Cranberry Fluff Salad
Cranberry Fluff Salad is practically a required side dish for Thanksgiving. Both my mom and mother-in-law occasionally served their delicious versions of Cranberry Fluff Salad for Thanksgiving.
Ground cranberries, crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and whipped cream are the basic ingredients in this Cranberry Salad. There are so many tasty variations. This is mine.
Why You Must Make
- My mom would add nuts to this mixture and so did my mother-in-law along with chopped apples and sliced grapes. The options are endless. My version is very basic. No nuts in case one of my children or hubby would dare to take a taste.
- It’s a winner whether it’s scaled-down or packed full of a variety of textures and flavors.
- It’s one of those “salads” that is more like a dessert.
- This is a blast from the past. I first had it back in the 1970s, when jello salads were de rigeur. That was my mom’s version. But then later in life, my MIL served it one holiday we were visiting them. It’s still a classic Thanksgiving recipe decades later!
Ingredient Notes:
- Pantry staples: Regular granulated sugar
- A bag of fresh cranberries – You can even use frozen cranberries
- Crushed pineapple – Drain well so your salad isn’t watery
- Mini marshmallows – Or cut regular marshmallows in half or in quarters
- Heavy cream – Should be 36% butterfat
How to Make
- Chop cranberries in a food processor.
- Combine with sugar and refrigerate overnight.
- Gather the ingredients, toss them together, and whip the cream.
- Fold the cream into the cranberry mixture. Chill until ready to serve.
Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
You’d think a Thanksgiving salad would be full of classic autumnal ingredients like an Apple, Cherry, Walnut Salad. Plus I’d expect an actual salad with fresh greens and vegetables. But on holidays, the rules can be bent, and salads full of cream and marshmallows like this cranberry fluff salad fly under the radar!
When it comes to Thanksgiving, I’m really not allowed to shake up the menu. I can always add an extra dish, but there are some that are a tradition and must be included. My Spinach Souffle, Holiday Fruit Salad, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing or Dressing, Turkey (of course!), and Gravy are a given. Classic Pumpkin Pie for dessert plus a second, usually chocolate, pie.
But sometimes I add a little something that only I will eat. In homage to both my moms, I recreated this fresh cranberry salad (more like a dessert, but heck, it’s Thanksgiving!) for our holiday table.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s easy to grind cranberries in a food processor. Just pulse until the cranberries look finely chopped. This can be done with either fresh or frozen cranberries.
Yes! In fact, it must be started the day before, so the cranberries and sugar have a chance to meld. This salad will last for a few days in the refrigerator, just stir again before serving if needed.
The Cool Whip version might freeze well because of all the artificial ingredients and nature of that ingredient. I haven’t frozen this cranberry fluff made with real cream before, but I’d be concerned the whipped cream could deflate, separating into solids and water.
Instead, I’d prepare all the ingredients ahead of time. Grind the cranberries, drain the pineapple, measure out the marshmallows, and store them in an airtight container. This will definitely streamline the process.
You May Also Like:
- Thanksgiving Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and Goat Cheese from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Spinach Salad with Pears, Cranberries and Candied Pecans
- Holiday Lettuce Salad
- Rainbow Jello
- Ambrosia Salad
- Easy Cherry Fluff Salad
- Plus, more of my Best Holiday Recipes
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Cranberry Fluff Salad Recipe
A dreamy cranberry salad perfect for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries, frozen, then thawed cranberries (fresh or frozen also work)
- ½ cup sugar (may add another ½ cup if you find the mixture too tart after has time to meld.)
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 cups mini-marshmallows
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Chop cranberries in a food processor. Remove to a bowl. Mix in sugar, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Add well-drained pineapple and marshmallows. Mix to combine.
- Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the cream into the cranberry mixture.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
The mixture of sugar and ground cranberries needs to be refrigerated overnight. So start this salad the day before you plan to serve it.
Total time does not include chilling time.
