Sweet and Fluffy Cranberry Salad Dessert or Side Dish

If you’re looking for an easy cranberry salad recipe to get you through the holiday season, look no further. This cranberry fluff salad is a tasty option to serve as a side dish or a dessert.

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve and all the holiday events in between, this cranberry fruit salad is great to serve to guests or to bring to parties you attend.

With only five ingredients, this fluffy salad is something to add to your fresh cranberry recipes collection. Fire up that food processor and get ready to enjoy a sweet and tangy treat!

Cranberry Salad Recipe

My sister makes a traditional cranberry salad for Thanksgiving every year. Most of the family eats it along with the turkey. This version is a lot sweeter with the marshmallows and whipped topping, so it’s enjoyed either as a side dish or as a dessert.

With the added sweetness and fluffy texture, I’m going to go ahead and declare this recipe more “picky eater friendly” than our usual cranberry relish. It’s also pink and pretty which makes it look festive on the table!

The pinkish-red color of this dish makes it excellent for the holiday season. Add a little green to the table by also making this pistachio fluff. Both of these recipes are a tangy and sweet treat that can be enjoyed all year!

Cranberry Fluff Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this recipe. The exact amounts are listed in the printable recipe card below.

• Fresh cranberries
• Crushed pineapple
• Sugar
• Cool Whip
• Mini marshmallows

Supplies Needed

• Large mixing bowl
• Food processor or blender

How to make Cranberry Marshmallow Salad

Chop the fresh cranberries in a food processor or a blender. A blender will typically make them more mushy, so keep this in mind as it will affect the texture.

Add the chopped cranberries, crushed pineapple, and sugar to a bowl.

Mix together until combined and refrigerate overnight. Do not skip this part.

The next day, add the whipped topping and the mini marshmallows to the chilled cranberry mixture.

Combine it all together and place it back into the refrigerator.

Refrigerate for a few more hours to allow the flavors to combine.

Serve as a holiday side dish or a dessert.

Cranberry Fruit Salad Recipe Notes and FAQ

How to make this a cranberry walnut salad.

Feel free to add 2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans during the third step where you add the Cool Whip and the mini marshmallows.

How to store the leftovers.

Any cranberry pineapple salad leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. If it looks a bit settled or has juice on the top, just stir the salad well to fluff it back up before serving.

How to make the salad fluffier.

If your cranberry salad with Cool Whip isn’t as fluffy as you’d like, you can add a little more whipped topping and a little more marshmallows until you get the desired consistency.

Why you can’t skip the overnight chilling step.

If you’re tempted to skip the overnight refrigeration step, please do not. Refrigerating the cranberries, pineapples, and sugar overnight helps make the cranberries less tart and the salad taste sweeter, so don’t skip it.

More Fresh Cranberry Recipes:

• Cranberry cake with almonds
• Low-carb cranberry mug cake
• Cranberry jam recipe

Pin to save and share!

Subscribe to the blog for more easy recipes like this one.

Please let me know if you make this fluffy cranberry salad!