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This Strawberry Fluff Salad is a retro favorite that combines classic ingredients like Jell-O, Cool Whip, and mini marshmallows for a sweet, creamy side dish (or dessert) that is perfect for family picnics or potlucks.
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Who else had this strawberry fluff at like every big family BBQ? When I was younger, I would skip past all the the main courses stuff on the picnic tables and just load up on this. Seriously, my plate would be half pink fluff and maybe a grilled hot dog cut into “coins”. That’s it. Funny thing is, now that I have kids of my own, I notice they do the exact same thing! I have to hide this salad until the very end or else it will be the first thing polished off. Light, fruity, and irresistibly creamy—this sweet side dish (or dessert) is always a crowd favorite with both kids and grown-ups!
Key Ingredients
- Strawberry Jell-O – Nothing quite compares to the classic strawberry Jell-O. It’s usually so cheap I don’t even bother with knock-off brands.
- Instant vanilla pudding – Make sure you are using instant to make sure this sets well for you. I like to stick with vanilla flavored pudding but cheesecake, white chocolate, banana cream, and lemon flavors will also work great!
- Crushed pineapple – I love adding crushed pineapple for both the flavor and texture. Crushed works best but you can also use tidbits. This is also the one thing that can be left out if you prefer and it won’t change the recipe drastically.
- Mini marshmallows – This is what gives this strawberry fluff salad a lot of its fluffiness. It adds a soft, chewy texture that makes this salad so good!
How to Make Strawberry Fluff Salad
This recipe only takes a few simple steps. For full ingredient list, amounts, and detailed instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Make the Jell-O – Stir Jell-O and boiling water together until sugars dissolve. Speed up the cooling process by adding ice (an old trick my mom taught me) and then refrigerating just until cold, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t let it stay in longer of the Jell-O will begin to solidify.
- Add the pudding – Whisk the pudding directly into the cooled Jell-O and place back in the fridge to set.
- Fold in the Cool Whip – Give the pudding mixture a good whisk when you take it out of the fridge to smooth it out again. Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip
- Stir in fruit and marshmallows – Stir in the pineapple, sliced strawberries, and marshmallows then chill until set.
Tips and Variations
Want an even fluffier fluff? Double the first 4 ingredients in the recipe card. It will make it as fluffy as a cloud!
Thaw your Cool Whip – For the best results, thaw the cool whip in the fridge according to package directions. Thawing too quickly on the counter is not the best idea (I have learned this from experience) and will make it so your fluff doesn’t set right.
More Fruit Add Ins – Feel fresh to add more fruit like raspberries, blackberries, sliced banana, or mandarin oranges to the mix.
Storage Tip – Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After that, the fluff will start losing its shape and start separating.
Strawberry Fluff Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces strawberry Jell-O (1 small box)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup ice cubes (the size from a typical freezer)
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding (1 box)
- 8 ounces Cool Whip (thawed)
- 32 ounces fresh strawberries
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple (drained very well)
- 2-3 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine strawberry Jell-O and boiling water. Stir until sugars dissolve. Add ice and stir until ice cubes are melted. Place bowl in the refrigerator and cool for about 10 minutes (you don't want the Jell-O to solidify so only keep in the fridge until cooled).
- Add vanilla pudding to the Jell-O mixture and whisk until smooth and combined. Return to the fridge for 20 minutes or until chilled and set.
- While mixture is cooling, rinse, dry, hull, and slice strawberries.
- When pudding mixture is set, give it a good whisk until smooth, then use a rubber spatula to fold in the thawed Cool Whip until fluffy and smooth and colors are even.
- Fold in sliced strawberries, crushed pineapple, and marshmallows.
- Place back in the refrigerator and chill for another hour or two before serving.
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
There could be several reasons for this. The Cool Whip mixture could have been over mixed when added to the other ingredients, it hasn’t set long enough, the strawberries used could have been over ripe, or the pineapple not drained enough. You can try setting it longer in the fridge, folding in more Cool Whip, or stirring in some more instant pudding powder and re-setting.
Yes! You can totally use a prepared whipped cream instead of Cool Whip in this recipe. It may make the salad slightly more dense but not so much that anyone would notice. If using fresh whipped cream, use 3-4 cups prepared.
More Creamy Fruit Salad Recipes
More Fruit Salad Recipes
Waldorf Salad
Blueberry Jello Salad
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Watermelon Feta Salad
Fruit Trifle
Easy to make and yum/
Do I make the vanilla pudding according to my box instructions or just put powder in jello?
You just put the powder in. You don’t prepare it first. Hope this helps!
Being allergic to strawberries, should I prepare this dessert with raspberries?
Raspberries would be a great substitutions, definitely don’t use strawberries if you are allergic.