This Easy Pineapple Fluff Fruit Salad is a Must-Try Summer Recipe
Here’s a yummy side dish or dessert that has serious tropical vacation vibes!
Consider whipping up this quick and easy pineapple fluff salad this summer! This “salad” is filled with a delicious combo of crushed pineapple, vanilla pudding, coconut, and mini marshmallows. It’s a yummy variation of the popular ambrosia salad.
Pineapple fluff is an easy fruit salad to compile!
We enjoyed the delicious pineapple & mandarin orange combo, but you can adapt this dish using canned and fresh fruits your family likes. It also takes just 10 minutes or less to mix these simple ingredients together, so you’ll love how easy it is to make!
Here are a few recipe tips to keep in mind when making pineapple fluff fruit salad:
- There are quite a few ways to adapt pineapple fluff to what you have on hand: using vanilla yogurt instead of pudding, or I’ve even seen variations use sweetened sour cream. For the whipped base, I’m a fan of TruWhip, but you could use Cool Whip if preferred (or if that’s what you already have on hand).
- For more customization, adding chopped pecans or maraschino cherries would be great in this fluff! We loved adding sweetened shredded coconut, and highly recommend it!
- There is a 2-hour chill time in the fridge for this pineapple fluff salad, but it’s so worth it and yummy served nice and cold! You can also prep this earlier in the day or the night before for convenience. Leftovers were still tasty a couple of days later when stored in a covered container in the fridge.
Pineapple Orange Fluff Salad
yield: 12 SERVINGS
prep time: 2 HOURS 10 MINUTES
total time: 2 HOURS 10 MINUTES
A sweet fluffy fruit salad with coconut and marshmallows that's a perfect side dish or dessert.
Ingredients
- 3.4 oz box of vanilla instant pudding
- 20-ounce can crushed pineapple (with juice)
- 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges, drained
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1/2 of a fresh pineapple, chopped
- 8 oz. Cool Whip or TruWhip, thawed
Directions
1
To a large mixing bowl, mix the pudding and canned pineapple, including the juice from the can.
2
Add the oranges, marshmallows, coconut, and fresh pineapple, and mix.
3
Fold in the whipped topping and combine together.
4
Cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy!
This is a big bowl of fluffy tropical heaven!
We loved this pineapple fluff salad so much and made it as a special side dish during Memorial Day weekend while enjoying a fun pool day at home and grilling.
It’s refreshing, and I loved the combo of fresh and canned pineapple. The coconut adds a nice texture.
This is a must-try recipe idea!
Oh my goodness, my mother has a old fashion Pennsylvania recipe where we grew up…, Very similar to this…!! Let me know if you would like me to send it to you…?? We love this as kids growing up, fantastic dessert…! 👍
Please post, I live in Pa. I wish I had my grandma’s recipe 😊
Also from PA, my Mom made a similar salad with tapioca called “Frog Eye Salad”. As well as “Five cup Salad” and “24 Hour Salad” which were very close to this.
Anyone remember a pineapple cream pie? My mom and grandma made that a lot when I was young
We’ve always made frog eyed salad too!! Love it!
It works with tapioca?! I’d never heard of it until my office ordered lunch from a local restaurant that offered it as a side. I looked for a recipe so I could make it at home but it recommended a tiny pasta that I was never able to find.
I think the tiny pasta is called acini di pepe. I used to make a salad calling for exactly this. You can find it in most stores under Creamette brand.
Yes, please post!
Can you post your recipe on here for all of us? Please & thank you!!!
A different spin on pistachio fluff (aka Watergate salad). Looks yummy!
My mom makes Watergate salad every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s one of my favs!
@a_spiked_life, Send me your email, I will certainly send it to you…!! 5 cups salad is what they used to call it…!!
@dealhunter, Please send me your email, I will absolutely send it to you…!!
I have made this with homemade whip cream, crushed pineapple (drained) and marshmallows. It’s delicious. I read the recipe here…I am going to add oranges next time. I also did the cream cheese squares this past weekend along with the copy cat McDonald’s flurry….loving the recipes, keep the comin’ Thank you for all you do!
Oh thank you for sharing! I love those recipes too.
That’s my son’s favorite salad to make with his dad..easy and delicious 😋
Oh fun! So yummy 😋
Dear ladies… I didn’t know how to send it on this post, however, I sent it to Collin… And hopefully she will post it for you all…!! Enjoy have fun and my mother would be so excited that you all are sharing this and enjoy it…!!
I lobe Six Sisters recipe that adds a box of orange jello
Oh yummy idea – thanks!
I grew up making fluff except it is frozen strawberries in syrup, mini marshmallows, heavy whipping cream
Yummy!
Mmm, details please.
My mom’s recipe uses strawberry jello and pineapple! I use 3/4 bag of marshmallows and 2 tubs of whip cream….It’s amazing
Yummy! Thanks for sharing 💕
Does anyone have ideas to make this sugar free or low sugar ( def no marshmallows)?
The recipe I use calls for sour cream as the dressing. Also I just found another great suggestion use Pina Colada flavored yogurt in place of the sour cream (if you don’t like that). And other ideas, for every item that you don’t like or can’t eat add something else. Like bananas, dried cranberries, or mangoes.
My 5 Cup Salad
pineapple
mandarin oranges
marachino cherries
coconut
mini marshmallows
sour cream is used as the dressing
I love it with sour cream and it’s an overall yummy tropical salad treat.
Yummy and thanks for sharing!
My mom and I make a fruit salad every Thanksgiving and Christmas. She’s been making it my entire life. But it uses sour cream. And it’s a lot better if you let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours and stir well before serving. It’s 1 cup fruit cocktail in heavy syrup, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup pecans chopped, & 1 cup mini marshmallows. We always double the recipe. And I like to sprinkle a layer of mini marshmallows over the top before serving. If it looks too soupy after sitting in the fridge we just add extra marshmallows to absorb the liquid. I honestly think I could live off of it. Lol.
Sounds FAB just the way you did it, Lina! Looks luscious too! Will make this weekend for Sunday dinner, thanks!
Oh thanks 😊 Enjoy it! Yum!
When I saw this, it immediately brought tears to my eyes. My mother who passed away September 2019, always made this during the summer when we were growing up. Sweet childhood memories and of mom.
Oh I’m so sorry for your loss 🙁
this sounds great and way easier to make than frog eye salad. Thanks for posting!
Oh thanks Joni! Enjoy 😉
Hi! This may be a silly question, but do you actually make the french vanilla pudding first, before you mix it in, or do you just add the mix from the box to the mixture? Thanks so much! 🙂
No you just add it with the pineapple – not a silly question! Thanks!
PERFECT! I will be making & taking this to my Friend’s Son’s 18th Birthday Party Social Distancing small get-2-gether! :)))
do you prepare the pudding or just add the dry contents