Tropical Fluff Salad
Get set to indulge in a tropical dream come true! This sweet and creamy Tropical Fluff Salad is a refreshing blend of mandarin oranges, blueberries, kiwis, coconut, and mini marshmallows, making it the perfect easy-to-make dish for potlucks.
A creamy fruit salad is the perfect side dish for cookouts or parties and is filled with your favorite tropical flavors! It shows off beautifully with bright yellow pineapple tidbits and green kiwi slices, all mixed in a bed of whipped cream and surrounded by cloud-like miniature marshmallows.
Since it has a bunch of tropical fruit, this delicious dessert salad tastes best in the summer months, when you can use fresh fruit. After one bite, you’ll agree that this is the best fruit salad and no-bake dessert you can bring to family gatherings!
Why You’ll Love Tropical Fluff Salad
- Easy no-bake recipe
- Works as both a side or a dessert
- Easy to customize with different types of fruit
- Kids love it!
- You can make it ahead of time.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Cool Whip: Grab a tub from the grocery store; it’s much easier than making your own.
- Pineapple chunks: You can use fresh pineapple instead; make sure it’s cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Mandarin oranges: If you use canned fruit, drain it well.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries both work.
- Kiwis: Slice them into bite-sized pieces.
- Mini marshmallows: These add a delightful flavor to the salad.
- Sweetened coconut flakes: If you want to cut down on how sweet the salad tastes, try it with unsweetened coconut flakes.
How to Make Tropical Fluff Salad
- Step One: Add the Cool Whip to a large mixing bowl and fold in the pineapple, mandarin oranges, blueberries, and kiwi.
- Step Two: Mix in the marshmallows and coconut shreds until combined.
- Step Three: Chill the fruit salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Equipment Needed
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- Rubber spatula – This will gently mix the ingredients.
- Large bowl – You need a large enough bowl to hold everything.
- Airtight food storage container – Use this to store the food in the refrigerator if you aren’t serving it right away.
What to Serve with Tropical Fluff Salad
This tropical fluff salad is the perfect thing to serve at parties. Here are some more recipes with similar tropical flavors.
- Pineapple Dip
- Orange Creamsicle Salad
- Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
- Pool Party Jello Shots
- Fruit Cocktail Dessert
Variations and Substitutions
- Use a different type of fruit. For example, fruit cocktail or fresh strawberries will taste delicious.
- Make your own whipped cream. Just beat some heavy whipping cream until it fluffs up with stiff peaks.
- Top with cherries. Many fluff salads are topped with maraschino cherries, giving them an extra burst of color.
- Add chopped candy bars. This will make it taste even sweeter!
Storage Instructions
Since this fluff salad is made with whipped cream, you must keep it in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Can I Freeze?
No, you cannot freeze pineapple fluff salad. For best results, serve it fresh.
Tropical Fluff Salad Tips and Tricks
- Drain as much pineapple juice from the canned pineapple as you are able.
- Serve this salad inside individual cups and top with a mini umbrella; you can call it a pina colada fluff recipe.
- Fold the ingredients into the whipped cream gently. This will prevent the fruit from making the whipped cream different colors.
- If you’re serving it on a hot summer day, keep the fluff salad in a bowl of ice.
- Serve it as soon as possible – the next day is best
What Is Fluff Salad?
Fluff salad is one of my favorite easy recipes for special occasions. It’s made with simple ingredients – mix together fruit, whipped cream, and mini marshmallows. Sweet salads l like this are the perfect addition to the salad and dessert tables!
The name is fluff salad because it’s topped with fluffy whipped topping. It’s an easy side dish with very few ingredients.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes, you can make this up to three days ahead of time. If you store it too long, the whipped cream will start to separate, so eat it as soon as possible.
FAQ
Even though they are covered in creamy dressing and popular dessert recipes, they are not the same. Watergate is a specific type of fluff salad. It is made with pistachio instant pudding mix and chopped walnuts.
My fluff salad could be considered an ambrosia salad, but it’s not nearly as thick as ambrosia. Ambrosia salad has another ingredient to make it even creamier; cream cheese, cottage cheese, or coconut cream. I only used whipped cream to give my salad a fluffy texture.
This recipe makes eight servings.
Dessert Salads
Want more easy dessert salads? Here are some of my favorites:
- Cherry Salad – Filled with cherry pie filling and crunchy notes, this is a treat for your senses.
- Rocky Road Fluff – This fluffy dessert tastes just like the popular ice cream flavor!
- Strawberry Fluff Salad – This is extra creamy thanks to the sour cream and sweetened condensed milk
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad – Served in square bars, this looks and tastes more like a dessert than a salad.
- Snickers Salad – Caramel apples, Snickers bars, and whipped cream combine for a dessert that tastes nothing like a salad.
- Berry Cheesecake Fluff – A delightful dessert salad filled with fresh berries, cream cheese, and Cool Whip.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff – Made with fresh strawberries, this light and delicious treat is the perfect addition to BBQs, potlucks, or any occasion that calls for a fun and easy dessert that will leave everyone wanting more.
- Mango Banana Marshmallow Salad – It is guaranteed to be a hit with its tropical flavors and luscious combination of mango, banana, and marshmallows.
- Lemon Blueberry Salad – Made with the perfect combination of zesty lemon and juicy blueberries, this no-bake and easy dessert is sure to be a delicious hit that will leave everyone wanting more.
Try my Creamy Fruit Salad, Rainbow Fruit Salad, and Banana Pudding Fluff.
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Tropical Fluff Salad
Ingredients
- 1 container Cool Whip 8oz container
- 1 can pineapple chunks 20oz can, drained
- 1 can mandarin oranges 10oz can, drained
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 3 kiwis peeled and diced
- 2 ½ cups mini marshmallows
- 1 ½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Add the Cool Whip to a large mixing bowl and fold in the pineapple, mandarin oranges, blueberries and kiwi.
- Mix in the marshmallows and coconut until combined.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Love this easy & delicious recipe ❣️ Great for summer pot-lucks !