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This fluff and delightful side salad is a sweet treat that pairs perfectly with hearty meals, especially holiday meals. Cranberry Fluff Salad is light and airy and served chilled. Made with fresh or frozen cranberry, and crushed pineapple, and held together in fluffy cream cheese and whipped cream mixture.
Fluff salads are my favorite to serve alongside big meals during the holidays. I especially love this Mandarin Orange Jello Salad for Thanksgiving and the Strawberry Jello Fluff or Pistachio Pudding Salad for Christmas.
Why This Recipe Works
Fluff salads are light and airy with a sweet flavor but go great with big meals, particularly holiday meals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This easy cranberry fluff also works as a replacement for cranberry sauce. It’s filled with fresh cranberries and just as sweet so no one will miss the traditional dish.
This simple side salad can be whipped up in minutes and is best made a day in advance of when you plan on serving it. Serve it chilled to accompany a hearty meal or for a crowd.
Takes only minutes to make, but needs to be chilled to set, which makes it great for making the day before and also why its referred to as cranberry whipped cream salad.
Ingredients Needed
Ingredient Notes
- Cranberries: for this recipe, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries and if you’re in a pinch you can also use whole berry cranberry sauce.
- Crushed Pineapple: the crushed pineapple brings a tangy flavor that compliments the sweet cranberry taste.
- Cream Cheese: there aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, which is why I recommend getting the full-fat version of cream cheese. It makes for a creamier salad.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: adding heavy cream to the cream cheese creates a thick and creamy whipped fluff that holds the salad together.
Ingredient Swaps
- Cottage Cheese: Instead of using crushed pineapple you can swap it for cottage cheese, which will add a crumbly texture to the salad, but present a more pure cranberry flavor without any tanginess.
- Cool Whip: You can use Cool Whip instead of beating in the heavy whipping cream to the cream cheese mixture.
How to Make Easy Cranberry Fluff
This is a very easy chilled salad to prepare, but it does need time to set up. It’s a great idea to make it the night before you plan on serving it.
- Chop the cranberries: Place the cranberries into a food process (if using frozen cranberries, allow them to thaw slightly) and pulse them until they chopped into small pieces, but not pureed. You want a very grainy texture.
- Drain the juices: Set a large mesh sieve over a large bowl and add the chopped cranberries to the sieve as well as the crushed pineapple. Allow the juice to drain for about 15 minutes then discard the excess juice.
- Beat the cream cheese: In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add in the heavy cream: Pour the heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture: Gently fold into the cranberry mixture.
- Add the marshmallows: Add the marshmallows to the salad and fold them in. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 3 hours or up to overnight.
Storage Information
This salad is best made in advance and it’s also great for leftovers, however, it doesn’t work well to freeze it.
- Leftovers: Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving it again give the salad a good stir.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Can’t find cranberries? You can use fresh or frozen cranberries but if you can’t find either you can also use whole berry cranberry sauce too.
- To get the fluffiest salad use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together. This keeps the Cool Whip from falling flat when you mix it.
- Just before you plan on serving this cranberry fluff salad, give it a good stir to toss the ingredients together. Some liquid at the bottom after it firms is okay (this happens when the fresh strawberries are mixed in). Just stir it back together.
- Don’t make this recipe too far in advance though. The day before you plan on serving it is best.
- Try adding some shredded coconut for added sweetness.
FAQs
If you’d like to cut down on the recipe prep time I suggest using Cool Whip, which you can fold directly into the cream cheese mixture once you’re finished beating it.
Yes, and in fact, I recommend preparing a day ahead of time. You’ll want to chill it so the ingredients for 4 hours to firm up after you make it.
Cranberry Fluff Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Fresh Cranberries frozen will also work
- 8 ounces Crushed Pineapple
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Place the cranberries into a food process (if using frozen cranberries, allow them to thaw slightly) and pulse them until they chopped into small pieces, but not pureed. You want a very grainy texture.
- Set a large mesh sieve over a large bowl and add the chopped cranberries to the sieve as well as the crushed pineapple. Allow the juice to drain for about 15 minutes then discard the excess juice.
- In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Pour the heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cranberry mixture.
- Add the marshmallows to the salad and fold them in.
- Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 3 hours or up to overnight.
Notes
- Can’t find cranberries? You can use fresh or frozen cranberries but if you can’t find either you can also use whole berry cranberry sauce too.
- To get the fluffiest salad use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together. This keeps the Cool Whip from falling flat when you mix it.
- Just before you plan on serving this cranberry fluff salad, give it a good stir to toss the ingredients together. Some liquid at the bottom after it firms is okay (this happens when the fresh strawberries are mixed in). Just stir it back together.
- Don’t make this recipe too far in advance though. The day before you plan on serving it is best.
- Try adding some shredded coconut for added sweetness.
Storage Information
This salad is best made in advance and it’s also great for leftovers, however, it doesn’t work well to freeze it.- Leftovers: Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving it again give the salad a good stir.
