Description
This Creamy Cranberry Fluff Salad is a quick, no-cook holiday side dish that balances tart fresh cranberries with a sweet, creamy base. Perfect for potlucks and gatherings, it comes together in 15 minutes and tastes even better when made ahead.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (about 3 cups), roughly chopped
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 2 cups mini marshmallows (about 200g)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can, 397g)
- 1 cup sour cream (240g), full-fat recommended
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple (1 can, drained well)
- 8 ounces whipped topping (1 tub, thawed), such as Cool Whip
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from about 1 medium orange), optional
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (60g), optional
Instructions
- Rinse fresh cranberries, pick out any soft or bruised ones, and pat dry. Roughly chop them into pea-sized pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add ¾ cup granulated sugar to the chopped cranberries and stir to combine. Let sit for about 10 minutes to macerate and soften the cranberries.
- Toss in 2 cups mini marshmallows and stir into the cranberry-sugar mixture. Let sit while preparing other ingredients.
- Drain the crushed pineapple thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and sour cream until smooth. Add orange zest if using.
- Add the drained pineapple and the sour cream mixture to the bowl with cranberries and marshmallows. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
- Add the thawed whipped topping and fold in gently using a figure-eight motion until fully incorporated and uniformly pale pink. Fold in nuts if using.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Before serving, give the fluff a gentle stir. If too stiff, let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with extra cranberries, orange zest, or toasted nuts if desired.
Notes
For best results, chill at least 4 hours or overnight. If adding nuts, add just before serving to keep them crunchy. Drain pineapple thoroughly to avoid a runny fluff. Homemade whipped cream can substitute for whipped topping but won’t hold up as well for leftovers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/12 of r
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 34
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
Keywords: cranberry fluff, cranberry salad, holiday side dish, no-cook recipe, creamy cranberry, Thanksgiving side, Christmas side, potluck recipe