No holiday meal is complete without an amazing cranberry fluff recipe! This cranberry fluff salad brings the perfect amount of sweet, tart flavors along with a pleasing fluffy texture. Wonderfully complimentary to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.
This cranberry fluff recipe is one that my grandmother has been making for decades! It is present at every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and almost always disappears in minutes.
Loved by everyone, this cranberry fluff salad is the perfect amount of sweet and tart flavors. It also has a perfectly creamy, fluffy texture with a bit of crunch from the pecans.
In this post I’ll show you exactly what you’ll need to make this recipe, how to make it and how to store it for your holiday meal.
What do I need to make cranberry fluff?
- Fresh cranberries – these are the hallmark ingredient for this salad. Using fresh cranberries is ideal. If fresh cranberries are unavailable, you can also use frozen.
- Crushed pineapple – if crushed pineapple is unavailable, you can also use pineapple tidbits.
- Sugar – this is necessary in cutting the tartness of the fresh cranberries. If you’re looking to cut down on refined sugar, a granular monk fruit sweetener is a great substitution. I really like Whole Earth Granular Monk Fruit sweetener.
- Pecans – pecans add a fantastic crunch to this salad. You could also use walnuts or slivered almonds in place of pecans.
- Cool Whip – this will add a great creaminess to this fluff salad recipe. If you don’t want to use Cool Whip, you can also use my Homemade Cool Whip recipe.
- Mini Marshmallows – these add the “fluff” to this fluff salad.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
How do I make cranberry fluff?
To make cranberry fluff, you’ll first need to mince or crush fresh cranberries. The best way to do this is by using a food processor or blender.
Place the fresh, rinsed cranberries in the food processor and pulse a few times to crush. Cranberries should look like a relish.
Next, add in your sweetener to the crushed cranberries. You can use either granulated sugar or a granular monk fruit sweetener. Stir in with the cranberries and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
To the sweetened cranberries, add in the crushed pineapple and chopped pecans. Then add in the thawed Cool Whip. Stir together well.
Lastly, add in the mini marshmallows and stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients.
For best results, let the cranberry fluff salad refrigerate for a few hours before serving. This allows the marshmallows to soften and make the salad fluffy in texture.
Looking for more Thanksgiving side dish recipes? Be sure to check out our Paula Deen Corn Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans and our Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole.
Can I make cranberry fluff in advance for my holiday meal?
Yes, cranberry fluff can be made up to 24 hours before a holiday meal or dinner. In fact, cranberry fluff is best when it has time to refrigerate overnight. This allows the marshmallows to soften and creates a light and fluffy texture. Another great fluff salad for a holiday dinner is this Mandarin Orange Fluff Salad.
Frequently asked questions about making a cranberry fluff recipe:
For the best results, use a food processor or blender to crush cranberries. This will give you the best minced texture for cranberry relish and salads.
This is a sweet dessert type of salad that includes diced cranberries, crushed pineapple and walnuts.
Yes, homemade whipped cream can be used instead of Cool Whip when making cranberry fluff salad. For best results, use a stabilized whipped cream recipe.
Cranberry fluff is commonly served in place of cranberry sauce. It is often served for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinners.
When refrigerated, cranberry fluff salad will up to 3-4 days.
Want to use dried cranberries without all the refined sugar?
Check out my post for How to Make Dried Cranberries recipe! No dehydrator necessary – just 3 ingredients and your oven does the work. This is a great way to add dried cranberries to your salad without all of the refined sugar.
Not only are these dried cranberries great in salads, they are also wonderful in cookies, bars, homemade granola & granola bars, and stirring into yogurt and oatmeal.
Love cooking and baking with cranberries? Check out our other cranberry recipes:
- Cranberry Citrus Salad with Pecans
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apricots and Orange
- Cranberry Chicken Salad
- How to Make Dried Cranberries Recipe
- Cranberry Turkey Roll Ups
- White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- No Bake Cranberry Energy Bites
- Cranberry Apple Salad
If you loved this cranberry fluff recipe, check out our other sweet salad recipes:
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Easy Cranberry Fluff Salad with Cool Whip and Marshmallows
Equipment
- Food Processor This Ninja Pro Food Processor is easy to use and great for quickly prepping ingredients.
- Mixing Bowls These stainless steel mixing bowls are an essential cooking tool for every kitchen.
- Rubber Scrapers These Cuisinart rubber scraper spatulas are fantastic for fillings, batters, and so much more!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz. bag) fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar or granular monk fruit sweetener
- 1 (8 oz. can) crushed pineapple drained
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1 (8 oz. carton) Cool Whip thawed
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Using a food processor or blender, mince the fresh cranberries. Pulse just a few times to achieve a relish consistency. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar or your sweetener of choice. Cover and refrigerate the cranberry mixture for at least 2 hours or overnight. This will help soften and sweeten the cranberries, helping them become less tart.
- To the sweetened cranberries, add in the crushed pineapple (drained of juice) and chopped pecans. Stir together well. Add the thawed Cool Whip (or Homemade Cool Whip) and stir together until fully combined.
- Fold in the mini marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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