This Cranberry Fluff Salad earns a spot on every holiday table. The mix of tart cranberries, crisp apples, and juicy oranges brings the perfect balance to all the rich dishes around it. Fresh cranberries contrast with sweet marshmallows that are then folded into a cream cheese whipped cream. There’s nothing like the taste of fresh cranberries!

A bowl of pink cranberry salad topped with sugared cranberries, surrounded by pinecones and a small container of fresh cranberries on a blue surface.

Why This Cranberry Salad Belongs on Every Holiday Table

This recipe takes its cue from old-fashioned ambrosia but reins in the sweetness. Using fresh cranberries makes all the difference. The fruit mix rests in the fridge for an hour first, letting the sugar pull out the juices and mellow the cranberries’ bite.

Before folding in the cream, draining the fruit is key. Skip that step, and you’ll end up with a soupy mess instead of a light, fluffy salad. The cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream so it holds up overnight, meaning you can make this ahead for stress-free serving.

This is the perfect holiday salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The flavors are wonderful from the cranberries, apples, and oranges, and the cream makes it rich without being dessert-like. Grab some extra cranberries around the holidays and freeze them so you can serve this at any time of the year.

While it may be hard to convince your gang to try something other than homemade cranberry sauce, this recipe might change their minds. Make it even more festive by topping it with some sugared cranberries.

Three glass cups filled with creamy cranberry dessert are placed on a tray with vintage spoons. The dessert is topped with whole cranberries, and more cranberries are visible in a dish in the background.

What Goes Into a Perfect Cranberry Fluff

Here’s what you need to make a Cranberry Fluff Salad. Don’t forget to check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

Various ingredients on a blue surface: mini marshmallows, chopped pecans, flour, fresh cranberries, a can of mandarin oranges, two green apples, heavy whipping cream, and a small bowl of cream cheese.

Fresh cranberries: Make sure to use fresh ones.
Tart apples: Keep the peel on for color and texture. Grab firm, crisp apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady.
Mini marshmallows: For a touch of sweetness and that nostalgic soft texture. They soak up some of the cream and turn perfectly pillowy after chilling..

A close-up of cranberry fluff salad in a black dish, garnished with whole cranberries. A silver spoon is resting in the mixture, and pinecones are visible in the background.

Making This Creamy Cranberry Favorite

Step One: Chop and Mix the Fruit

Tip: You want tiny pieces for the cranberries, not purée.

A food processor bowl containing finely chopped or ground red berries and nuts, set on a gray countertop. — Finely chop the cranberries in a food processor.

A large kitchen knife and a pile of finely chopped green apple pieces are on a black cutting board, set on a light blue surface. — Finely chop the apples with a knife.

A glass bowl filled with a chopped cranberry mixture, including pieces of apple and orange, being mixed with a red spatula on a gray surface. — Add apples, oranges with juice, sugar, and stir gently.

A clear glass bowl containing a chunky mixture of finely chopped red and orange ingredients, likely a fruit or vegetable relish, sits on a gray surface. — Use a fine-mesh colander to drain the fruit thoroughly.

Step Two: Whip the Cream Cheese and Cream

A glass mixing bowl containing thick, creamy batter being stirred with a spatula on a blue countertop. — Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then add the cream and salt. Keep whipping until stiff peaks form.

Step Three: Fold It All Together

Tip: Go slow. You want everything airy, not deflated.

A glass bowl containing a mixture of chopped red fruit, green and yellow bits, and whipped cream, with a spoon partially buried in the mixture on a blue-gray surface. — Gently fold the whipped cream into the drained fruit.

A glass bowl filled with a pink, creamy mixture containing bits of fruit and small white mini marshmallows, with a spoon resting inside. The bowl is placed on a blue surface. — Fold in the pecans and marshmallows.

Step Four: Chill Until Set

Refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight if you can.

Three glass cups filled with creamy cranberry salad topped with whole cranberries are arranged on a cloth napkin. Nearby, there is a white dish of cranberries and three vintage silver spoons.

This apple cranberry salad is one of those recipes that never goes out of style. It’s light but creamy, sweet with just enough tartness to cut through a heavy holiday meal. Whether you serve it next to the turkey or take it to your next potluck, it always disappears first.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

A black bowl filled with creamy pink salad, mixed with marshmallows and fruit, garnished with sugared cranberries on top. A small white container of cranberries sits in the background.

Festive Cranberry Salad with Whipped Cream and Marshmallows

Author: Barbara Curry

This Cranberry Fluff Salad earns a spot on every holiday table. The mix of tart cranberries, crisp apples, and juicy oranges brings the perfect balance to all the rich dishes around it. Fresh cranberries contrast with sweet marshmallows that are then folded into a cream cheese whipped cream. There's nothing like the taste of fresh cranberries!

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PREP: 10

Chill Time: 5

TOTAL: 5 10

Servings:

Ingredients

Instructions

Use a food processor to finely chop the cranberries, they should be in small pieces, but not mush. Add to a large bowl. Add 2 cups of diced, unpeeled apples to the bowl. Add mandarin oranges plus the juice along with the sugar. Gently stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Use a fine mess colander to drain the cranberry mixture.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add heavy cream and salt and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the salad. Gently fold in the nuts and marshmallows.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

Make sure you drain the cranberry mixture so that the salad doesn’t get soupy.
This salad will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
You can use any type of apples but a firm crisp one will work best.

Nutrition

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