Description

This Cranberry Fluff Salad is a festive, sweet, and tangy dessert salad perfect for holiday gatherings. It combines finely chopped fresh cranberries, sweetened pineapple, mini marshmallows, and a fluffy whipped topping or homemade whipped cream, enhanced with optional crunchy nuts. The salad is chilled to meld the flavors and soften the marshmallows, making it a delightful and refreshing treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

12 oz fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups mini marshmallows

Whipped Cream Mix (Choose one)

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
OR 8 oz whipped topping (like Cool Whip)

Optional Ingredients

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

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Instructions

Chop Cranberries: Rinse and drain the fresh cranberries thoroughly. Using a food processor, pulse the cranberries until they are finely chopped but not pureed.
Sweeten Cranberries: Transfer the chopped cranberries to a bowl and mix in the granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate this mixture for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight to let the flavors meld and sugar dissolve.
Combine Ingredients: After chilling, gently fold in the drained crushed pineapple and mini marshmallows into the cranberry mixture.
Prepare Whipped Cream: If using homemade whipped cream, beat the heavy whipping cream along with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Alternatively, if using store-bought whipped topping (like Cool Whip), simply fold it in directly.
Add Nuts: Stir in chopped walnuts or pecans if desired, to add a crunchy texture.
Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate the assembled salad for at least 2 hours to let it set properly and allow the marshmallows to soften for optimal texture and flavor.

Notes

For best results, chilling the cranberry mixture overnight improves flavor infusion.
Use drained pineapple thoroughly to avoid watery salad.
You can substitute walnuts with pecans or your favorite nuts for variation.
If avoiding nuts, simply omit to keep the salad nut-free.
This salad is best served cold, straight from the refrigerator.
Make sure to pulse the cranberries finely but not too much to retain some texture.