This classic mandarin orange fluff salad is made with juicy mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, orange jello, instant vanilla pudding, and Cool Whip but no cottage cheese. The result is a delicious jello salad that is the perfect dessert for any meal or potluck. Grandma's vintage recipe!
PinYou know those days when you want to have a little something sweet, but you don't want to serve dessert? I have the perfect dish for those times.
I don't know anyone who can eat just one dish of this fruity dessert.
Why this is the best orange pineapple fluff salad
It's a simple recipe. This recipe uses only 5 ingredients, and you probably already have them all in your pantry.
It's easy. Orange jello fluff couldn't be easier. Boil the water, mix in the jello and pudding, add in the tapioca and boil that, then mix the pudding/tapioca mixture with the fruit and refrigerate. This is probably the easiest dessert you could throw together!
PinIt tastes amazing! The combination of the sweet mandarin oranges, the tangy pineapple, and the creamy pudding mixture are out of this world good.
Kids love it! Orange fluff jello 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.
The ingredients are always fresh. This recipe is great for summer picnics and potlucks, but it's also wonderful for Easter or Christmas dinner. Because you're using canned fruit, it's always in season!
It's allergy-friendly. This recipe as written is gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free. If you choose a non-dairy pudding mix, it could also be dairy-free. As always, be sure to check the label of your specific product to ensure that it fits with your dietary needs.
PinAre there any other names for this recipe?
Because this is a vintage recipe from more than 50 years ago, it has more names that you can probably imagine! I've heard it called all of the below:
- Mandarin Orange Salad
- Orange Jello Salad
- Orange Delight Salad
- Orange Dream Salad
- Orange Creamsicle Salad
- Orange Creamsicle Fluff
- Orange Whip Salad
- Creamy Orange Salad
- Fluffy Orange Salad
And I'm sure there are more, but trust me, they are all more or less the same. Some may have cottage cheese in them (mine does not), and some may have mini marshmallows (mine doesn't, but feel free to throw some in), but these recipes are all more or less the same.
What you'll need to make the best orange fluff salad recipe
EQUIPMENT
- Small saucepan - You will be boiling water and then later, the tapioca/pudding mixture, so you'll need a small saucepan to do that.
- Whisk - This is to mix the jello and pudding mixes into the boiling water.
- Rubber spatula - This is to mix the fruit with the pudding mixture, and also to fold in the Cool Whip.
INGREDIENTS
PinSee the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.
- Water
- Orange jello - Any brand of orange gelatin mix will be fine.
- Instant vanilla or French vanilla pudding mix - I have only used vanilla or French vanilla (depending on what is available at the store), but cheesecake or white chocolate would probably also work well. I haven't tried either one so I can't speak for the finished product if you use one of these. It must be an instant pudding mix and not a heat and serve pudding mix.
- Heat and serve tapioca - Make sure it's the heat and serve style.
- Crushed pineapple - If you don't completely drain the pineapple, your fluff will have the consistency of a milkshake. Ask me how I know.
- Mandarin oranges - Same as the pineapple.
- Cool Whip - Make sure this is completely thawed. Any brand of whipped topping will be fine. I usually buy the Lite version.
How to make mandarin orange fluff salad
- Boil 3 cups of water in a small saucepan.
Pin - When it comes to a rolling boil, whisk in the orange jello mix. Make sure it is completely dissolved before moving on.
Pin - Next, add the pudding powder and whisk that in. Make sure it is completely dissolved before moving on.Pin
- Add the tapioca pearls and stir them in. Pin
- Return to boiling and boil for one full minute.Pin
- Remove from the heat and cool. If the mixture is at all warm, it will melt the Cool Whip when you fold that in. So make sure it has cooled to room temperature before continuing.Pin
- In a large bowl, combine the pineapple and oranges. (Drain them first! If you forget to, your fluff will be more like a thick milkshake. It still tastes great, but its consistency is all wrong.)Pin
- Pour in the cooled Jello/pudding mixture.Pin
- Mix well.Pin
- Fold in the whipped cream.Pin
- Chill for an hour or until set.Pin
- Serve chilled.Pin
Tips for the best Mandarin Orange Fluff Salad
Make sure that your Jello/pudding mixture is the right temperature before attempting to fold in the Cool Whip. If the pudding mixture is warm, the Cool Whip will melt, and you will end up with a milkshake instead of a fluff salad. On the other hand, if you put the pudding in the fridge to chill, it will set up and you will have chunks of jello mixed with fruit and whipped topping. Not the end of the world, but not the consistency you're going for. It should be room temperature. Not warm and not cold.
