Cranberry Fluff Salad

Make a delicious cranberry fluff from fresh cranberries and serve it as a fun side dish or simple dessert. It will be such a pretty addition to your holiday menu, but is great for any day.

This fun creamy cranberry fluff is loaded with fresh cranberries, pineapple, and just enough marshmallows to make it fun and sweet. It takes very little effort, can be made ahead of time, and makes a tasty and colorful addition to your table.

Cranberries are like the ruby jewels of the fruit world during November and December. It is hard to pass them by on the produce section without picking up a bag.

It wasn’t always that way. As a child the only cranberries I knew was the canned jellied cranberries.

Nothing about seeing the ridges of the can on the gelatinous cylinder screamed “eat me” to me. My husband loves the stuff though, so to each their own.

In the past few years I have really come to enjoy cranberries. The ease and sweet but tart pop of cranberry snack cake instantly won me over.

Now I love delicata squash with fresh cranberries and brie topped with maple cranberry sauce too.

This fluffy fruit salad recipe is just the latest in an ever growing list of cranberry recipes I love. It has a hit of tart with just enough sweet to round it out.

Making Fluff Using Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

This recipe is super simple to put together. Just put a bag of fresh or frozen cranberries in the food processor with some granulated sugar.

Pulse it a few time until the berries resemble a fine dice. Chill the berries for at least a couple of hours or overnight to allow the sugar to work its magic.

All you have to do from there is stir in a well drained can of crushed pineapple. Add a few mini marshmallows to bring a little extra sweetness and fun to the mix.

Whip some heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the cranberry mixture. Then refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

The cranberry fluff is best when it is assembled the day you plan to serve. However the leftovers will be good in the refrigerator for several days.

It really is just that easy. The results are tart and just sweet enough.

Additions and Alterations

If you like your fluff salads on the sweeter side, feel free to add a few more marshmallows to the mix. For a tarter finish, you can try adding less sugar.

Just remember those cranberries can easily make you pucker, so having some sugar in the mix helps to balance them out. You can taste as you go to get your perfect amount.

You can add chopped apples instead of the marshmallows if you prefer crunch in your salad. Or add both!

Adding chopped pecans gives it more of a Waldorf salad vibe. Feel free to experiment with your favorite nuts.

Check out my collection of cranberry recipes for more tasty inspiration.