Cranberry Fluff

The traditional cranberry salad gets a festive upgrade! Cranberry fluff starts with a rich mixture of whipped cream, cream cheese, and mini marshmallows. Sweet mandarin oranges and tart cranberries make this side dish pop. Fun and indulgent!

It’s time to inject some life into the cranberries this Thanksgiving! Cranberry fluff is a fun addition to your holiday table. Each fluffy pink bite is filled with lively flavor and vibrant color.
1

Cranberry Fluff in a serving bowl garnished with fresh orange slices and cranberries.
The traditional cranberry salad gets a festive upgrade! Cranberry fluff starts with a rich mixture of whipped cream, cream cheese, and mini marshmallows. Sweet mandarin oranges and tart cranberries make this side dish pop. Fun and indulgent! 

It’s time to inject some life into the cranberries this Thanksgiving! Cranberry fluff is a fun addition to your holiday table. Each fluffy pink bite is filled with lively flavor and vibrant color.

Cranberry Fluff in a serving bowl garnished with fresh orange slices and cranberries.

Why KJ Loves

Cranberry Fluff

Cranberry Fluff

How can you not love Cranberry Fluff?! I mean, it’s just so fun to make and eat. Trust me, this fluff is more than what it looks like! You’re going to want to bring a leftover container just for this… if there is any leftover!
Cranberry jelly and mandarin oranges in a bowl.

What is cranberry fluff?

Cranberry fluff is a creamy, fluffy version of the classic cranberry jello salad…but with no jello required! 

This is an elevated version of the nostalgic cranberry salad recipe. There’s no vanilla pudding, no jello, and no canned pineapple. 

The real whipped cream makes the dish rich and creamy, while the cranberry jelly gives the dish tartness and color. 

But if you want to go with Cool Whip, we won’t judge. This recipe will still be delicious.

All of the ingredients for the cranberry fluff in separate bowls.

Cranberry Fluff Ingredients

Cream Cheese

Full-fat cream cheese is a must for this recipe. Don’t forget to lay it out on the counter to bring it to room temperature!

Cranberry jelly

Use the standard log of jellied cranberry sauce. You can even use whole cranberry jelly sauce if you want extra bits of cranberry in the fluff. You’ll find this in the canned section of your grocery store. 

Mandarin oranges

Grab an extra 15 oz can if you want to snack on some while you make this dish! 

Heavy whipping cream

The rich and creamy base of the fluff

Mini marshmallows

Super fun and super fluffy!

Sugar

It is the holidays, after all.

The cranberry jelly and mandarin oranges being folded into the fluff.

How To Make Cranberry Fluff

1
Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until fluffy.
2
Make the fresh whipped cream with the heavy whipping cream.
3
Fold the whipped cream cheese into the whipped cream until evenly combined. 
4
Add the fruit into the whipped cream mixture and fold in until combined. Then fold in the mini marshmallows. 
5
Transfer the cranberry fluff salad to a serving bowl and garnish with orange slices and fresh cranberries. 

Serve right away, or refrigerate for up to 2 days in advance. Serve cold, and enjoy!

Prep Ahead

Cranberry fluff is easy to make, and there’s no cooking required—which makes this the perfect recipe to make ahead and take to a holiday gathering or potluck. 

If you are making this cranberry fluff recipe in advance, pour it into your serving dish and refrigerate it. The cranberry fluff will set in the serving dish. That way, you can just grab and go! 

The mini marshmallows ready to be folded into the cranberry fluff.

Recipe Video:

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Cranberry Fluff in a serving bowl garnished with fresh orange slices and cranberries.

Cranberry Fluff


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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5 from 1 review

  • Author: KJ & Company - Kate Poskochil
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings 1x

Description

The traditional cranberry salad gets a festive upgrade! Cranberry fluff starts with a rich mixture of whipped cream, cream cheese, and mini marshmallows. Sweet mandarin oranges and tart cranberries make this side dish pop. Fun and indulgent! 

It’s time to inject some life into the cranberries this Thanksgiving! Cranberry fluff is a fun addition to your holiday table. Each fluffy pink bite is filled with lively flavor and vibrant color.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 14 oz jellied cranberry sauce
  • 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream 
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows 

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Set aside. 
  2. In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream. Whip on medium speed with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Fold the whipped cream cheese into the whipped cream until evenly combined. 
  3. Combine the cranberry sauce and mandarin oranges together in a small bowl. Add the fruit into the whipped cream mixture and fold in until combined. Fold in the mini marshmallows. 
  4. Transfer the Cranberry Fluff to a serving bowl and garnish with orange slices and fresh cranberries as desired. Serve right away, or refrigerate covered for up to 2 days in advance and serve cold. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Jellied cranberry sauce or whole cranberry jelly sauce can be used for this recipe.
  • Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: No-bake

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 418
  • Sugar: 21.9g
  • Sodium: 118mg
  • Fat: 32g
  • Carbohydrates: 29.6g
  • Fiber: 2.2g
  • Protein: 3.8g
  • Cholesterol: 113mg

Keywords: Cranberry Fluff

A close-up photo of the cranberry fluff.

Did you make this recipe?

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If you made this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using  #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures! Thanks for following and cooking along with me.

Affiliate Links

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4 Comments

  1. Gayle Martz

    Can the marshmallows be left out?

    Reply
    • KJ

      Yes they can if desired!

      Reply
  2. Lisa Cleveland (Chris's mom)

    Just prepared for Thanksgiving – yum!
    I did drain the mandarin oranges prior to mixing altogether.
    Thank you, Kate!

    Reply
    • KJ

      Yes good call on draining the oranges! Sorry I forgot to note it 🙂 will get it updated! Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply

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