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Home » Salads » Cranberry Salad

Published: October 28, 2020 Last Modified: October 28, 2020 By Sara 36 Comments

Cranberry Salad

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Cranberry Salad Recipe | Fluff Salad #cranberry #salad #fall #dinner #dinneratthezoo #thanksgiving

This creamy cranberry salad is a blend of fresh cranberries, pineapple, marshmallows, pecans, coconut and apples, all tossed in a creamy dressing. A unique and colorful salad that’s perfect for the holidays!

I love to serve cranberry salad alongside herb roasted turkey or crock pot ham for an easy and festive side dish. This is always one of the first side dishes to disappear on Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Salad Recipe | Fluff Salad #cranberry #salad #fall #dinner #dinneratthezoo #thanksgiving Cranberry Salad Recipe | Fluff Salad #cranberry #salad #fall #dinner #dinneratthezoo #thanksgiving

Cranberry salad garnished with cranberries, marshmallows, pecans and apples.

I’m always looking for fun ways to serve cranberries other than your standard cranberry sauce. This cranberry salad is perfectly sweet and full of different flavors and textures.

How do you make cranberry salad?

This recipe starts with a bag of fresh cranberries. The cranberries are chopped, then mixed with sugar. The cranberries need to sit in the sugar for at least 3 hours to temper some of the natural tart flavor of the berries.

When the cranberries are ready, pineapple, marshmallows, chopped pecans, shredded coconut and diced apples get added to the mix. The final step is to add whipped topping as a dressing, then you’re ready to eat. I like to decorate my finished salad with more cranberries, marshmallows and fruit, but that’s an optional step.

Cranberries in a food processor.

Tips for cranberry salad

  • I use a food processor to chop my cranberries. You can also roughly chop them with a knife or even use a blender.
  • Don’t want to use whipped topping? You can use lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream instead, or vanilla yogurt.
  • I typically use Granny Smith apples because they add a nice crunch and I like the color contrast of the green apples against the red cranberries. That being said, feel free to use your favorite variety of apple. Other great varieties include Pink Lady or Honeycrisp.
  • You can use fresh or canned pineapple for this salad, either will work just fine.
  • Sometimes I substitute diced mandarin oranges for pineapple for a different take on this dish.
  • Don’t like pecans? Omit them altogether, or try walnuts or sliced almonds instead.
  • This salad can be made up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it.

How do you make cranberry salad with Jello?

There are a couple of different types of cranberry salad. While this is a creamy salad, a Jello salad is also a very popular option. I have a super delicious gelatin based salad recipe that you can find here.

Chopped cranberries mixed with sugar in a bowl.

Can you use frozen cranberries for cranberry salad?

You can substitute thawed frozen cranberries for fresh cranberries in this salad, although the texture will be a little different. Fresh cranberries will have a little more crunch and texture than frozen cranberries.

Chopped cranberries, apples, pineapple, marshmallows, pecans and coconut in a mixing bowl.

Are cranberries healthy?

Cranberries are considered a healthy food because they’re high in nutrients and antioxidants. Cranberries have been proven to prevent certain types of cancer, improve your immune system and decrease blood pressure. While this cranberry salad isn’t the healthiest choice because of the whipped topping, you could substitute something else such as yogurt for more nutritional benefits.

Once you try this salad, you’ll be hooked. It is a big favorite with the kids too, because no child can resist mini marshmallows!

Cranberry salad with a serving spoon in it.

More delicious side dishes

  • Bacon Ranch Green Beans
  • Butterflake Rolls
  • Glazed Carrots
  • Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
  • Apple Pecan Rice Pilaf

Cranberry salad video

Cranberry salad garnished with cranberries, marshmallows, pecans and apples.
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5 from 14 votes

Cranberry Salad

This creamy cranberry salad is a blend of fresh cranberries, pineapple, marshmallows, pecans, coconut and apples, all tossed in a creamy dressing. A unique and colorful salad that's perfect for the holidays!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Chill Time 3 hours
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 178kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries chopped
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup chopped apple I use Granny Smith
  • 1 cup chopped pineapple fresh or canned
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
  • fresh cranberries, apples and marshmallows for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Place the cranberries and sugar in a glass or plastic bowl (do not use metal). Stir to combine.
  • Cover the bowl and chill for at least 3 hours.
  • Add the apple, pineapple, marshmallows, pecans and coconut to the bowl.
  • Add the whipped topping to the bowl and fold gently to combine all the ingredients. Garnish with additional cranberries, apples and marshmallows if desired, then serve.

