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Creamy and sweet, this Cherry Fluff Recipe is a classic dessert salad. Pineapple and chopped cherries and mixed with vanilla pudding and whipped topping to create the perfect easy no bake dessert perfect for summer or a potluck or holiday party!
What is Cherry Fluff?
Basically, it’s a dessert salad. Popular at potlucks or as a side dish for holidays, Fluff salads are a creamy sweet recipe that starts with pudding mix and has cherries and other fruit and is made extra fluffy with mini marshmallows and whipped topping. It’s a cherry dump salad, like pistachio fluff.
There are so many variations to Cherry Fluff Salad – you can make it with cream cheese, any pudding mix flavor, different fruit, but no matter how you make it, it’s a classic recipe that everyone loves and its perfect for special occasions like Easter, summer potlucks, or Christmas!
5 Simple Ingredients Needed
- Cherry Pie Filling: You can use my homemade cherry pie filling or a 20 ounce can from the store. This gives the cherry fluff salad recipe a light pink color.
- Crushed Pineapple: This adds flavor and sweetness to the fluff, and helps create the creamy pudding.
- Pudding Mix: Be sure to use instant pudding mix, not cooked.
- Cool Whip: Use any kind of whipped topping you like.
- Mini Marshmallows: These add bulk and make the fluff nice and, well, fluffy.
How to make Cherry Fluff Salad
- This recipe couldn’t be any easier: one bowl, just stir and chill.
- The pineapple juice from the canned pineapple moistens the pudding mix.
- Be sure to fold in the cool whip until it’s all mixed.
- Add the marshmallows last (and this is where you could add chopped pecans or walnuts or even almonds, if you want.
- You’ll want to chill the salad for at least an hour to let the pudding set up and allow the flavors to come together, but you can make it up to a day ahead.
Variations
- Skip the cherry pie filling and use a 32 ounce jar of maraschino cherries that have been drained and chopped.
- Use pineapple tidbits instead
- Skip the pineapple and use mandarin oranges
- Use colorful mini marshmallows!
- Make cherry fluff with cream cheese by mixing 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with the pudding mix in step 1.
FAQ
Yes – it’s actually better the longer it sits. Make it up to 24 hours ahead.
I don’t recommend freezing this. It won’t thaw well.
Use cheesecake pudding mix to make cheesecake fluff!
Store this covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Cherry Fluff Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 21 ounce can cherry pie filling or use about 2 cups of homemade
- 1 20 ounce/567g can crushed pineapple
- 1 3.4 ounce/96g box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 8 ounces (226g) Cool Whip
- 2 cups (120g) mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Slightly drain pineapple (open the can and pour off the excess liquid). Place in a large bowl along with the pie filling.
- Add the pudding mix and stir to combine.
- Fold in cool whip until combined.
- Add marshmallows and stir. Chill 1 hour before eating.
- Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
- Add 1 cup (105g) chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds
- Use cheesecake pudding mix
- Use any flavor pie filling
Recipe Nutrition
Cherry Fluff is a perfect no-bake dessert recipe! Pink, sweet and the perfect summer treat.
Hi Dorothy,
Just wanted to know if you can use sugar free pudding mix with this recipe. Thanks.
Yes
Thanks, Dorothy, for your reply.
Great recipe! Easy, quick, tasty and adaptable to your liking. However, I know it says nutrition info not guaranteed but when I calculate the calories, using the exact ingredients listed for 1 serving (yield 4 servings) it would be 597 calories! I realize calories will depend on the brands used but I would think calories per serving listed should be fairly close.
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