Cranberry Orange Fluff Salad Recipe

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Cranberry Orange Fluff Salad is a delicious dessert salad that will bring a pop of color to any table. Made with cranberries, mandarin oranges, marshmallows and whipped topping, this is a fantastic sweet treat.

If you love marshmallow fluff, you will love this marshmallow dessert. The oranges give it a nice citrus flavor and the cranberries turn it a beautiful pink color.

This dessert salad can be eaten any time of the year, but is especially festive for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you are from the Midwest, you might actually eat this salad as a side dish! 

Try this sweet salad with Instant Pot Pot Roast, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, or Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs.

Cranberry Orange Fluff with Just 5 Ingredients

To make this fruity marshmallow fluff salad recipe, you will need the following ingredients (go to the recipe below for exact quantities and instructions):

• frozen cranberries
• mandarin oranges
• granulated sugar
• mini marshmallows
• whipped topping

How to Make Cranberry Fluff in 10 Minutes

1. Prepare the cranberries. Run the frozen cranberries under cold water to thaw. Divide the cranberries in half, slicing half of them and using a food processor to grind the other half.
2. Prepare the oranges. Cut the mandarin oranges into small pieces.
3. Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping, mini marshmallows, granulated sugar, mandarin oranges and chopped cranberries. Stir well. Add the processed cranberries and gently fold in until well incorporated.
4. Chill the salad. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Tips for Cranberry Marshmallow Fluff Salad

• I always use Cool Whip. Other generic brands are thinner and get too watery.
• I called for half of the cranberries to be sliced and half to be processed, this makes for a really interesting texture in the salad and a beautiful pink color.

Can I Make Cranberry Fluff Salad with Frozen Cranberries?

I really like using frozen cranberries for this recipe because as they thaw, the texture softens them up a bit. You can make this using fresh berries, but the texture of the fresh berries is pretty crisp and can conflict with the soft texture of the rest of the salad.

As the frozen berries thaw, they create their own juice. This helps create that beautiful pink color for the finished dish.

Can I Make Cranberry Fluff Salad with Canned Cranberries?

You can make this recipe using canned cranberries if you would like, but be sure to purchase whole berries and understand the texture will be much softer. When using canned cranberries, check if they are sweetened. If they are, you can omit the granulated sugar.

Substitutions and Optional Add-Ins

• Healthy options: You can make this delicious dessert a little healthier by choosing sugar free cool whip, using frozen berries that are not sweetened, swapping the sugar out for a sugar alternative and opting for mandarain oranges in their own juice instead of syrup.
• Pineapple: Try pineapple instead of mandarin oranges.
• Salt: Add a little salt for a sweet and salty flavor.

Storage Instructions

Cranberry Orange Fluff Salad is best when served an hour after preparation. This allows the frozen cranberries enough time to thaw completely and release some juices, but the Cool Whip still stays nice and fluffy.

This salad will store perfectly fine in the refrigerator for up to three days, but after the first day the juices will become heavy and it won’t be as light and airy.

What to Serve with Orange Fluff Salad

Reserve some extra cranberries, oranges and marshmallows for the top of the dish. Not only does it look pretty, but it also gives a visual clue to what someone can expect it to taste like.

When serving this cranberry fluff salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas, try adding a sprig of rosemary around it to give it an extra special holiday feel.

Cranberry Orange Fluff Salad

Author: Emily Pecoraro

Cranberry Orange Fluff Salad is a delicious dessert salad that will bring a pop of color to any table. Made with cranberries, mandarin oranges, marshmallows and whipped topping, this is a fantastic sweet treat.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 219 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 12 ounces frozen cranberries divided
• ▢ 15 ounces canned mandarin oranges drained
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 cups mini marshmallows
• ▢ 8 ounces whipped topping thawed

Instructions

 

• Run the frozen cranberries under cold water to thaw. Divide the cranberries in half, slicing half of them and using a food processor to grind the other half.
• Cut the mandarin oranges into small pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping, mini marshmallows, granulated sugar, mandarin oranges and chopped cranberries. Stir well.
• Add the processed cranberries and gently fold in until well incorporated.
• Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 37mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 3gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 408IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 0.3mg

The nutrition information is calculated using online nutrition calculators and may not be accurate. It is provided as a general guide only.

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