Orange Fluff Salad
Orange fluff is delicious nostalgia at its best! I grew up eating this fluffy, sweet, tangy concoction, and I crave it all the time. Made with just a few ingredients like cottage cheese, whipped topping, mandarin oranges, and mini marshmallows, I guarantee it’ll be scarfed up by your family or at any potluck. It’s just so surprisingly good!
🍊 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s made with an unexpected ingredient or two (trust me on the cottage cheese, ok?) but if you like a tangy, fluffy, light sweet treat, you will LOVE this orange fluff! It’s like a dreamsicle cloud in a bowl. Eat it by the spoonful or as a dip with vanilla wafers or waffle cone cookies. I promise it does not taste like cottage cheese!
- Planning a summer cookout? Responsible for the dessert at the next family potluck? Orange fluff easily feeds a crowd! You can get at least 10 servings from one batch, depending on your preferred portion sizes.
- There’s zero cooking involved, and you don’t even have to drag out the hand mixer. The prep takes no time at all and the process is so easy you won’t believe there’s not more to it.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- For a smoother texture, run the cottage cheese through a food processor just until it’s no longer chunky.
- You can make “orange fluff” with any flavor of gelatin and a coordinating fruit! Pineapple fluff, strawberry fluff, lime fluff, even mixed berry fluff would all be just as easy and just as delicious. Just follow the orange fluff directions below, swapping in your fruit-of-choice for the mandarin oranges. Make sure to drain all the liquid from whatever fruit you choose!
- Don’t skip the chill time. Both the texture and the flavor of the fluff salad will be much better after it’s spent some time in the fridge. The gelatin will develop a little, using any extra moisture in the dish, making the fluff thick and creamy.
🍨 More Cheap & Easy Sweet Treats
- Strawberry Banana Pudding
- Single-Serve Chocolate Mug Cake (Gluten Free)
- Vanilla Brownies with Buttercream Frosting
- 4-Ingredient Homemade Thin Mints
- Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
- Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad
- Hot Cocoa Dip
- Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream (No Ice Cream Maker!)
- Banana Pudding Brownies
Orange Fluff Salad
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- large wooden spoon (or silicone spatula)
- refrigerator
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce container cottage cheese
- 1 6-ounce packet orange-flavored gelatin mix
- 2 11-ounce cans mandarin oranges (drained completely)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 16-ounce tub frozen whipped topping (defrosted)
Instructions
- Add 1 16-ounce container cottage cheese and 1 6-ounce packet orange-flavored gelatin mix to large mixing bowl. Stir ingredients together until fully combined.
- Add 2 11-ounce cans mandarin oranges (completely drained) and 1 cup mini marshmallows to mixing bowl. Gently fold oranges and marshmallows into cottage cheese mixture until just incorporated.
- Add 1 16-ounce tub frozen whipped topping to mixing bowl and gently fold into cottage cheese mixture, again until just incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix or salad will become less fluffy.
- Once ingredients have been incorporated, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Chill salad mixture at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve salad, remove bowl from refrigerator and uncover. Transfer orange fluff to serving bowl, garnish with additional mandarin oranges and mini marshmallows if desired, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Oranges: Drain all liquid from the cans of mandarin oranges before adding them to the salad mixture. If they’re not drained well, the excess liquid will make the mixture watery and it may separate.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover orange fluff in an airtight container. Consume within 3 days. Mixture may lose texture and become watery over time.
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.
