Skip to Content

Great-Grandma’s Frozen Fruit Salad

Thanks for sharing!

Frozen fruit salad is a blast from the past.  This vintage recipe is a cool and delicious way to eat your fruit. It is at home at all of our holiday meals, but would also be a fun summer side dish!

Close slice of frozen fruit salad showing fruit and marshmallows in peach frozen mixture.

This vintage recipe comes straight from my great-grandma’s recipe box. It is a fun twist on marshmallow fruit salad, but even more fun because it is frozen!

It is perfect for holidays or as a refreshing summer side dish. Frozen fruit salad could even be a light dessert.

This recipe is still a staple at my family holidays.  My Aunt Jenny usually makes it now and it is present at every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

looking across a glass pan of frozen fruit salad with bits of fruit cocktail and marshmallows showing.

I have a handful of recipes from my Great-Grandma, so I was going through them trying to decide which one I should make first.  

When I got to this one, I knew I had to make it.  I am familiar with a few of the others, but this one is still a tradition!

Though the combination might seem a little odd these days, it really isn’t that much different than fluff salads or creamy fruit salads.  It just has the added bonus of being frozen!

square of pink frozen fruit salad being lifted out of pan.

I love trying vintage recipes like this, don’t you?  It’s like taking a little step back in time, right into the kitchen of a loved one.

I think my great-grandma must have come to age in a time of fruity dishes like this, because another favorite from her recipe box was the green Jello salad that is loaded with pineapple and cream cheese.  There is definitely a nostalgia to both recipes.

square piece of frozen fruit salad on small plate.

My great grandma wasn’t only known for her fruity side dishes though.  She also made delicious cookies.

I have shared her peanut butter cookies as well as her oatmeal raisin step-on cookies. Both should be on your list of recipes to make soon.

Great-grandma wasn’t the only good cook, her mom is the one that brought us dutch apple cake. I put a spin on that recipe to make our favorite peach breakfast cake.

square piece of frozen fruit salad on small plate.

All of my great-grandma’s made great food.  You can search “great-grandma” in the search bar (in the side bar on desktop or down below the comments on mobile.)  You will find loads of great classic recipes.

Here are some suggestions:

Great-grandma’s scalloped corn is a classic side dish. It is made from super simple ingredients but it really is delicious!

Great-grandma’s apple crisp is actually a quite healthy treat. It is a great way to turn apples into something extra fun. 

Great-grandma’s egg noodles are a Thanksgiving must have for our family. However we also use them to make chicken and noodles a couple of times throughout the year. 

Or try making an old fashioned frog eye salad. It is another fun twist on a fruit salad with a creamy custard base and teeny balls of pasta.

When and how do you serve frozen fruit salad?

My family always serves frozen fruit salad as a side dish at holiday dinners.  It is a small way to have great grandma there with us and part of the tradition.

Frozen fruit salad would be perfect side dish for a summer BBQ as well.  It would be such a refreshing addition to the menu.

Great grandma's hand written recipe card for frozen fruit salad.

Serve frozen fruit salad as a light fruity dessert. It’s a great make ahead and you can grab a piece whenever you want it.

For an extra fun twist on frozen fruit salad, freeze it in a cupcake tin.  Then it’s single serve and the perfect way to have a piece whenever you want!

Can I use something besides fruit cocktail?

You can use any mix of fruit you would like, but fruit cocktail adds great flavor. The extra cherries add color and flavor.

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

Close slice of frozen fruit salad showing fruit and marshmallows in peach frozen mixture.

Frozen Fruit Salad

Carlee
Frozen fruit salad is a blast from the past. This vintage recipe is a cool and delicious way to eat your fruit. It is at home at all of our holiday meals, but would also be a fun summer treat!
4.81 from 131 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Fruit Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 24 Servings
Calories 169 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup heavy cream whipped
  • cups fruit cocktail well drained
  • ½ cup drained Maraschino cherries
  • cups mini marshmallows

Instructions
 

  • Quarter cherries
  • Cream together the room temperature cream cheese and mayonaise.
  • Add cherries, fruit cocktail and marshmallows, mixing it together.
  • Fold in whipped cream.
  • Put into a glass 9×13 pan or similarly sized freezer safe serving dish. Freeze until solid.
  • Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before time to serve.
  • Cut into squares and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 90mgSugar: 11g
Tried this recipe?Mention @carleecooks or tag #cookingwcarlee!
Frozen fruit salad is a blast from the past.  This vintage recipe is a cool and delicious way to eat your fruit. It is at home at all of our holiday meals, but would also be a fun summer side dish!

Thanks for sharing!

Recipe Rating




Nett

Sunday 2nd of July 2023

I feel like we had the same grandmother! This and the green jello are still staples in my family!

Carlee

Monday 3rd of July 2023

Ha! Then we were both lucky!

Melisa Jordan

Friday 23rd of June 2023

What can be substituted for the cherries 🍒? I don't like 🍒. Could grapes?

Carlee

Saturday 24th of June 2023

Sure! Grapes would be good, the color just won't be as pink.

Bonnie Loebel

Sunday 21st of May 2023

Can you make this two days ahead?

Bonnie Loebel

Sunday 21st of May 2023

@Carlee, Thank you!

Carlee

Sunday 21st of May 2023

Yes! Because it's frozen, you can even make it a couple of weeks in advance.

Maxine Moates

Wednesday 19th of April 2023

Can you use COOL WHIP, rather than Whipped cream in this recipe??? Thanks for responding. I want to make it tomorrow. THX!!MM

Carlee

Thursday 20th of April 2023

Yes, you can use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Suzanne

Tuesday 18th of April 2023

When I made this, I used 8 oz of cream cheese, added some juice from the cherries to give it a nice color and flavor. I also added a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to perk up the flavor. I sweetened my whipped cream before folding it in.

Carlee

Tuesday 18th of April 2023

That sounds perfect!