Cherry Fluff Recipe (Dessert Salad)

Cherry Fluff is an easy recipe for a classic dessert salad made with cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, Cool Whip, mini marshmallows and vanilla pudding mix. This easy recipe makes a great side dish for family gatherings or any special occasion!

This easy cherry fluff dessert salad recipe has been a family favorite at potluck dinners, holiday dinners and special occasions for ages. You might know this classic recipe as the pink stuff, pink salad, cherry angel salad, cherry dump salad, cherry pie filling salad or cherry fruit salad.

With its pretty pink color, this vintage recipe is the perfect no bake dessert salad for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day a baby shower or bridal shower.

But, you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy this fruity side dish. Cherry fluff makes a delicious no bake dessert recipe anytime during the summer months and is so refreshing on a hot summer’s day!

If you love dessert salads, try my pistachio fluff, strawberry Jello fruit salad, marshmallow fruit salad and check out more dessert recipes on my desserts page.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this cherry fluff salad recipe. They can be found in almost any grocery store or online. You can get the exact amounts in the recipe card below.

• Cherry pie filling — a can of cherry pie filling – any brand will work
• Crushed pineapple — a can of crushed pineapple and the pineapple juice
• Instant Vanilla pudding mix — a small box of Jello pudding or any generic brand
• Cool Whip — Make sure it is thawed, or any whipped topping
• Mini marshmallows.

How to Make Cherry Fluff

First, add the dry vanilla pudding mix to a large bowl. Then, add the whole undrained can of crushed pineapple to the bowl.

Don’t worry that the extra juice will make the salad soggy — the pudding mix will keep it firm.

Mix the pudding mix and pineapple until well combined.

Next, add the can of cherry pie filling to the pudding mixture. Stir the pie filling until well blended.

Finally, gently fold in the whipped topping and mini marshmallows using a large spoon or spatula.

The mixture should be a pretty shade of pink when fully combined.

How to Store

Store the pink fluff in an airtight container or in the mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap in your refrigerator. You can transfer the fluff to a pretty serving bowl when you are ready to eat.

Cherry Cool Whip salad keeps for about 4 days in the fridge before it starts to break down. But, this is a great make-ahead dessert and very easy to transport!

How to Serve

Serve cherry fluff salad with extra mini marshmallows and 1 or 2 maraschino cherries on top. This is such a pretty presentation!

You can also add fresh cherries on the top if you like.

Recipe Variations

Instead of pudding mix, stir in a can of sweetened condensed milk. If you do this, you will need to drain the pineapple so the salad doesn’t get soggy.

For a cherry cheesecake salad, use an 8 oz block of cream cheese at room temperature instead of pudding mix.

You can also use sour cream or cottage cheese instead of condensed milk or pudding mix in this easy dump dessert. Instead of whipped topping, make homemade whipped cream or use homemade cherry pie filling.

If you like nuts, add chopped walnuts or almonds for extra crunch. Stir in a can of drained fruit cocktail in this cherry fruit salad.

I hope you enjoy this easy cherry fluff recipe as much as my family does. This pretty pink salad is the perfect make-ahead recipe and one of the first side dishes to go at holiday dinners and summer BBQs!

If you do try this vintage side salad, please leave a star rating and/or comment.

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