Easy Cranberry Jello Salad with Cool Whip and Marshmallows
You guys have got to try this creamy cranberry salad! It is so amazingly delicious and super light and fluffy.
It has all the flavor of cranberries combined with the tanginess of an orange, and then the fluffiness of not only Cool Whip but marshmallows! AMAZING! It takes about 10 minutes and no cooking at all.
The Best Creamy Cranberry Salad (Mom Approved)
When I was trying to come up with a cranberry salad, I knew I had to do two things. 1. Start with the best cranberry sauce base, which is actually a cranberry relish. And 2. Call my mom! Now let me explain.
Ever since I can remember, every Thanksgiving and Christmas we have had cranberry relish. The relish is still a holiday staple, even though I’ve moved out on my own and gotten married. It is simply frozen cranberries, sugar and one orange with the peel left on. You throw those 3 ingredients in the food processor and blend! In recent years I’ve come to find out the relish is the recipe on the back of the cranberry package! Regardless, my mom has always made it, and it is now and will always be her cranberry relish.
Every year for the holidays, she also makes Orange Salad, with crushed pineapple, canned mandarins, cottage cheese, Cool Whip and orange jello powder. It’s creamy and fluffy and amazing, so I needed her advice on how to make a cranberry version!
I took the relish and added the Cool Whip, orange jello and marshmallows (because I love marshmallows and couldn’t resist!). I made sure to fold it all together so there were no dollops of Cool Whip left, per my mother’s instructions. It was amazing, and truly now something I will make for holidays to come. It’s approved by my mom and taste tested and loved by me!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Salad with Cool Whip
- Ready in 10 minutes. There is no cooking, just a food processor and a bowl.
- Sweet and tangy. Tart cranberries and a whole orange balance the sweet, fluffy cream.
- Light and fluffy. Cool Whip and mini marshmallows make every spoonful airy.
- A holiday classic. It’s built on a family cranberry relish made every Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here is what goes into this cranberry jello salad with Cool Whip and why each one is there. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Frozen cranberries: One 12 ounce bag, about 3 cups. Frozen berries chop cleanly in the food processor into a fine, even relish instead of turning to mush. Sort through them first and toss out any that are soft, shriveled or brown.
- Sugar: Balances the sharp tartness of the raw cranberries. The relish can be made with 1 cup or less, so start a little lower if you like your cranberry salad on the tangy side. The jello and marshmallows add sweetness too.
- Orange: Rinse it well and cut it into quarters with the peel on. The whole orange, peel and all, goes into the processor, giving the salad bright citrus flavor and a pleasant bitter edge from the zest. Pick out any seeds before you blend.
- Orange jello powder: One small package, stirred in dry. It adds orange flavor and color and soaks up some of the juice from the relish, which helps the salad hold together. Use the regular gelatin dessert mix, not sugar free, for the flavor this recipe was built on.
- Mini marshmallows: Soft, sweet pillows that make this feel like a holiday treat. They soften a bit as the salad sits and soak up some of the cranberry color. Use fresh, soft marshmallows, since stale ones stay chewy.
- Cool Whip: Thawed, so it folds in smoothly. It turns the tart relish creamy, pink and fluffy. Thaw it in the fridge, not on the counter, so it stays thick and holds its volume. Fold it in gently, since overmixing knocks the air out.
How to Make Creamy Cranberry Salad
- Sort the cranberries. Look through the frozen cranberries and toss out any that don’t look good, like berries that are soft, shriveled or brown. Keep them frozen until you’re ready to process so they chop cleanly.
- Process the fruit. Pour the frozen cranberries into a food processor or high powered blender. Add the sugar and the orange quarters, with the peel on. Don’t overfill the bowl. If your processor is small, work in two batches.
- Pulse into a relish. Process until everything is uniform in size and looks like a relish, with small, even bits of berry and orange and no large chunks of peel. Pulsing gives you more control than running the machine nonstop.
- Add the jello. Transfer the relish to a medium mixing or serving bowl. Sprinkle in the orange jello powder and mix thoroughly so there are no dry pockets. The powder will dissolve into the juices from the relish and turn the mixture a deeper color.
- Fold in the fluff. Add the marshmallows and Cool Whip. Fold with a spatula, scooping from the bottom of the bowl up and over, until the Cool Whip is fully incorporated and the salad is an even pink color, but only just.
- Serve. Spoon into a serving bowl and enjoy! Chill it until serving time if you are making it a little ahead. It’s best served cold, when the cranberry relish is still bright and the Cool Whip is fluffy.
Tip: Fold in the Cool Whip until it is fully incorporated, but only just. Overmixing will make the Cool Whip deflate, and you want this salad light and fluffy.
Ways to Customize Cranberry Salad
- Cut the sugar. Use less than 1 cup for a tangier salad.
- Add pineapple. Fold in well drained crushed pineapple, like in Mom’s Orange Salad.
- Add crunch. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts right before serving.
- Change the jello. Raspberry or cherry jello powder gives a deeper red color.
Creamy Cranberry Salad FAQs
- Do I cook the cranberries? No. The cranberries are processed raw with the sugar and orange into a fresh relish.
- Do I peel the orange? No. Rinse it and cut it into quarters with the peel on. Just remove any seeds.
- Can I use fresh cranberries? Yes. Frozen berries chop a little more evenly, but fresh work fine. Rinse and sort them first.
- Can I make it ahead? Make the relish a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Fold in the jello, marshmallows and Cool Whip a few hours before serving so it stays fluffy.
- How do I store leftovers? Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The salad gets a little softer as the marshmallows absorb moisture.
- Can I use a blender instead of a food processor? Yes. A high powered blender works. Pulse in short bursts so you get a chunky relish, not a puree.
- Can I use whipped cream instead of Cool Whip? You can, but homemade whipped cream deflates faster. Serve it the same day.
- Is this a side dish or a dessert? Both! It’s served alongside the turkey at many holiday tables, but it’s sweet enough for dessert.
Cranberry Cool Whip Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Frozen Cranberries 12 oz bag
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 orange rinsed and cut into quarters with peel on*
- 1 small package orange jello powder
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 8 oz cool whip thawed
Instructions
- Look through the cranberries and toss out any that don’t look good.
- Pour frozen cranberries into food processor, or high power blender.
- Add sugar and orange (with the peel on!) to cranberries and process until everything is uniform in size, resembling a relish*
- Transfer to a medium size mixing or serving bowl. Add jello powder and mix thoroughly.
- Fold in marshmallows and cool whip. You want to make sure the cool whip is fully incorporated, but only just! Over mixing will make the cool whip deflate.
- Enjoy!
Made this cranberry salad? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us how it turned out in the comments below. For other yummy holiday treats, try these eggnog cupcakes or this eggnog cheesecake!
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Cranberry Relish
- Eggnog Cupcake Recipe
- Eggnog Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- Easy Frozen Fruit Salad
- Turkey Salad with Cranberries
- Healthy Simple Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe was shared by Lisa. Visit her blog, A Table Full of Joy, for more recipes.