Notes

Adapted from All Recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 12.4mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was originally published on October 30, 2018 and was updated on October 28, 2020 with new content.

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Filed Under: Salads, Side Dishes

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    Comments

    1. Aaronica says

      November 2, 2018 at 9:41 am

      I’m always looking for something to do with cranberries! I love this!

      Reply
    2. Louisa says

      November 2, 2018 at 12:12 am

      This cranberry salad looks oh so good! I’ve been trying a healthier diet for the past few weeks so will be trying this recipe soon.

      Reply
    3. Kita Bryant says

      November 1, 2018 at 8:22 pm

      5 stars
      This salad looks totally delicious! I would really like to make this for my family!

      Reply
    4. Dhemz says

      November 1, 2018 at 7:06 pm

      oh, my goodness! I would love to try this. I don’t think I had this before. Looks really appetizing. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Kim Croisant says

      November 1, 2018 at 5:17 pm

      Someone always brings this recipe to our Thanksgiving family get together. It’s not Thanksgiving without it. I just love it.

      Reply
    6. Jeanine says

      November 1, 2018 at 3:47 pm

      Wow. Now this is a cranberry recipe I would love to try out. This looks and sounds absolutely incredible!

      Reply
    7. Ricci says

      November 1, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      Oh gosh I Love cranberries on everything this time of the year! This salad looks so yummy!!

      Reply
    8. Chubskulit Rose says

      November 1, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      Oh Mama Mia, what a treat! I would love even just once scoop of that right now, looks tasty.

      Reply
    9. Jaime Nicole says

      November 1, 2018 at 9:02 am

      Wow, this looks SO tasty! I think it is definitely going to be on my Thanksgiving menu this year!

      Reply
    10. Tasheena says

      November 1, 2018 at 8:02 am

      5 stars
      This recipes looks delicious. It would be perfect to make for my family this holiday season.

      Reply
    11. Tonia says

      November 1, 2018 at 3:31 am

      This is cool. I usually do the pistachio version. I haven’t tried this one yet. I’ll have to make it to see if my family enjoys it as well.

      Reply
    12. Terri Steffes says

      October 31, 2018 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      My family is very fond of this salad and they are happy to have it often during the Thanksgiving season. We sometimes make it for Christmas, too.

      Reply
    13. Lisa Martin says

      October 31, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite things to eat at our church potluck but I have never made it before. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I can not wait to try it, yours sounds so yummy?

      Reply
    14. Jeanette says

      October 31, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      This looks really good! It is an easy thing to make and I am pretty sure it would be a hit with the entire family.

      Reply
    15. Amber Myers says

      October 31, 2018 at 10:19 am

      5 stars
      Yum, this looks so good! I just love cranberries. I will have to make this soon. I know I’ll be happy with it. My kids might like it too.

      Reply
    16. Lisa Carson says

      October 31, 2018 at 9:42 am

      My family always make cranberry salad during the Holidays! Ours is a bit different. I’ve never added pineapple or coconut. Going to try your recipe for Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    17. Jen Walshaw says

      October 31, 2018 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      Oh this looks really interesting. I have never come across a sweet salad before – I wonder if it is a US only thing?

      Reply
    18. Melissa Chapman says

      October 31, 2018 at 9:32 am

      I rarely see the fresh cranberries but they do look great in this sweet salad. I will keep this recipe for a surprise at Thanksgiving when the special sides come out.

      Reply
    19. Jeanette E. says

      October 31, 2018 at 9:26 am

      This looks like an easy way to eat cranberries! I’ve tried them raw by themselves and wow. Definitely an acquired taste. This looks so fun I know my kids and family would love this on Thanksgiving!

      Reply
    20. Candy says

      October 31, 2018 at 9:17 am

      This was always made when I was growing up. Old recipe but a really good one

      Reply
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