Make sure that your Cool Whip is thawed. You can't mix frozen whipped topping into pudding. It won't work.
Use a spatula to gently fold the Cool Whip into the jello mixture. If you are too vigorous with your mixing, you'll deflate the Cool Whip and end up with the wrong consistency in the end.
Go crazy with the toppings if you want to. See below for suggestions to change up the recipe by adding extra things when you mix in the fruit, but you can do the same with toppings. Shredded coconut, chopped peanuts or pecans, chopped maraschino cherries, a dollop of whipped cream, a pinch of crushed pineapple, a mandarin orange slice... the options for topping orange fluff salad are limitless.
Can I make orange fluff salad lighter?
You sure can if you shop carefully!
Choose mandarin oranges in light syrup (or in juice, if you can find them), pineapple in its own juice, sugar-free jello, sugar-free, fat-free pudding mix, and light or fat-free whipped cream for the lightest possible dish.
Be aware that the artificial sweeteners found in the sugar-free version of the ingredients will alter the flavor of the fluff.
PinVariations
My favorite variation of this mandarin orange salad recipe is to add a few handfuls of mini marshmallows with the fruit. They are a delicious addition and give the fluff salad a slightly different texture.
You can add sliced strawberries or halved maraschino cherries with the other fruit.
You can mix in some sweetened coconut shreds with the fruit.
You can replace the orange jello with pineapple jello, if you can find it.
You can make this raspberry fluff salad by using raspberry jello and fresh raspberries in place of the orange jell-o mix and mandarin oranges. Keep the pineapple.
PinCan you use homemade whipped cream to make Orange Fluff Salad?
No, you cannot. The homemade stuff will not hold up to the pudding and jello mixture. You also cannot use whipped cream from a can. You need a commercially prepared non-dairy whipped topping such as Cool Whip or a store brand of the same to get the right consistency in orange fluff salad.
Can I use fresh fruit in my orange fluff salad?
I suppose you could, but I don't recommend it. As I said in the variations section above, you can add some fresh strawberries or raspberries if you want to, but the canned mandarin oranges and canned pineapple flavors are best in this recipe. It will taste weird if you use fresh oranges and fresh pineapple.
Can orange fluff salad be made ahead?
You can make it up to one day before serving, but I wouldn't prepare it ahead of that. The flavors taste best when they're fresh.
When fluff salad sits for more than a day or two, it tends to separate with the liquids pooling at the bottom of the bowl and the fluff sitting at the top. It's possible to incorporate them back together, but I think the salad loses something when it's more than a couple days old.
Storing leftover orange Jello salad
You need to keep this fruit salad refrigerated. It can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
You can't freeze mandarin orange salad. It will separate and become unpleasant.
Try these other delicious fruit desserts:
- Fluffy Cranberry Pineapple Fruit Salad - I love to serve this at Thanksgiving dinner.
- Pistachio Pudding Salad (Also Known as Watergate Salad)
- Red, White, & Blue Fruit Salad
- Red, White, and Blue Fruit Tart
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
- Nana's Best Classic Apple Cake Recipe
Recipe
Mandarin Orange Fluff Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 small box orange jello
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding or French vanilla
- 1 small box heat and serve tapioca
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple drained
- 15 ounces mandarin oranges drained
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
Instructions
- Boil 3 cups of water in a small saucepan.
- When it comes to a rolling boil, whisk in the jello, pudding, and tapioca mixes. Make sure each box is completely dissolved before adding the next.
- Boil for one full minute, then remove from the heat and cool.
- In a 3-quart mixing bowl, combine the pineapple and oranges. (Drain them first! If you forget to, your fluff will be more like a thick milkshake. It still tastes great, but its consistency is all wrong.)
- Pour in the Jello mixture and mix well.
- Fold in the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for an hour or until set.
[email protected] says
oh yummy yummy! This looks sooo goood!!!! Thanks for this post! I think I will try this recipe out! I love tapioca!
Mary McLaughlin Prather says
This is something I definitely wouldn't have thought of making, but it looks really good! Thanks for linking up at my blog today!
Miz Helen says
Hi,
We just love Tapioca Pudding and your recipe will be a big hit here. I will be making this for "Honey Bunny" real soon. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!
Bob Hadd says
I haven't tried this yet because I'm wondering if Kraft cheesecake would be a good idea to use instead of whipped cream. Any ideas out there?