This easy and nostalgic holiday side dish combines cranberry sauce, raspberry gelatin, apples, pecans, marshmallows and cool whip for a creamy, crunchy sweet side dish that’s quick and simple to prepare.
Maybe I’m showing my age a little bit here, but I definitely grew up in an era of Jello salads. There wasn’t a single holiday dinner that we went to that didn’t have a signature creamy and fluffy dessert salad and my husband’s family is the same way. Did you grow up eating fluff salads and Jello based desserts? If so, you’ll also like this Orange Dream Salad.
Even if you don’t have the nostalgia many people do with this type of creamy salad, you have to admit they are tasty and so so simple. This Cranberry Apple Fluff Salad is tart and creamy, with crunchy apples and pecans folded into the fluff. Not too sweet, not too tart, perfect as a side but you can also put it on the dessert table if you need to.
To make this salad you’ll start by dissolving one small box of raspberry jello into a cup of boiling water. Whisk in a can of whole berry cranberry sauce and put it in the fridge until it has set up. When it’s time to serve, fold in the cool whip (or whipped cream), chopped apples, pecans and marshmallows. That’s it!
This salad will stay good for a day or two in the fridge.
Not a pecan fan? Substitute chopped walnuts.
You can make this recipe with homemade cranberry sauce as well and is a good “leftover makeover” with any extra cranberry sauce. Just replace the canned cranberry sauce with 1 ½ cups homemade.
Cranberry Apple Fluff Salad
Cranberry Apple Fluff is tart and creamy, with crunchy apples and pecans folded into berry flavored fluff.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 ounce box) raspberry gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 (14 ounce can) whole berry cranberry sauce*
- 1 (8 ounce) container cool whip*
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples, diced
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 2/3 cup pecan or walnut pieces
Instructions
- Mix together the boiling water and raspberry gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved, then stir in the cranberry sauce.
- Place the gelatin mixture in the fridge until it has set up, around 4 hours or overnight.
- Fold the cool whip, chopped apples, marshmallow and pecans into the set gelatin mixture right before serving.
Notes
1* Homemade cranberry sauce can be substituted and you'll need 1 1/2 cups.
2* Homemade whipped cream can be substituted, you'll need approximately 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream whipped to equal 3 cups.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
