5-Minute Cranberry Fluff Salad

The perfect easy side dish, this Cranberry Fluff Salad combines seasonal fruits, Cool Whip, and festive marshmallows for an 5-minute recipe that your friends and family will love!

Total Time: 5 minutes

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The perfect easy side dish, this Cranberry Fluff Salad combines seasonal fruits, Cool Whip, and festive marshmallows for an 5-minute recipe that your friends and family will love!

I’ve mentioned on here before that our family loves to enjoy ambrosia (or other sweet fruit salads) on special holidays — and even with the occasional weeknight dinner. I love that they are easy to prepare in advance, they only require a few simple ingredients, and they taste delicious!

Since our Pink Ambrosia Salad was such a huge hit in the spring, I thought that now would be a good time to mix it up a little bit and create a similar combination for the Fall. The blend of cranberry, pineapple, and orange results in a fresh, seasonal, and attractive dish that will be the perfect addition to your holiday feast.

HOW TO MAKE A CRANBERRY FLUFF RECIPE WITH CANNED CRANBERRIES:

It can sometimes be hard to find fresh cranberries in my small, rural grocery store, so this cranberry fruit salad is particularly convenient because it takes advantage of canned whole berry cranberry sauce.

You need just 5 additional ingredients — Cool Whip whipped topping, canned pineapple, mandarin oranges, pecans, and mini marshmallows.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this easy cranberry salad takes 5 minutes to stir together!

First, drain the pineapple and oranges very well. Then combine the fruit, cranberry sauce, pecans, and marshmallows in a large bowl.

Gently fold in a tub of Cool Whip and you’re done!

You can serve the Cranberry Cool Whip Salad immediately, or you can cover the bowl and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy it!

How long does Cranberry Fluff last?

I find that the salad is best when served within a few hours of preparation. If you want to prepare it a day in advance, just be sure to give everything a good stir right before serving.

The fruit releases some juices as it sits, so while the cranberry salad still tastes delicious on Day 3 or Day 4, it tends to get a bit watery and doesn’t have as much “fluff” to it.

COOK’S TIPS:

• Make sure that the pineapple and the oranges are very well drained before adding them to the bowl. If you have excess fruit juice in your salad, it will be a bit watery and not as fluffy!
• Gently fold in the Cool Whip, being careful not to stir too hard. You want to keep as much of the air or “fluff” in the Cool Whip as possible, and you don’t want to damage the structure of the fruit in the salad.
• If you want the pecans to stay crunchy, add them at the very end — just before serving.
• The salad is best when served within 1-3 hours of preparation; however, it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
• Garnish with extra marshmallows on top! Kids will go crazy for this side dish…

What to serve with Cranberry Fluff Salad:

This is a great holiday dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it pairs nicely with:

• Garlic and Herb Roast Turkey Breast
• Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast
• Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables
• Southern Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tenderloin

Cranberry Fluff Salad is a sweet and festive side (kids of all ages love those marshmallows!) that complements the savory turkey and dressings that might also find their way onto your plates this season. Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Don’t forget to rate it and leave me a comment below! You can follow me on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest, and on Twitter!

5 from 2 votes

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5-Minute Cranberry Fluff Salad

The perfect easy side dish, this Cranberry Fluff Salad combines seasonal fruits, Cool Whip, and festive marshmallows for an 5-minute recipe that your friends and family will love!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry fluff salad, cranberry salad, cranberry salad with cool whip

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 282 kcal

Author Blair

Ingredients

• 2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple tidbits, well drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, well drained
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 (8 ounce) carton Cool Whip, thawed

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine pineapple, cranberry sauce, oranges, pecans, and marshmallows. Gently fold in Cool Whip

2. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

How long does Cranberry Fluff last?

I find that the salad is best when served within a few hours of preparation. If you want to prepare it a day in advance, just be sure to give everything a good stir right before serving.

The fruit releases some juices as it sits, so while the cranberry salad still tastes delicious on Day 3 or Day 4, it tends to get a bit watery and doesn't have as much "fluff" to it.

COOK'S TIPS:

• Make sure that the pineapple and the oranges are very well drained before adding them to the bowl. If you have excess fruit juice in your salad, it will be a bit watery and not as fluffy!
• Gently fold in the Cool Whip, being careful not to stir too hard. You want to keep as much of the air or "fluff" in the Cool Whip as possible, and you don't want to damage the structure of the fruit in the salad.
• If you want the pecans to stay crunchy, add them at the very end -- just before serving.
• The salad is best when served within 1-3 hours of preparation; however, it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
• Garnish with extra marshmallows on top! Kids will go crazy for this side dish...

Nutrition Facts

5-Minute Cranberry Fluff Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 /8 of the recipe)

Calories 282 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 4mg 1%

Sodium 46mg 2%

Potassium 273mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 57g 19%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 46g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 10.8%

Vitamin C 74.7%

Calcium 7.2%

Iron 3.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was originally published in November, 2014. It was updated in November, 2018.