Fruit salad with cool whip is delicious! Is it a salad, is it a side dish, is it a dessert? We don’t know, but we sure do love it!
This fruit salad recipe made with cool whip is so simple to make and always a hit. Bring it to your next potluck along with jalapeno popper dip or fuzzy navel jello shots!
Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
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Why you’ll love this recipe!
📌 Super quick to prepare – comes together in just 5 minutes.
📌 Delicious fruity flavors, makes a great side dish or dessert.
📌 Classic dish reminiscent of childhood, parties, and potlucks!
Fruit Salad with Cool Whip Ingredients
- Pineapple – Canned pineapple tidbits.
- Oranges – Canned or jarred mandarin oranges.
- Grapes – Green and red seedless grapes, halved.
- Maraschino cherries – Halved.
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows.
- Whipped topping – Like Cool Whip; thawed.
Pineapple, oranges, cherries, grapes, marshmallows, whipped topping.
How do you make a fruit salad with cool whip? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, drain off liquid from canned fruit.
⭐ Then, halve grapes and cherries.
⭐ Next, add fruit and marshmallows to a large bowl.
⭐ Finally, stir in cool whip until everything is fully coated.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Add the fruit and marshmallows to a large bowl.
Preparation
Can you make fluff salad ahead of time?
This recipe is best when made at least a few hours ahead of time so it has time to chill, and can be made as long as a full day in advance.
Any longer than that and you run the risk of it getting watery.
Do you have to use cool whip?
Homemade whipped cream can be used, but it works best with stabilized whipped cream/whipped topping.
If you use homemade whipped cream make sure it’s whipped to stiff peaks before stirring in and then serve immediately after preparing.
Can I add fresh fruit?
Absolutely! We love the convenience of canned fruit in this recipe, but feel free to use fresh as well.
Make sure to dice any fruit pieces very small.
Stir in the cool whip.
Storage and leftovers
How long will fruit salad fluff keep in the fridge?
Leftovers will last 3 – 4 days. After that you can still eat them (for up to a week) but they may become runny. Make sure to store covered in an air tight container.
Stir leftovers before serving, to reincorporate any separation.
Can you freeze the leftovers?
We do not recommend freezing fluff salads.
Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
Is it a side dish or a dessert?
In the south and midwest, this is typically served as a side dish (I guess that’s why it’s called a fluff salad!), but I’ve found in the northeast and on the west coast it’s often served as a dessert.
Can I add cottage cheese?
Yes, cottage cheese is delicious in this and is frequently added to fluff salad recipes.
Nuts or no nuts?
Chopped nuts are a great addition to fruit salad with whipped cream. They add a great variety of texture. Make sure to sprinkle some on top as garnish so folks know there’s nuts in it!
Feel free to add extras like chopped nuts or toasted coconut.
What to eat with cool whip fruit salad (serving suggestions)
This is a fun dish to serve alongside other whimsical recipes like beef stroganoff sloppy joes, donut cookies, and tipsy mermaid drinks!
Add protein by mixing in a scoop of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.
More delicious fluff recipes
- Pineapple fluff
- Orange fluff salad
- Cookie salad recipe
- Strawberry fluff recipe
- Oreo fluff
- Snickers salad with apples and caramel
- Ambrosia salad
Make sure your grapes are seedless!
Other awesome fruit filled recipes
- Tropical fruit salad recipe
- Fruit pizza with cream cheese frosting
- Whole fruit tropical popsicles
- Blueberry muffin recipe
Do you consider this a dessert or a side dish?
Tools we love
- Party bowl – This bowl is pretty, and doesn’t way a billion pounds and won’t shatter if dropped.
- Stainless and copper serving spoons – These are gorgeous!
😍😍😍
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How to Make Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
Ingredients
- 1 can pineapple tidbits 20 ounces, drained
- 1 can mandarin oranges 11 ounces, drained
- 1 cup seedless green grapes measured, then halved
- 1 cup seedless red grapes measured, then halved
- ¼ cup maraschino cherries measured, then halved
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 container whipped topping 8 ounces, thawed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the fruit and marshmallows,
- Fold in the whipped topping, mixing until everything is well coated.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
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Kristen says
My daughter’s favorite thing in the world is Fruit Salad so I decided to make her yours. After she had it she came up to me and told me it was the best one she had ever had!
Melissa says
Yum – I love your fruit salad recipe. Delicious and easy to make, I made it for a family gathering last weekend and it was a hit!
Katie says
This is the ideal summer food. So refreshing and everyone loves it!
Roger says
One of the best desserts of all time especially for the Holidays, added bananas and definitely the cottage cheese. The best side dish of all time.
Roger
Susan says
I used colored mini marshmallows & it looked very festive. served as a side dish with chicken Wings on game night. everyone loved it.