Cool, creamy, and delicious enough for special occasions, this Frozen Fruit Salad is a simple combination of fun flavors. One bite will bring you back to those nostalgic childhood summer months.
If you’re looking for more refreshing and cool vintage recipes to serve at your next potluck or summer bbq, give this Watergate Salad or Pineapple Delight a try.
If you have never had Frozen Fruit Salad then you’re in for a real treat.
What is Frozen Fruit Salad
Old fashioned frozen fruit salad is one of those dessert recipes great grandma used to make. It’s packed with a fruit cocktail featuring maraschino cherries, mandarin oranges, green fruit cake cherries, and pineapple.
This frozen fruit salad recipe makes plenty to share; plus it’s incredibly easy with quick prep time. You can even serve it as a side dish. Now it’s up to you on how retro you want to go with this recipe by serving it up on a lettuce leaf.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: Set the cream cheese out on the counter to bring to room temperature several hours before you want to make this recipe. It will make easier to mix.
- Cool Whip: If the Cool Whip is in the freezer, place it in the refrigerator the day before as you’ll need thawed whipped topping for this fruit salad recipe.
- Miracle Whip: Any type of mayo would work; however, I found Miracle Whip to taste the best adding a slight zing.
- Marshmallows: Adds a chewy sweetness to the frozen fruit salad. Be sure to use the mini ones.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar works best.
- Fruit: Canned pineapple tidbits (all the juice drained), maraschino cherries, green fruit cake cherries (chopped), and mandarin oranges (drained).
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Place the softened cream cheese and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend them together.
Step Two – Once smooth, mix in the Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise if that’s what you’re using.)
Step Three – Add the cool whip, mixing until well combined.
Step Four– Mix in the fruit until well combined.
Step Five – Fold in the marshmallows to the fruit mixture using a spoon instead of the mixer.
Step Six – Pour the fruit salad into a bread pan or jello mold and freeze for at least 4 hours but you can freeze overnight. To serve, remove the frozen fruit salad from the mold, slice it, and serve with toppings of your choice.
Variations
We love this recipe, but what makes this recipe extra special is you can use anything you have on hand. Swap out and swap in any of the following in this great recipe.
- Frozen berries.
- Crushed pineapple instead of pineapple tidbits, but make sure to drain all the juice.
- Canned fruit cocktail, drained.
- Shredded coconut.
- Diced (and drained) canned peaches or pears.
- Diced apples give this a great crunch.
- Slice fresh strawberries and bananas.
Recipe FAQs
I have tried this with different mayonnaise brands and I highly recommend using Miracle Whip for this recipe, though regular mayonnaise like Duke’s or Best Foods (Hellman’s) can be used.
Add nuts, crushed pineapple, extra whipped topping, and coconut if you like.
Muffin tin! I will make great individual portions of this old fashioned fruit salad.
I like to line my pan with parchment paper for easier un-molding. Use a hot dish rag and wipe down all the sides a few times, then run a knife around the edge. Place a plate over the mold, then flip it upside down.
Place any remaining salad into a freezer safe, airtight container and store it in the freezer.
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Frozen Fruit Salad
Equipment needed:
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand/Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz. container cool whip thawed
- 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits drained
- 15 oz. can mandarin oranges drained and halved
- 1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup red maraschino cherries divided (reserve 3 to 4 whole cherries and quarter the remaining)
- ½ cup green maraschino cherries quartered
Instructions:
- Beat the softened cream cheese and white sugar in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer until smooth.
- Once combined, mix in the Miracle Whip.
- Fold in the pineapple, oranges, marshmallows and cherries.
- Pour the fruit salad into a bread pan or jello mold.
- Place in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours.
- Remove and unmold. Top with maraschino cherries.
Recipe Notes:
● This recipe is very versatile and you can use strawberries and bananas if you wish instead of pineapple and oranges. Add nuts if you like.
● I like to line my pan with parchment paper for easier unmolding.
● To unmold this, use a hot dish rag and wipe down all the sides a few times, then run a knife around the edge. Place a plate over the mold, then flip upside down.
Nutrition:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Marjan says
Where and when do you put the miracle whip in? I didn’t see it mentioned in the directions
Retro Potluck says
Ah thanks you. It was in the 2nd step in the text of the post but accidentally omitted in the recipe card.