Kristin Maxwell
Last updated on
Cranberry Fluff Salad
This Cranberry Fluff Salad starts with cranberry sauce made from scratch, and has marshmallows, mandarin oranges, pineapple and creamy whipped topping. Cranberry Salad is the perfect combination of creamy, sweet and tart and it makes a great side dish or dessert for the holidays.
Big fan of dessert salads? Try our Sour Cream Salad and Pistachio Fluff Salad.
Our Thanksgiving meal usually includes a bunch of savory sides, like Homemade Stuffing, Skillet Rolls and Mashed Potatoes. But we always includes some kind of sweet side to offset all the savory, like this creamy, delicious Cranberry Fluff Salad.
Cranberry Salad is full of sweet and tart flavors, and is the perfect palette cleansing bite between the Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes and the Green Bean Casserole.
There are variations of cranberry salad that include ground up whole cranberries, but I find that I just don’t like the texture, so I came up with a variation all my own.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Homemade cranberry sauce – Whole cranberries, sugar and water. I prefer to make my own cranberry sauce from scratch because it’s incredibly easy and I can control the sweetness. You could certainly use a can of whole cranberry sauce if you prefer.
- Cool Whip – or another brand of non-dairy whipped topping. You could also go all out and make your own whipped cream.
- Fruit – I used mandarin orange and crushed pineapple, because I was going for something similar to my grandma’s Sour Cream Salad.
- Mini marshmallows – Because why not?
- Garnish – Sugared cranberries.
How to Make Cranberry Salad
Make the cranberry sauce. Add cranberries, sugar and water to a pan and simmer for 10 minutes. The berries should begin to gently burst. Transfer to the fridge – the sauce must be chilled before adding it to the salad.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, gently fold the chilled cranberry sauce and Cool Whip together (the cranberry sauce will be fairly solid; gently press with your spatula to break up). Gently mix in the mandarin oranges, pineapple and mini marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Garnish. Just before serve, roll some fresh cranberries in granulated sugar and carefully place on top of the cranberry fluff salad.
FAQs
Can you make cranberry salad ahead of time?
Yes, this salad can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Any more than that it may become watery. Be sure to give it a quick stir before serving.
How long is cranberry salad good for?
It will last 3-4 days in the fridge, properly stored in an airtight container.
Can I freeze cranberry fluff?
You can freeze it for up to 6 months, but keep in mind that the texture of the marshmallows will change when thawed.
Storing Leftovers
If you manage to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. As long as you have drained the fruits really well, it should last at least 3-4 days.
Chill for Best Results
This salad is best when it’s been hanging out in the fridge for at least a few hours, or even overnight. When it gets warm, the whipped cream begins to melt and it’s not a pretty picture.
More Cranberry Recipes You’ll Love
- Cranberry Chicken Puffs
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
- Cranberry Brie Bites
- Cranberry Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- 101+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- 60 Best Christmas Side Dishes
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Cranberry Fluff Salad
Cranberry Fluff Salad is a creamy cranberry salad side dish or dessert with cranberry sauce, marshmallows, oranges, pineapple and Cool Whip.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 22 mins
Ingredients
- 12 ounce package whole cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 10 ounce container non-dairy whipped topping like Cool Whip
- 8 ounce can mandarin oranges drained well
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple drained well
- 1 cup Mini marshmallows
- Sugared Cranberries for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add cranberries, granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until berries begin to burst. Remove from heat and pour cranberries into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently fold chilled cranberry sauce and non-dairy whipped topping together (the cranberry sauce will be fairly solid; gently press with your spatula to break up). Fold in mandarin oranges, pineapple and mini marshmallows until coated.
- Pour into a serving dish and chill until ready to serve.
- If desired, top with sugared cranberries. Simply roll some cranberries in granulated sugar and carefully place on top of the cranberry fluff salad.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Make ahead up to 2 days, but be sure to drain the fruits really well.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 33mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 1gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 448IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
CRANBERRY FLUFF….do you drain the pineapple and mandrin oranges?
Orange, yes, Pineapple, no. Just follow the recipe and it will be delicious!
Made it today to make sure my family would like for Thanksging and it was so easy and everyone’s just loved it.
Thank u for sharing.
Kristen u are my go to girl for recipes u are amazing with your cooking skills. Everything I’ve made from your site is always delicious. I believe I’ve tried like 7 main dishes and 2 desserts now!
Thank you Dora,
So happy that you and your family loved this recipe.
thanks for stopping by again.
Hello,I just have a quick question on why you cooked your cranberries?Im making this on Thanksgiving and all the other recipes put the cranberries in a food processor.I just wanted to get your reason behind it.I think I’m cooking mine now since I found your recipe!
For texture and flavor. Cranberries, even chopped up in the food processor are still extremely tart and not a very pleasant texture (to me at least). I prefer to use a homemade cranberry sauce.
My mom has made this cranberry salad ever since I can remember (at least 40+ years). Now these days, I can appreciate the one other big plus this salad offers (besides it’s yummmmmy taste)…it’s best made early in the morning or even the day before you serve so the marshmallows get nice and soft.
My mom would always make a very large container of this and we’d have it for a few more days with all the other leftovers!
Oh ya…you can eat this all by itself for a dessert too;) Everyone needs to make the this a holiday tradition!