Helpful Tools (As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 1g
This recipe comes with sweet memories. We lost my MIL this year and my mom the year before. Both were terrific cooks, with my mom being more adventurous with her palate and recipes and my MIL the queen of good old-fashioned comfort food. Eating at either home was always a pleasure and I am blessed to have many of their handwritten recipes.
96 Comments on “Cranberry Fluff Salad”
I made this this year and my mil enjoyed it. A hit with my family
I made this to take to a conference night potluck for the teachers at my school. I bake frequently but we have a colleague who is gluten free and for this reason often just brings her own dinner to our potluck. She was not only thrilled there was a dessert she could eat. She and several other colleagues took the recipe to make for their Thanksgiving dinners! I have come back this year to once use this quick and easy recipe for our conference potluck!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Marsha!! And that it gave your fellow teacher a sweet treat to enjoy. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Thanksgiving before last was a rough one for our family to put it gently. My sister was battling stage 4 melanoma and had been bed ridden for several months. Thankfully, right before Thanksgiving they’d found some off label drugs for her to try and they worked well enough that she came around and was walking again and functioning well enough to be filled with hope and happiness, just in time for the holidays. Still far from her normal self but we were so happy to see her filling with life again, especially for her children’s sakes. In my family, we all enjoy contributing dishes to the Thanksgiving dinner and she wanted something to make too but didn’t have much energy. My stepdad suggested she make the cranberry marshmallow salad his mother had made that everyone loved and they hadn’t had in years. She took to the internet searching for recipes and found yours to be the closest she could find. The cranberry fluff was an absolute hit and we all loved it, especially my little guy who loves anything cranberry and rarely gets sweets so was beyond thrilled with the added marshmallows. Unfortunately, my sister took a turn for the worst shortly after Christmas and passed away a couple months later but we are so grateful we were blessed with one more holiday season with her. I make sure to prepare this recipe in her honor now for special occasions and it’s always a hit with everyone. We’re now in October and I like to spend this month remembering and honoring our loved ones who’ve transitioned to the other side. We choose a different loved one on different nights, put their pictures up, cook their favorite foods or our favorites they made for us, and have a fire outside that we throw well wishes for them on their journeys in heaven as well as releasing sadness, guilt, or anything else we may harbor that we need to release to heal. Tonight is her night and I’m making her steaks, mashed taters, veggies and our favorite cranberry fluff. Thank you so much for this recipe. You’ve helped start a beautiful tradition with delicious memories for our family.
Oh, I’m so, so glad this recipe brought some joy to your sister during her battle with such a devastating cancer (I was an oncology RN before becoming a blogger). Thanks for sharing your story and the wonderful way you brought joy to her through her favorite foods. You truly have a special family and I’m so sorry for the loss of your dear sister. xoxo
Is there anything that can be used to substitute the marshmallows in this recipe?
Hi, Natasha, I’m sorry, I can’t think of a marshmallow substitution that would make sense in this salad.
This is a great recipe. I am making it for the second time. Made it at Thanksgiving now Christmas. Seen many other recipes but didn’t want all the ingredients it had in it. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad, Lyn!! Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!
Do you add anything to heacy cream before or while whipping?cream
Hi, Debi, No, you just whip the cream. There’s enough sugar added to the cranberries to sweeten the mixture. Hope you enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving.
Hi Liz, can I substitute Cool Whip for the whipping cream and if so, do I still need the sugar?
Hi, Bonnie, Since cranberries are super tart, you can use less sugar, but I’d still add some (maybe try half as much) to the ground cranberries. Hope that helps! Have a great Thanksgiving.
This recipe sounds so yummy and very easy,, thank you so much , I’m making it for thanksgiving !
I love this version!! So good and really amazing! I will add it to our Thanksgiving menu! Thanks!
I’ve been making this recipe for over 10 yrs now at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m having a Valentine dinner party for 8 and thought this would go good with what I’m serving.
I don’t think I have ever tried this before. But I am curious and have the stuff at home. Happy Holidays and a healthy New Year to you Liz.
