Christmas Cranberry Salad

This is one of my favorite Christmas churck/"fluffy" salads--actually one of the first cold salads I made for my first family gathering with my husband's family. Having made this for many years, really only one cup of sugar is needed--two cups makes it way too sweet. For those who have issues making their own whipped cream (aka ME), you can substitute a tub of Cool Whip in it's place. This is also good with a large drained can of mandarin oranges, too.

I made modifications due to my dislike for marshmallows... In the place of marshmallows I added one jar of maraschino cherries and more nuts than the recipe called for. I also added a tablespoon of good Mexican vanilla. One more thing, this serves many more than 7! I would estimate that it yields 12-16 servings. It was the best. I can't imagine freezing it though. It was fabulous chilled and creamy!

Delicious! We made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a big hit with the adults. The kids were afraid to try it because it looked "crunchy" (pineapples), but we'll certainly make this recipe again.

I thought this was delicious! I did take some of the suggestions in previous reviews to "tweak" this recipe just a tad. I cut the sugar down to 1 1/2cups, I added a tsp of vanilla to the whipping cream, and only used half of the marshmallows. I also put the cranberries and pineapple in a sieve and left it to sit for a while to get any excess juice out. I ended up with a great salad that was not at all "runny". I have already recommended this recipe to several people!

I really liked this concoction...a great way to use fresh cranberries! However, a few comments: There seems to be a large proportion of marshmall ows, which skews the consistency for me. Will use fewer marshmallows and perhaps more nuts? Some diced apple? Or maybe pineapple tidbits instead of crushed? Also, maybe I'm an idiot, but I was kind of shocked by the huge amount that this recipe made. lol. The flavor is spot-on. :-) UPDATE: This was SO GOOD after it sat for a day....can't stop eating it!! Also fantastic frozen. Changing rating from a 4 to a 5!

This was a fantastic way to serve cranberries! I have made this recipe several times and although it makes a fairly large amount, I never have any leftovers. That speaks volumes in my family where the table is heavily laden with food when we all gather.

I made this salad on Thanksgiving...It was a nice change from the apple cranberry pie I usually made that only I would eat! All of my sons and thier families loved it! Babies too! It was fresh,cool,creamy. Very easy to make! No one knew that it was the cranberries that made it that pretty pink color and unique taste!

This recipe would have been better if it was a little sweeter. Most everyone in my family didn't take second helpings. I didn't care for the texture of the nuts in it. Cool whip would have probably done the trick rather than whipped cream. I will modify it this way next time.

Everyone loved this at Christmas Dinner. It looked very pretty next to the rest of the salads. I added the full amount of all ingredients, except marshmallows--I probably only put a cup, and it was just enough. I didn't have any problems with it being runny like some did. I didn't just drain the crushed pineapple, I squeezed a lot of the juice out. Also, you have to beat the whipping cream long enough for it to be very stiff. I think if yours gets runny, it's because you're not beating the cream long enough. If you're using Cool Whip instead, make sure to cut back on the sugar or it will be way too sweet since whipped topping is already sweetened. And to cast my vote on the Frozen verses Chilled versions-- I prefer Chilled.

Amazing! I've never done anything with fresh cranberries before but this was totally easy and worth it! I dumped the cranberries in my HealthMaster and whipping cream in my stand mixer and perfection! Thank you for this recipe!

My Mother in Law has always made this and now it is at our holiday table every year. A few tried and true suggestions. I wash and freeze the cranberries, then chop them in the food processor. Let the sugar, marshmallows and cranberries sit overnight in the fridge to bring out the flavor, and the marshmallows dissolve a bit. Add more sugar if needed. In place of pineapple, we use one or two Granny Smith apples chopped into small pieces, adds a nice crunch and texture.The cranberries keep them from turning brown and they stay crisp. Enjoy!!

This was sooooo good. It was a hit for as long as it lasted. Very good frozen too. I didn't think it needed very much whipped cream, but thats just me. TWO THUMBS UP!

This is the same recipe that was passed down through our family from my grandmother! We make it for every holiday/special occasion meal, and though we sometimes double or even triple the recipe, the leftovers never seem to last more than two days. The way we make this is to marinate the pineapple with the cranberry, and then let the marshmellows have plenty of time to absorb the juices. Only mix in the whipped cream at the very last minute - sometimes it can seperate and the salad can get a little watery.

This recipe has very good flavor and makes a large amount. I would recommend using heavy whipping cream. I used regular whipping cream and it separated and got a little watery at the bottom.

