Strawberry Fluff Salad is a potluck classic that is loaded with strawberry jello, vanilla pudding, Cool Whip, and FRESH strawberries! This fluffy concoction is a sweet treat that’s part salad, part dessert, and all-around deliciousness!
What Is Strawberry Fluff Salad?
Now, before you scrunch up your nose thinking, “Salad? With strawberries?” – just hear me out. This cloud-like dessert is not particularly a salad. In fact, it contains exactly 0% lettuce. This Strawberry Fluff Salad is nothing but delicious, from the mini marshmallows to the fresh strawberries!
Juicy strawberries and squishy mini marshmallows are coated in a pudding and jello mixture, creating a light and airy treat! Cool off after a long day in the sun with this refreshing and chilled snack! For another vintage dish, try my Watergate Salad, made with pistachio jello and crushed pineapple, or for a fun twist, try my Banana Split Fluff Salad!
Five Reasons Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy Prep! This recipe takes more time to set and chill than it does to put together. The hardest part is waiting for it to set in the fridge!
- Perfect For Spring! This recipe is light and refreshing, especially when served straight from the fridge. Not only is it refreshing after hanging out in the sun all day, it’s even better for springtime gatherings, like Easter!
- Easy Potluck Dish! If you have also found yourself waiting until the absolute last minute to start making a dish to bring to a potluck, you’re not alone! This is one of my favorites to toss together the night before a potluck or party!
- Dessert OR Side! Now don’t knock this one down until you try it! Yes, Strawberry Fluff Salad is perfect to enjoy as dessert, but it’s also a great side dish!
- Fresh Strawberries! Berry season is right around the corner, so when you accidentally pick too many strawberries, you know they can be used well! I hate picking too many berries in the field and not being able to enjoy them before they go bad!
Strawberry Fluff Salad Ingredients
- Strawberry Jell-O mix
- Hot water
- Cold water
- Instant vanilla pudding
- Cool Whip
- Fresh strawberries, hulled, halved, and sliced
- Canned crushed pineapple
- Mini marshmallows
How To Make Strawberry Fluff Salad
Remember when I said the most challenging part of this recipe was the waiting part? I wasn’t lying!
- In a large bowl, combine hot water with the Jello mix. Whisk it well until the powder is dissolved. Once the powder is dissolved, add the cold water to the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add the vanilla pudding mix and whisk well. Return the bowl to the refrigerator for another 15-20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the bowl from the fridge and carefully fold in the Cool Whip. When folding in the Cool Whip, be gentle and only fold until there are no more streaks of white in the bowl. Overfolding will cause the mixture to deflate.
- Fold in the fresh strawberries, crushed pineapple, and mini marshmallows. Return the dish to the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow the flavors to come together and the texture to thicken up. After 2 hours, you may serve and enjoy!
All About Strawberry Fluff Salad
Taste: Get ready to enjoy this dish by the spoonful! Strawberry Fluff Salad is loaded with mouthwatering flavors, from the strawberries and crushed pineapple to the Jello and pudding!
Texture: Strawberry Fluff Salad will give you a perfect bite of textures every time! Cool Whip combines with pudding to create a fluffy, luscious base leading right into strawberries and bouncy mini marshmallows!
Life Hack!
Strawberry Fluff Salad is delicious as is, but for a fun twist on this recipe, swap out the vanilla pudding for cheesecake pudding, and you’ll have yourself a Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff Salad!
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
This is an option, but I would not recommend using frozen strawberries. They release more moisture while thawing and will turn the recipe into mush.
Can I Make This Recipe Sugar-Free?
Absolutely! Feel free to make sugar-free swaps for the Cool Whip, Jello, and pudding.
Why Is My Salad Watery?
Your salad may be watery due to the fresh strawberries in the recipe. To fix this, give the salad a nice mix before serving, and be sure to drain the can of crushed pineapple extremely well before adding it to the recipe.
Can I Add A “Crunch” To This Recipe?
This recipe is so easy to change up and make swaps to your liking! Nuts, such as almond slivers or chopped pistachios, would be a great addition. You can also add shredded coconut or more fruit, like sliced bananas.
How To Store Strawberry Fluff Salad
Store this Strawberry Fluff Salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After 3 days, the marshmallows become too soft and the cream in the recipe begins to separate. I would not recommend freezing this recipe.
Strawberry Fluff Salad
EQUIPMENT
- large mixing bowl
INGREDIENTS
- 3 ounce strawberry Jell-O mix
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup cold water
- 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding
- 8 ounce tub Cool Whip
- 24 ounce fresh strawberries hulled, halved, and sliced
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple drained well
- 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, mix together the strawberry jell-o mix and hot water until the powder is completely dissolved. Then add in the cold water and stir together. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15-20 minutes.
- After chilling, add the instant vanilla pudding mix to the bowl and whisk to combine. Return the bowl to the refrigerator for another 15-20 minutes.
- After it has chilled some more, remove from the refrigerator. Fold in the Cool Whip with a rubber spatula until there are no more streaks of white.
- Then add the fresh strawberries, crushed pineapple, and mini marshmallows and fold to combine.
- Place the bowl back in the refrigerator and chill for an additional 2 hours so the cream can thicken up. The flavors will combine and taste even better as it chills.