You just brought back a flood of memories. I can imagine how this fluff salad just melts on your mouth. Sweet and sour at the same time. Need to make this again soon.
Liz, this cranberry fluff looks so yummy and festive!
I love a good fluff salad! This looks delicious. Perfect side for the holidays!
Who could resist a pink salad?! I think my family’s version involved marshmallow fluff. What a great way to keep family traditions going.
So, my mom used to make a version of this salad that used cottage cheese instead of marshmallows. Have you ever heard of it? I love it, I suppose because I grew up with it, and if you set a bowlful down on a table in front of my siblings and cousins, we’d devour it … but all my friends are completely freaked out by it – which is fine with me, because if i make it, I get it all to myself. Oddly enough, they’re not freaked out by the marshmallow version! They’d love your dish to death, I’m sure!
What a fun way to present the quintessential holiday cranberry side dish. And I love that it’s a family tradition. Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🙂 ~Valentina
Lizzy hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, love your cranberry salad, looks awesome !!
hugs to you
Is it still okay if you don’t refrigerate over night?
Hi, Brenna, It will probably be a little looser, but I think it should still be tasty! Hope you enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving ! This is beautiful Liz ! I think I couldn’t stop eating it !!!
I have been making this recipe for the last couple years and it is always a hit. I follow your recipe to a T! It really is SO good! Thank you!
I’m so glad, Kelley! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
My husband would really love this. It would make a great dessert.
Have not had this salad in ages. It is such a nostalgic recipe. Love it as a dessert at the end of a heavy thanksgiving meal because it is so light and fluffy.
Could I put the cranberries in a blender and pulse them? Can I use cool whip or do I really need the cream? I want to make it for this Thanskgiving. We are invited down to our son and his wife.
Hi, Tina,
It should work with the pulse setting on your blender. You may need to hand chop any pieces that are left a little bigger. As far as the Cool Whip, it should work, but I haven’t tested it. I’d suggest decreasing the sugar a bit as the Cool Whip is already sweet. Good luck and have a great Thanksgiving with your family!
What a wonderful memorial of your mother and MIL, thank you for sharing that.
What a great looking salad! This looks so fluffy and flavorful. Perfect for a Thanksgiving side!
Zoe would love this! I do a frozen version, but alas no marshmallows. We save those for Manservant’s sweet potatoes! Happy Thanksgiving Liz!
Love the color of this — it’s SO outrageous! Such a fun recipe — I can see why this could easily become a family tradition. Thanks!
I always have a chuckle when I see this “salad”, it’s just crazy! Although, having said that, it would probably be very popular on our thanksgiving table! Happy Thanksgiving!
The cranberry salad looks so pretty and festive! Something that I need to try too.
Sounds like a colorful, nice chilled side dish for Thanksgiving! I have to laugh, I wonder if the boys secretly look for a Jello salad these days:@)
Our family has been making cranberry fluff for many many many years. We use the same ingredients except the cranberries, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, and walnuts are all ground in food processor (handful at a time). Then it’s refrigerated overnight with the sugar. Make the whipping cream the next day and mix it all together. Delicious, and you’re right, thanksgivings not the same without it.
Your version sounds yummy. I must give it a try now.
My Mom always made this recipe, only we used cut red grapes opposed to pineapple. I had honestly never seen it anywhere else before. Thank you for sharing it with everyone!
So. Much. Flavor! This is and has always been a Thanksgiving staple and I am loving everything about this delicious recipe.
This sounds incredible. Have you tried making it with thawed out cranberries? I already have a large bag of frozen cranberries so I’d love to use those instead of buying fresh if possible. Thanks ????
Hi, Becky! Yes, I have. In fact, using frozen, then thawed cranberries is my preference. Hope you give it a try—I have a feeling you’ll love it as much as I do 🙂
Hi! I am a little confused about whether the cranberries need to be frozen and THEN thawed…? Is it okay to use fresh cranberries that have never been frozen? Thanks!
Yes, it’s OK to use never frozen cranberries. I think the texture is a little softer if you freeze, defrost and then grind them, but either works fine. Happy Thanksgiving, Stephanie!
