Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
A favorite from my own childhood, this sweet and creamy fruit salad made with Cool Whip is a budget-friendly dessert dream! This recipe envelops maraschino cherries, seedless grapes, orange segments, and pineapple tidbits in a light and airy, cherry-flavored whipped topping. So easy, and great for potlucks and cookouts!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Cool Whip fruit salad is light and airy with chunks of juicy fruit and just the right amount of sweetness. It’s one of my very favorite potluck dishes and it’s always gone within minutes! I honestly keep the ingredients on hand all summer long so I can whip up a batch anytime at all.
- It’s a fun twist on classic ambrosia salad. Instead of several kinds of fruits just mixed together or layered in a bowl, this version envelops them in fluffy whipped cream topping with mini marshmallows. It’s a genuine treat!
- Since this recipe uses all jarred and canned fruit, you don’t have to worry about what’s in season or how the stock at your store looks on a given day. I don’t know about your local grocery store, but mine can be pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to fresh produce. This completely eliminates that stress!
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure to drain the fruit really well before you mix everything together. If there’s too much moisture in the mixture, the Cool Whip can develop a funky texture.
- Don’t stir too much! Just fold the ingredients together until they’re combined, and be gentle about it. Too much and the Cool Whip will lose its airy, fluffy consistency, plus you risk tearing the fruit.
- You’re welcome to serve this fruit salad immediately, but I like to let it chill for at least one hour. That gives all the flavors time to deepen and intensify, and I find that the texture is better, too.
- For some crunch, garnish the fruit salad with a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans right before serving. It’s a nice way to break up the chewy creaminess of the dish!
Cheap Sweet Treats You’ll Love to Eat
- Strawberry Banana Pudding
- Vanilla Brownies with Buttercream Frosting
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (No Marshmallow Fluff!)
- Fried Chicken Ice Cream
- Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (Infused with Alcohol)
- 3-Ingredient Banana Pudding
- Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad
- Sweet & Creamy Churro Dip
- Orange Fluff Salad
Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce tub Cool Whip
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice (from jar of maraschino cherries)
- 1 6-ounce jar whole maraschino cherries (remaining juice drained completely)
- 1 cup halved seedless grapes
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 10.5-ounce can mandarin orange sections (drained completely)
- 1 8-ounce can pineapple tidbits (drained completely)
- ⅔ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
Instructions
- Add 1 8-ounce tub Cool Whip and 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice to large mixing bowl. Gently fold ingredients together until incorporated.
- Add 1 6-ounce jar whole maraschino cherries, 1 cup halved seedless grapes, 2 cups mini marshmallows, 1 10.5-ounce can mandarin orange sections, 1 8-ounce can pineapple tidbits, and ⅔ cup shredded coconut to mixing bowl. Gently fold ingredients together until fully incorporated and fruits are coated in Cool Whip.
- If desired, top mixture with additional fruit pieces or additional shredded coconut to garnish. Serve immediately, or cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cool Whip: Make sure to use a whipped topping like Cool Whip rather than whipped cream. Whipped cream isn’t thick enough or stable enough to hold up in this dish.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover fruit salad in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
