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Our Cranberry Fluff Salad recipe is made with fresh cranberries, sweetened with crushed pineapple and loaded with fluffy marshmallows. It's a holiday tradition everyone looks forward to.
This may be my favorite side for Thanksgiving, it's right up there with Thanksgiving Stuffing, Homemade Rolls, my favorite Turkey, and easy Lemon Cream Pie!
Cranberry Fluff is the unsophisticated salad adults love as much as kids.
It's such an old-fashioned mid-western tradition to serve fluffy dessert “salads” like this at parties, but it's a holiday tradition I secretly love (it wouldn't be Easter without our Ambrosia or Frog eye salad!). We've been making this one for decades, but after trying Mel's version a few years ago, with a little cream cheese added for stability, that's now our go-to method. It's a bright spot on the table with all of our other favorite side dishes.
Only 6 Ingredients Needed:
How to make Cranberry Fluff Salad:
Combine: Blend cranberries in a food processor until chopped, but not mushy. Pour into a large bowl, add sugar and pineapple and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, then drain some (not all) of the juice.
Add Cream: Beat the cream cheese until smooth then pour in the heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cranberry salad. Stir in marshmallows. Cover cranberry fluff salad and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
More Side Dishes to Try:
- Ambrosia Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad
- Jello Fruit Salad
- Corn Casserole
- Poutine
- 7-Layer Dip
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Baked Potato Salad
- Cheesy Breadsticks
Cranberry Fluff Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, , undrained
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 4 ounces cream cheese, , softened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Chop Cranberries: Add the cranberries to a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped, but not mushy.
- Marinate: Pour the cranberries into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and pineapple and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or longer.
- Whip Cream: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Pour in the cream and whip until stiff peaks form
- Combine: Drain some of the juice from the cranberry mixture. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the salad. Fold in marshmallows.
- Chill in the refrigerate for 3-4 hours (or overnight), before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe November 2015. Updated November 2019 and November 2024.
Recipe from my Grandma, with cream cheese idea adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
This was SO GOOD and SO easy! Everyone LOVED it. Will be a new staple for sure!
I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and added walnuts. It came out great, although I just read that someone added vanilla to the cream/crm cheese mixture and I might do that next time. This was amazing, and so easy! Thank you for sharing this recipe! A new holiday tradition has been born.
I loved this recipe. I made it tonite for Christmas Eve tomorrow. I love the way the cream cheese made a thick Devine whipped cream. I added vanilla . Great recipe can’t wait to try it in the morning after all the luscious flavors marry. Thank u for this it’s a keeper
I made this for a Thanksgiving… soooo good!!!
Made this today and left out the marshmallows . It is great! We are not big on marshmallows. I am going to have this for breakfast!
The first time I made this my young granddaughters called “ice cream” and wanted seconds! It’s a standard dish every year now. Thank you for the recipe!
I am planning to make this for Thanksgiving can I add Chopped pecans?
Absolutely! Sounds delicious. I’d love to hear what you think. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can you use frozen cranberries?? Its 2 days before Thanksgiving and fresh are hard to come by.
That should work great– thaw them, drain the excess juice and try to pat them dry 🙂
I would love to be able to make this wonderful looking salad! Only have one thing keeping me from making it. I am deathly allergic to pineapple. Is there a fruit I could substitute for it?
No problem! Try mandarin oranges 🙂
Do you cook The Cranberries
No, they are added to the food processor uncooked. 🙂 Enjoy!
I have made this recipe a few times. It is delicious! I put the raw, fresh cranberries in the blender with the sogar and pulse until berries are well chopped.