What pink salad dessert is
Pink salad dessert, often called pink fluff or fluff salad, is a chilled, creamy mix of fruit, whipped topping, and strawberry gelatin powder. Nothing in it is a leafy green, so calling it a salad is a bit of a joke, but the name is a long-running tradition in American potluck cooking. It is as likely to appear on a buffet next to the main dishes as on the dessert table.
Unlike set, sliceable gelatin dishes such as the jello and whipped cream layered dessert, pink salad is soft and spoonable. The gelatin powder is typically mixed in dry, not dissolved, so it flavors and colors the mixture and helps it thicken as it rests.
Ingredients
One popular fluff salad version uses just a handful of items:
- A can of fruit cocktail
- A can of crushed pineapple
- Small curd cottage cheese, sometimes pineapple or cherry flavored
- Frozen whipped topping, thawed
- A small box of strawberry gelatin powder
- Optional: mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts
Drain the canned fruit well. Excess juice makes the salad runny.
How to make it
- Drain the fruit cocktail and pineapple thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, stir the gelatin powder into the whipped topping until the color is even.
- Fold in the fruit, cottage cheese, and any marshmallows or nuts.
- Chill at least about an hour so the mixture can thicken. Making it the night before also works well.
Serve from a bowl on small plates or in cups.
Variations
- Raspberry, cherry, or pineapple gelatin in place of strawberry
- Sugar-free gelatin and light whipped topping for a lighter version
- Fresh berries or grapes stirred in just before serving
- Coconut flakes or pecans for texture
If you prefer the pink color but want a crust and distinct layers, see the strawberry jello dessert with graham cracker crust.
Make ahead and serving
Pink salad is a make-ahead dish, much like our easy no-bake peach dessert. Keep it covered and refrigerated, and stir gently before serving. Mini marshmallows soften as they sit, and fresh fruit releases liquid over time, so for the best texture add fresh fruit and nuts close to serving.
Common questions
What is the Jennifer Aniston salad? That name usually refers to a savory grain salad that was widely shared online, which is unrelated to pink fluff. If you are looking for a sweet dessert, you want the fluff-style recipe here.
Can you give a recipe for fruit salad with ice cream? A simple approach is to serve fruit salad in a bowl and spoon a scoop of vanilla ice cream over it, or to fold a little softened ice cream into chopped fruit just before serving. Because ice cream melts quickly, assemble it right at the table.
What pink desserts are there? Besides pink fluff, popular choices include strawberry cream cheese layers, strawberry gelatin pies, and strawberry-flavored whipped desserts. See our strawberry layered dessert with cream cheese page for one that slices neatly.
Should you put sugar in fruit salad? It is a matter of taste. Ripe fruit is often sweet enough on its own, and canned fruit in syrup adds sweetness. Fluff salads already contain sweetened components, so extra sugar is usually unnecessary.