Learn to make this delicious and homemade version of a summertime favorite salad! This simple and natural Orange Fluff Salad is complete with real whipped cream, orange juice, and real gelatin.
I absolutely love summertime! Warm weather, get togethers with family and friends, and refreshing foods!
One food that I love at get togethers is any marshmallow fluff salad! Creamy and delicious, it’s the perfect balance of cool and sweet during the summer.
Some of the ingredients are not my favorite though. OR the most natural or healthy.
Instant Jello with food dyes and cool whip make me very reluctant to serve always make this at home.
This homemade version I came up with has real orange juice for flavor and color, real whipped cream and real beef gelatin!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Why you will love it
Real ingredients – This version includes all REAL ingredients including whipped cream, gelatin and juice for flavor.
Simple – Making this homemade Orange Fluff Salad is very simple! It takes very little time to throw this together for an event.
Delicious – This salad is refreshing and so good!
Easy varied – Enjoy other flavors of fluff salads? Make this with other fruit juices and fruit for different variations of this fluff salad like strawberry, pineapple or raspberry!
Why are jello dishes called salad?
It does seem odd to refer to something that has whipped cream, gelatin and marshmallows in it a salad. I always thought it might’ve been a Midwest thing.
Apparently it started because of the varied elements that was to gelatin (nuts, fruit, etc) which gave it a salad appearance.
Even though they aren’t technically healthy like actual salads, it is fun to say you’re having a salad while you are eating something that is really dessert!
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes, you can!
Make this homemade Orange Fluff Salad ahead of time, and simply store it covered in the refrigerator until the event that you are bringing it to.
Can you freeze Orange Fluff Salad
Yes, you can!
Place the Orange Fluff Salad in a container with a lid, and store in the freezer for up to three months. The consistency may change slightly after being frozen, but the flavor should stay the same.
What to serve with Orange Fluff Salad
Any summertime food are things I enjoy with an Orange Fluff Salad.
BBQ sandwiches, hotdogs, brats, sub sandwiches are a few of my favorite!
And don’t forget about the sides – pickles and chips complete the meal with an Orange Fluff Salad.
Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Gelatin (I like to use real beef gelatin, but gelatin packages from the store will work too)
- Orange concentrate or orange juice
- Cottage Cheese
- Mini Marshmallows (or you can make your own marshmallows using this recipe)
- Mandarin Oranges
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Whisk or Hand mixer (or I like to use my Kitchen Aid mixer for help with the whipped cream part)
- Dry & Liquid Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
How to make homemade Orange Fluff Salad
Whipped cream: In a mixing bowl, put in the whipped cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until it makes soft peaks.
Be careful not to whip too much, otherwise you will make it into butter!
In a small bowl, put the 3 teaspoons of cool water in a bowl, and sprinkle on the 1 teaspoon of gelatin. Let it sit to dissolve for a minute, and then microwave for 10 seconds to heat the water. This will make sure the gelatin will fully set.
While the mixer is on low speed, add the gelatin mixture slowly to the whipped cream. Once all added, increase the speed to medium for 10 seconds before turning it off.
The gelatin added to the whipped cream will ensure it doesn’t end up watery in your fluff salad later on. Set aside the whipped cream for a moment.
Orange base: In a separate bowl, put the orange concentrate or orange juice and sprinkle on the 2 Tablespoons of gelatin. Let it sit to dissolve for a minute, and then microwave for 10 – 15 seconds to warm the liquid to set the gelatin.
To the orange concentrate or orange juice, add the cottage cheese, mini marshmallows, can of mandarin oranges and whipped cream.
Gently stir or fold everything together.
Serve right away or refrigerate until serving.
Tips for making homemade fluff salad
Gently Stir – Don’t stir too hard for this recipe. Instead, gently fold in so the whipped cream doesn’t deflate.
Gelatin – I recommend real beef gelatin, but you can use the non-flavored gelatin you can purchase from the store.
Color – If looking for more color, I like to use the orange concentrate instead of orange juice. Since this fluff salad is naturally colored though, it won’t appear the same as conventionally made orange fluff salad with instant jello.
Variations
Pineapple – Orange and pineapple go beautifully together for flavor! Add a can of crushed pineapple for more flavor.
Add nuts – If you like some crunch, consider adding nuts to your Orange Fluff Salad.
Different flavors – To make your fluff salad with other fruits instead of just orange, simply add other juices and other fruit to the salad. For a homemade strawberry fluff salad, add pureed strawberries for the juice and sliced strawberries for the fruit.
Tried it?
Did you try this recipe and enjoy it? Did you make your own version? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
Homemade Orange Fluff Salad
This simple and natural Orange Fluff Salad is complete with real whipped cream, orange juice, and real gelatin. It is sure to be a summertime favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. + 2 T. gelatin
- 3 tsp. cold water
- 1/3 c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. thawed orange concentrate or orange juice
- 14 oz can mandarin oranges
- 16 oz. cottage cheese
- 1 c. mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Place heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl, and whip until whipped cream has soft peaks.
- In a small bowl, add the cold water and sprinkle on 1 tsp. gelatin. Let the gelatin sit on the water for 30 seconds - 1 minutes. Then, microwave to fully set gelatin for 15 seconds.
- While mixing the whipped cream, slowly add the gelatin mixture into the whipped cream. The gelatin in the whipped cream will prevent it from getting watery in the final salad.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add in the 3 T. gelatin to the orange concentrate or orange juice and stir in.
- Add in the cottage cheese, mandarin oranges. marshmallows and the whipped cream. Mix until everything is fully incorporated.
- Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving, and enjoy!
Notes
1. Stir gently - Try folding the whipped cream in, rather than stirring it in so as not to deflate it.
2. Color - Orange concentrate will have a better color and stronger orange flavor than just orange juice.
3. Add-ins can include pineapple or nuts.
4. To omit the cottage cheese, simply whip up one more cup of whipped cream and add that instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 298mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gProtein: 13g
Leave a Reply