Description
Cranberry fluff salad brings festive cheer to holiday tables with its creamy marshmallow blend. Sweet and tangy flavors dance together, promising a delightful dessert that welcomes winter celebrations with open arms.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits and Base:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 can (8 ounces / 225 grams) crushed pineapple, drained
- Zest of 1 orange (optional)
Sweeteners and Creamy Components:
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240 milliliters) whipped topping
- 1 cup (240 grams) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups (100 grams) mini marshmallows
Nuts (Optional):
- ½ cup (60 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Pulse fresh cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped, creating a vibrant ruby-colored base for the salad.
- Thoroughly combine chopped cranberries with granulated sugar, allowing the mixture to macerate and soften in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, which helps develop a deeper, more intense flavor profile.
- Whip heavy cream using an electric mixer until it reaches a luxurious, cloud-like consistency with stiff peaks, incorporating vanilla extract for an aromatic enhancement.
- Carefully drain crushed pineapple to remove excess liquid, preventing the salad from becoming watery.
- Integrate drained pineapple, fluffy mini marshmallows, and optional chopped nuts into the cranberry mixture, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the fruit mixture, creating a light and airy texture while maintaining the delicate structure of the whipped cream.
- Transfer the completed salad to a serving container, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow flavors to harmonize and marshmallows to soften.
- Before serving, optionally garnish with additional cranberries, marshmallows, or a sprinkle of nuts to enhance visual appeal and provide textural contrast.
- Serve chilled as a refreshing and festive side dish or dessert.
Notes
- Cranberry Prep Trick: Let the cranberries sit with sugar to soften their tartness and create a balanced sweet-tangy flavor profile.
- Whipping Cream Hack: Ensure your mixing bowl and whisk are cold for maximum volume and stability when whipping cream.
- Texture Balance: Allow marshmallows to absorb moisture from other ingredients, creating a luxurious, pillowy texture throughout the salad.
- Make-Ahead Magic: This dish tastes even better when prepared a day in advance, giving ingredients time to meld and develop deeper flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 25 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg