5-Minute Cranberry Fluff

Square overhead image of cranberry fluff salad in a serving bowl with extra marshmallows on top for garnish.

5 from 5 votes

Cranberry sauce, pineapple, mandarin oranges, pecans, and mini marshmallows folded into Cool Whip for a sweet, creamy holiday salad. It stirs together in 5 minutes with no cooking, so it's an easy make-ahead side for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Course Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine American

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

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 282kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Drain the fruit: Drain the pineapple and mandarin oranges well in a colander, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Combine: In a large bowl, stir together the pineapple, oranges, cranberry sauce, pecans, and marshmallows.
Fold in the Cool Whip: Gently fold in the Cool Whip just until no white streaks remain.
Chill and serve: Serve right away, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Drain well: Leftover fruit juice is the main reason fluff turns watery. Drain the fruit in a colander, then pat it dry.
Make ahead: Best within 1 to 3 hours of making it, but it keeps up to 24 hours. Stir gently before serving, and add the pecans at the end if you want them crunchy.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Freezing isn't recommended.
Swaps: Use homemade sweetened whipped cream (from 1 ½ cups heavy cream) instead of Cool Whip, walnuts instead of pecans, or fresh diced oranges instead of canned.
For a crowd: The recipe doubles easily. A double batch fits nicely in a large trifle bowl.

Nutrition