Easy Cranberry Fluff
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This easy Cranberry Fluff is a fun and festive dessert salad that makes the perfect addition to your holiday spread. Made with a tasty combination of cranberries, marshmallows, Cool Whip, and more, this sweet and creamy treat is always a hit!
Cranberry Fluff Salad
Cranberry recipes are always a hit during the holidays, and this cranberry fluff has become one of our new family favorites. A light and creamy dessert salad recipe, it combines the tartness of cranberries with the sweetness of pineapple, marshmallows and whipped cream in the most delicious way.
Fresh and fruity, this fluff salad adds a colorful touch to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table. The best part? It’s super easy to make ahead, giving you one less thing to worry about on the day of your gathering.
If you enjoy this Cranberry Fluff, you’ll want to check out my other fluff recipes. You can never to wrong with this decadent Oreo Fluff, refreshing Pineapple Fluff or this creamy Banana Pudding Fluff!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Fun and festive: With vibrant red berries, this cranberry salad adds a pop of color to your holiday table.
- Delicious flavors: The mix of tart cranberries, sweet pineapple, and marshmallows creates a tasty dessert everyone loves.
- Make ahead: You can make this salad ahead of time, then cover and refrigerate, so it’s ready when you are.
- Versatile: Thought it’s sweet, like a dessert, you can serve it as a Thanksgiving side dish in place of traditional cranberry sauce.
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries (or from frozen, thawed)
- Crushed pineapple
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- Cool Whip, thawed
- Mini marshmallows
- Chopped pecans or nut of choice
- Mint leaves or rosemary, for garnish
- Optional toppings: Cranberries, pecans, mini marshmallows, whipped topping
How to Make This Cranberry Fluff
Step 1. Place the cranberries in a food processor and pulse them into smaller pieces. You can leave a few big chunks…you don’t want them pulverized.
Step 2. Drain the pineapple and blot with a paper towel. Combine the cranberries, pineapple and powdered sugar, mixing well.
Step 3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again, just to be sure there are no chunks.
Step 4. Add the whipped topping and gently fold together.
Step 5. Pour the cranberry mixture into the bowl with the Cool Whip mixture.
Step 6. Add mini marshmallows and chopped pecans and mix well.
Step 7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for the best results. This gives the flavors time to meld together and taste even more amazing.
Step 8. Top with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary and enjoy!
How to Store Cranberry Fluff
To store leftover fluff salad, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be kept for up to three days. If you notice any separation after it sits, simply give it a gentle stir before serving.
I don’t recommend freezing this, just because the texture may change once thawed.
Top Tips
- Be sure to soften the cream cheese first. Otherwise you could end up with lumps, when you really want it to be more of a fluffy texture.
- Be gentle when folding in the fruit. You don’t want to overmix because you could squeeze out too much juice, making the salad runny.
- Give it plenty of time to chill before serving. It helps the flavors meld together and makes it easier to serve as well.
- We usually serve this salad family style in a large bowl. But, it’s also great to serve in individual parfait cups or even some mini shot glasses…what’s more fun than mini desserts, right?
Variations and Add-ins
- Fruit mix-Ins: Make different versions by swapping or adding other fruits. Blueberries, sliced strawberries or mandarin oranges always work well.
- Nuts: Try walnuts, almonds, or pistachios in place of pecans.
- Flavored cream cheese: Add extra flavor by using a flavored cream cheese, like vanilla or strawberry.
- Coconut: Shredded coconut also makes a tasty addition.
- Granola: Instead of the other toppings, sprinkle granola on top for added crunch and texture.
Cranberry Fluff Recipe FAQs
Sure! Just thaw them first and allow them to drain well before adding them to the food processor.
Yes, whole berry cranberry sauce can work in this recipe. It will add tartness and flavor, but may have a bit of a thinner texture. Just use a bit less than the amount of fresh or frozen cranberries.
If you want to cut back on the sugar, you can use a powdered sugar substitute (like monk fruit), sugar free Cool Whip and crushed pineapple stored in its own juices instead of syrup. It’s a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth if you’re watching your sweets.
More No Bake Dessert Recipes
If you loved this delicious recipe, you’ll want to check these out too:
- No Bake Pumpkin Lasagna
- Pumpkin Fluff Dessert Dip
- Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bites
- Peach Fluff
- No Bake Chocolate Mousse
- Peanut Butter and Coconut Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
- No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake
Cranberry Fluff
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed
- 16 ounces crushed pineapple drained well
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 16 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or nut of choice
Optional toppings:
- Cranberries
- Pecans
- Mini marshmallows
- Whipped topping
- Mint leaves or rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Add the cranberries to the bowl of your food processor and pulse them into smaller pieces. You can leave a few big chunks…you don’t want them pulverized.16 ounces fresh cranberries
- Drain the pineapple and blot with a paper towel. Combine the cranberries, pineapple and powdered sugar, mixing well.16 ounces crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again, just to be sure there are no chunks.8 ounce block cream cheese
- Add the whipped topping and gently fold together.16 ounces Cool Whip
- Pour the cranberry mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese.
- Add the mini marshmallows and chopped pecans and mix well.3 cups mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup chopped pecans or nut of choice
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for the best results. This gives the flavors time to meld together and taste even more amazing.
- Top with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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