Need an easy holiday side dish that will have your family and friends excited to dig right in? Our cranberry pecan fluff salad, adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake, is an old-school Thanksgiving salad that is deliciously timeless in its ability to always please a crowd.
If you’ve never had cranberry fluff salad, you’re in for a lip-smacking yummy surprise. Made with a simple combination of chopped fresh cranberries, crushed pineapple, whipped cream and mini-marshmallows, and topped with roughly chopped pecans, this “salad” is more accurately a lusciously irresistible dessert. It’s creamy, sweet, tangy and a playful companion for the savory fare on your holiday menu.
ALSO TRY: Homemade orange-cranberry sauce
Holidays are all about family, friends, food, fun and traditions. Put this cranberry fluff salad on your dinner table and we guarantee your family and friends will urge you to serve it every year. You may even find that it becomes a must-make Thanksgiving side dish for generations to come. Though cranberries are a Turkey Day staple, they can also brighten up your Christmas dinner and holiday desserts. The more cranberries in your diet, the better! Why you ask?
Cranberries are a superfood. This lip-puckering fruit brings more to the table than cranberry sauce and holiday desserts. Loaded with nutrition, cranberries outrank nearly every fruit and vegetable in disease-fighting antioxidants. The bright red berries are low in calories, high in fiber and vitamin C, and incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet all year round. Scatter dried cranberries in your hot or cold cereals, include dried cranberries in homemade trail mix or granola, use fresh cranberries in baked goods, puree them in a smoothie, simmer them into savory sauces for chicken and pork dishes, or make this cranberry fluff salad all year round as a fun dessert for your weeknight meals.
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Sweeten the cranberries and chill
Sugar adds a sweetness that balances the tartness of the cranberries. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the cranberries with granulated sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Chop the cranberries
Pour the sweetened cranberries in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Transfer the chopped berries to a large bowl and set aside.
Beat the cream
Whipped cream gives this holiday salad its fluff. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Add pineapple, marshmallows and pecans to the cranberries
Add the crushed pineapple, marshmallows and chopped pecans to the cranberries and stir to combine.
Fold in the whipped cream
With a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture. Mix just until combined to keep the whipped cream fluffy. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve with a big spoon.
The perfect creamy dreamy salad for your holiday dinner!
Crunchy pecans, tart cranberries and sweetened whipped cream are to die for!
So many delicious flavors and textures
As beautiful as it is simple to make!
Cranberry pecan fluff salad
Yield 8 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 cups mini-marshmallows
- 1/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine cranberries and sugar, tossing to coat cranberries with sugar.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Pour cranberries into a food processor. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Transfer cranberries to a large bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Add crushed pineapple, marshmallows and pecans into the bowl of cranberries. Mix well to combine.
- With a spatula, gently fold whipped cream into cranberry mixture.
- Refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve.
Courses Sides