I feel like I need to make EVERYTHING you post. I’m totally subbing this in for the fruit salad I already had planned for Christmas. This looks amazing!
Trish this looks fantastic! I love cranberry and use it much longer than just Thanksgiving so I am happy to see a creative non cranberry sauce recipe!
Made this for Thanksgiving! Absolutely wonderful!! Added a sprinkle of pecan chips for an extra crunch. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe! 5 stars.
Oh, I’m so glad, Kelli!! Pecans are a wonderful addition! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
This is very close to my MIL’s recipe, except she added chopped grapes and pecans. I’ve further refined by reducing the sugar and eliminating the marshmallows. This year, I’m making a gelatin mold using this recipe but changing out the grapes for mandarin oranges, and adding some sour cream. Fingers crossed it’ll be good (and pretty)!
Sounds yummy! My fingers will be crossed for you, too, Rosemary!
That is EXACTLY how my Mom made it. With grapes and pecans. I wrote a comment and for some reason thought the original recipe had pecans. So an efit to my post here too. Yes grapes and pecans. Every holiday it was my fav part! Thank you!
Thanks, Cameron! It is a yummy holiday tradition!
the little ones love marshmallows and this is so colorful I know they are going to love this thanks Liz!
Hi Liz, this is gorgeous! That color! Sounds so delicious! Definitely trying this weekend
Hello Liz, 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.
Classic salad! You have very good color on this one!
Can I make this the day before, or will the whipping cream melt in the fridge? I’m at least making the sauce ahead of time…hopefully that is ok
I know I’ve eaten leftovers the next day! It should be fine. If the cream seems to separate a bit, just give it a good stir 🙂
Looks very delicious! Thank you for the ideas for side dishes!
This salad looks so beautiful ! It will be nice at Christmas time.
My mom used to make a version of this with cottage cheese. No one but my siblings and cousins will eat it – I guess because we grew up on it. Yours sounds much more appealing.
wow, these glasses looks really really SWEET!! ???????????? I would love to make it immediately!
= Natalie
Can I make this without letting the chopped cranberries sit overnight with the sugar? Since I know it is better the next day, I was thinking of doing it all tonight. Thanks!
Hi, Joni, I’ve only made it as written, but I just checked another recipe to compare and it said to mix, cover and refrigerate for just an hour. So, I think you’d be OK! Fingers crossed it’s a hit. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can this be made one day ahead or will the whipped cream get watery?
It can be made a day ahead! It’s actually better if it sets up overnight. Hope you enjoy, Kristy!
I LOOOOOOVE this salad!
This is literally my favorite holiday side dish!
I love this! Such a gorgeous side dish!!
Love it!
This is such a classic salad!
Simple and so delicious!
A perfect Thanksgiving side dish!
We LOVED this seasonal fluff recipe!!
A classic recipe for TG indeed. Thank you!
This is such a pretty stand-out on your holiday table!
Do you have to add the pineapple
Hi, Tammy,
I’ve never tried it without the pineapple, but I think it could work. I looked for some recipes without pineapple and I found one using diced apples and grapes instead if you want to try that or just omit them all together. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
This looks so fun and festive! It will be a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving menu!
This salad totally takes me back to sunday lunch growing up! So good!
I love a good fluff salad and this one sounds SO tasty!
Yum! Looks like dessert to me. I love a good fluff salad, especially one that includes cranberries!
If this tastes as good as it looks I sure will earn that crown of the best cook. Cant wait to surprise my family.
Can you just use Cool Whip in place of the heavy cream?
Yes, I think that should work! Hope you enjoy and let me know how it goes with the Cool Whip.
Classic salad! You have very good color on this one!
This looks delicious!
Cool Thanksgiving dessert!!!
This looks fantastic! I’ve had cranberry salad, but not the fluff! I’m trying it this year!
I’m craving a bowl of this! Gorgeous picture Liz!
Love the colors in this! So fun!!