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

1. Chop cranberries in a food processor.
2. Combine with sugar and refrigerate overnight.

3. Gather the ingredients, toss them together, and whip the cream.
4. 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

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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The Recipe:

Cranberry Fluff Salad Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Yield 8 servings

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

1. Chop cranberries in a food processor. Remove to a bowl. Mix in sugar, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Add well-drained pineapple and marshmallows. Mix to combine.
3. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the cream into the cranberry mixture.
4. 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).

• 3 Pyrex Mixing Bowls
• Silicone Spatulas
• KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 1g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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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.