This creamy cherry fluff salad is a sweet, no-bake dessert made with Cool Whip, marshmallows, and juicy fruit for that classic pink salad everyone remembers. It's the kind of old-fashioned recipe grandma made for holidays, potlucks, and Sunday dinners. You'll get an easy side dish that's just right for Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings. Pin it now so you'll always have this fun, nostalgic dessert ready to share!
Why is this the best cherry fluff recipe
It's a simple recipe. This recipe uses only 6 ingredients, and you probably already have them all in your pantry.
It's easy. Cherry Fluff Salad couldn't be easier. Mix in the 6 ingredients. Refrigerate for an hour (or until you're ready to serve). This is probably the easiest dessert you could throw together!
It tastes amazing! The combination of the sweet cherries, the tangy pineapple, the creamy Cool Whip, and the crunchy texture of shredded coconut is out of this world good.
Kids love it! Cherry Fluff salad is always a hit with my kids, and I bet your kids will devour it, too.
It's versatile. You can see a long list of variations near the bottom of the page. This is a perfect recipe to make it your own, all year long!
The ingredients are always fresh. This recipe is great for summer picnics and potlucks, but also wonderful for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner. Because you're using canned fruit, it's always in season!
What you'll need to make cherry fluff salad with Cool Whip
Equipment
This recipe requires a large mixing bowl and measuring cups and spoons but nothing fancy.
Ingredients
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.
- Cherry pie filling - This is the foundation of your cherry fluff salad. I suggest you look for a variety that has more than the standard amount of cherries per can. I do not recommend a sugar-free cherry pie filling because it will taste weird.
- Crushed pineapple - This adds texture to the fluff salad and also a slight tartness that balances out the sweetness of the cherry pie filling.
- Cool Whip - This is what makes the salad fluffy. It's okay to use the light version if you want, and store brand is usually just as good as the name brand Cool Whip.
- Sweetened condensed milk - This is different from evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk is sweet and syrupy and gives the cherry fluff a more complex flavor.
- Mini marshmallows - I have never seen a fluff salad without mini marshmallows.
- Shredded coconut - I prefer sweetened coconut in this salad, but you could also use unsweetened. The coconut gives the salad a little crunch. It's okay to leave it out if you can't eat coconut.
How to make an easy cherry fluff salad
- Combine the cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, and shredded coconut in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold in the Cool Whip and mix until evenly blended.
- Add marshmallows and fold in until evenly distributed.
- Cover and store in the fridge for at least one hour to overnight, until ready to serve.
Substitutions & variations
This is a vintage recipe that's been around forever, and it seems like everyone has a different spin on it, so there are tons of variations available. Some people like to use maraschino cherries instead of cherry pie filling. Other add-ins include sour cream, cottage cheese, chopped pecans, and softened cream cheese.
Instead of cherry, you could use strawberry, peach, apple, or mixed berry pie filling.
Add in fresh blueberries and fresh pineapple chunks for a color and texture contrast.
You can keep the cherry pie filling, but add shaved chocolate or mini chocolate chips and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Mix very soft cream cheese into the salad in the first step.
Add graham crackers for crunch.
Adding a little cherry cola syrup could be a fun variation for a soda-shop vibe!
This is the perfect side dish to any holiday or special occasion!
Storing leftovers
Cherry Fluff Salad is an awesome make ahead recipe for the holidays. It tastes better when allowed to rest overnight, so make it the day before if you can. Be sure to cover it with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid so it doesn't dry out. Store for up to a week in the fridge. Do not freeze.
After sitting, you'll want to fold it over a few times, to redistribute the moisture that has usually separated out.
Check out more delicious dessert recipes:
- Cranberry Fluff Salad (Pink fluff)
- Mandarin Orange Fluff Jello Salad
- Pistachio Fruit Salad AKA Watergate Salad (Green fluff)
- Black Cherry Ice Cream Recipe
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
- Easy Cherry Cobbler with Fresh Cherries
Recipe
Cherry Fluff Salad
Ingredients
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple drained
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened preferred
Instructions
- Combine the cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, and shredded coconut in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold in the Cool Whip and mix until evenly blended.
- Add marshmallows and fold in until evenly distributed.
- Cover and store in the fridge for a minimum of one hour to overnight, until ready to serve.
Karen says
I wanted mine to be a little more pink, so I added food color. It tasted just like my mom's from back in the day. This one is a keeper.