aftertaste.) In keeping thematically with my BakeOver idea, I proclaimed my invention a “ChillOver.”

You can find more ChillOver recipes in my first book, MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook.

Buy ChillOver Powder

Strawberry jam

Strawberry Jam

  • 2 lbs. strawberries, washed, hulled and crushed to yield 4 cups crushed berries
  • 2 cups organic cane sugar
  • 2 packets (2 tsp) ChillOver Powder
  1. Combine crushed strawberries and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
  2. Sprinkle and stir Chillover Powder into liquid and boil rapidly for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from heat and can in sterile jars (refer to a canning manual for complete canning instructions).

“I was looking for an easy way to make low-sugar jam. Plus, I love using the whole fruit, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I try MaryJane’s ChillOver powder?’ Am I glad I did! The color, taste, and amount of gelling are perfect. Now I use ChillOver powder for all my jam- and jelly-making needs (I didn’t realize how much flavor pectin robs from the fruit.)” Lauren C.

Yield: four cups


Chillover® Raspberry Jam
Substitute raspberries for strawberries.

Chillover® Blackberry Jam
Substitute blackberries for strawberries

Giggle Wiggles

Giggle Wiggles

Sugar-free, dye-free, fruit-juice-sweetened, youngster fun! Orange juice in fun shapes is a great get-healthy treat for a child who is home sick.

  1. Bring juice to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle and stir ChillOver Powder into liquid, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
  3. Place a 12″×17″ jellyroll pan on your refrigerator shelf and pour in hot liquid. Chill until firm (about 1 hour). Use your child’s favorite cookie cutters to create shapes. (For thicker Giggle Wiggles, simply double the recipe or use a smaller pan.)

Yield: four cups


Stabilized Whipped Cream

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Stabilized whipped cream is a light and delicate frosting for cakes, cupcakes, and layer cakes, and it can be whipped up ahead of time to top pies, cobblers … really, anything you can think of. Unlike plain whipped cream, stabilized whipped cream keeps its shape over time instead of melting or deflating. When making this recipe, the key is to slowly sprinkle in our ChillOver Powder while whisking to avoid any clumps, and to keep whisking during the 3-minute simmer time.

  • 2¼ cups cream, divided
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1¼ teaspoon ChillOver Powder
  1. Add 2 cups cream and the vanilla to a medium bowl or stand mixer; set aside.
  2. Bring honey and water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; slowly sprinkle in ChillOver Powder and continue to simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining cream.
  3. Begin whipping cream. Add honey mixture just before soft peaks form, then continue to whip into stiff peaks.
  4. Pipe cream onto your baked goods and refrigerate for 2 hours to set.

Yield: four cups


Make Your Knees Weak Chocolate

Make Your Knees Weak Chocolate

  • 1 packet (1 tsp) ChillOver Powder
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • Optional: whipped cream, shaved chocolate, powdered sugar, and toasted coconut for garnish
  1. Blend together ChillOver Powder, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat together egg yolks and coconut milk. Add to saucepan and beat well. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract, and cool until mixture reaches the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.
  3. Beat cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold into ChillOver mixture.
  4. Pour into a 4-cup mold or serving dish, and follow basic ChillOver instructions on page 102. Garnish as desired.

Yield: eight servings


Jo Thompson | Anchorage, Alaska

“Kudos to MaryJane! We used our key limes and ChillOver and WOW, it’s the best stuff. The texture is far superior to any type of gelatin I’ve used. I reduced the sugar in the recipe so it’s a major pucker/sour but we love it! I had purchased it a couple of months ago and memories of old gelatin had kept me from really using it. It reminds me of the gels you eat in Japan, only better ...”

Mary | Yakima, Washington

“Last week I made the Chocolate and Cayenne ChillOver, folded in some frozen raspberries, put it in a graham cracker crust and served it by the slice. My three men fought over the last piece. I forgot one time to fold in the whipped cream until it was well set, so I just beat it with my mixer and then folded in the whip cream. Turned out just fine. I plan on making several ‘pies’ with different ChillOvers to serve at a staff luncheon later this month. So far I’ve found you can’t eat too much ChillOver. Chill on!”