This recipe was my mother-in-law’s, and it’s always a staple at our Thanksgiving table. Since she left us to go to heaven earlier in the year, I am dedicating this post to her – a loving mother, an amazing cook, gardener extraordinaire and prayer warrior for Jesus. Ann called it Cranberry Salad. In the south, anything with fruit is called a salad, even if it has marshmallows in it. We renamed it Cranberry Fluff. This is one of John’s favorites that she made, and he usually makes it himself. This was my first time making it, and it was super easy.
Start with 1 pound of fresh cranberries, washed and drained.
Put them in a food processor.
Whirl it up. It may take two batches depending on the size of your food processor.
Pour it in a bowl.
Add 1 can 15 1/4 oz can of crushed pineapple and 3/4 – 1 cup of sugar.
Stir it together.
Pour 1 pint of whipping cream in a mixer.
Whip until fluffy.
Stir in 1/2 pound of mini marshmallows.
Refrigerate both bowls separately for 2 hours.
Combine the two bowls.
If you want to add 1 cup of walnuts, do it at this point. John doesn’t like nuts in it, so we don’t.
Put it in a serving bowl.
- 1 lb. fresh cranberries, washed and drained
- 1 15¼ oz can crushed pineapple, drained
- ¾ - 1 cup of sugar
- 1 pint whipping cream, whipped
- ½ lb mini marshmallows
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
- Whirl cranberries in a food processor.
- Mix crushed cranberries, pineapple and sugar.
- Stir whipped cream and marshmallows gently.
- Refrigerate both mixtures separately for 2 hours.
- Combine both mixtures.
- Add nuts and serve.
Have fun planning your Thanksgiving meal!
looks awesome–will try Thanksgiving
Can u use frozen cranberries ?
Sorry this is late getting back to you. I think you could use frozen. If you try, let me know how it turns out with frozen cranberries.
I use thhis recipe every Thanksgiving and I do use frozen cranberries. I chop/slice, add sugar and pineapple and refrigerate overnight then add the whip cream, marshmellows and nuts. ..DELISH!!!
Great to know! I have had people ask if you could use frozen. Thanks for sharing the tip!
Can you use cranberry sauce instead of cranberries?
If it’s the canned jellied kind, I don’t think it would work. It would be too moist, and you would probably end up with soup. If you have sauce made from fresh cranberries that isn’t too wet, it might work. You could try draining some of the liquid off. Let me know if you try it, and it works. I would love to share the results.
Can this be made a day ahead of time?
Yes, my mother-in-law always made it ahead to cut back on her day of preparations.
If making the day ahead, do u mix two mixtures together or wait till served
You do mix it all together and refrigerate again.
can you use cool whip instead of whipping cream
I’ve never tried it, but real cream has a milder taste and texture. Let me know if you try it with Cool Whip!
Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy this. Found this recipe on Pinterest and have already made it twice, and we are way past Thanksgiving.
This is a winner in my house. Thank you Ann for such a yummy treat!
So glad you enjoyed it!
im a little confused when it comes to how much pine Apple? 1 15 1/4 oz can is there a can this size? Or is the 1 meaning 1 can of 15 1/4 oz?
It’s one can that is 15 1/4 oz.
What a wonderful Testamony to your sweet mom. Maybe she met my wonderful mom in Heaven as well. Looks great and will try.
We’ve made this every Thanksgiving since I was a little girl… my grandma called it Cranberry Velvet. A can of whole cranberry sauce works great! It’s a tradition and a favorite in our family!
Good to know about the canned cranberries!
is there a way to pull the ‘hides’ of the cranberries before this process or does it not seem to bother anyone? I believe i am adding mandarin oranges to ours this year when we try this
Oranges sound great with it! The texture never bothered my picky hubby as a kid. It gives some texture to an otherwise light and fluffy dish.
If you don’t have a food processor could you use a blender?
I honestly don’t know. It might juice the berries though. Let me know if you try.
Could you make this and divide and freeze one half for later meal as in Christmas?
I don’t think the whipped cream would freeze well. It wouldn’t have the light and airy consistency.
How long will this keep in the fridge for?
A few days. My mother-in-law always made it a day in advance. We usually make it the night before.
I made this last year and again for our T’giving potluck at work this week. It’s SO easy and SO good!! Lasts for several days, too!