My mom always made this, as do I. It's tradition on Thanksgiving. Cool whip makes it much easier, and we don't use as much sugar. All a personal preference.

We make this every year for Thanksgiving...definitely a family favorite. We have one variation, we add peeled, diced green apples in the first step.

Amazing! And much better chilled rather than frozen.

This salad is delightful. The crunch of the berries and pineapple is fantastic. My mother-in-law makes this for all our family gatherings and there are rarely any leftovers.

I made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out fantastic! I didn't make any changes and I made the whipped cream using a simple recipe also found on this site!)Thanks so much for the recipe Carrie. This dish will be a new holiday tradition!

too sweet for us. I added cream cheese to tone it down. Also cut back on sugar to 1 1/2c and marshmallows to only 8oz.

Absolutely loved it! I didn't put all the marshmallows in, but next time I would! I've frozen some and it's an amazing treat to pull out when you want something sweet. So good!

This was very good and I tried it the first time this Thanksgiving, everyone loved it the only thing I did different, I added 2 cubed red apples and frozen whipped cream.

I've been making this recipe for years. Originally got it from an aunt who has always had a real "way" with great food and entertaining. It's a light, creamy take on cranberry (always a favorite anyway). Make it exactly "as written" -- you WON'T be disappointed! Enjoy!

I've made this twice since Thanksgiving! First batch I thought it was too watery with juice so on the second batch I drained the sugar syrup after soaking the mixture over night and it came out perfect! I saved the syrup to use as a ice cream topping and used in my cranberry cookies. It was delish. Thank you for posting! :o)

A similar version has been in my family for 50 years! We omit the marshmallows and add 1 cup finely chopped pecans. We always serve it frozen and it's always a hit.

I had to tweak this based on the ingredients I had on hand. I used 1 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries and chopped them finely in my food processor. Added 1 1/2 cups of sugar and stirred well. Fully drained and squeezed the juice out of a large can of crushed pineapple, 20 ounce, and stirred this into the mix along with a large can of well strained and chopped Mandarin oranges and a 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows. All of this was wrapped tightly and refrigerated overnight. The following day before serving I whipped a 12 ounce container of heavy cream with a dash of vanilla and folded this into the mixture along with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Quite fabulous!

Thank you for this recipe. Seven years ago, a sweet lady gave this same recipe to me to try for Thanksgiving. My family loved it, and we decided to make it a holiday tradition. A couple of years later during a move, I lost the recipe and the lady that gave it to me had passed away. When I found this, I thought it was probably the same so we tried it yesterday for Thanksgiving. It was perfect,just the way we remembered! Thanks again for helping to restore our holiday tradition.

I used fresh whipping cream. We loved it. Thanks!

Wonderful! I make without the marshmellows and reduce the amount of whipped cream.

This was a hit today at Thanksgiving! A very SWEET dish and very good. I left out the nuts, but next time I think I'll add them. I couldn't figure out how to make "ground cranberries" so I just chopped them really fine with one of those hand chopper things from Pampered Chef and it was fine. I used real cream and I don't think Cool Whip would give it justice. VERY Good.

I usually don't like this kind of stuff, but I needed to try something new this year. My boyfriend and I absolutely LOVED it! In fact, I'm craving some more right now. I think it's the fresh cream that gives it such a rich flavor. I used a can of cranberry sauce - all I had. But it was still fantastic. Can't wait to try it with real ones. Thank you!

This salad is great! I recently served it at a brunch, and everyone wanted to take some home, and since it makes a huge amount, I was able to oblige them.

This was wonderful. I made this salad for Thanksgiving and my family went nuts! I doubled the recipe to serve 13 people and had WAY too much (the doubled recipe filled two 9x13 pans), but we enjoyed the leftovers :-). I froze the salad, then took it out of the freezer about an hour before serving. This is definitely a keeper!

I too do not see what all the rave is about with this recipe. I made it for Christmas and was very disappointed. There was barely a dent in it after 15 guests served themselves. I followed the recipe for 7 servings and it made enough for an army. I served it chilled instead of frozen and found it to separate and get runny quickly. The flavor was quite dull and overall I found the dish to be somewhat tacky. I definitely will not make this again.

I made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was very well received! Thank you for passing it along.

This has been popular with every guest I've ever served it to--frozen. We use half the marshmallows and toasted walnuts instead of pecans. One person said she served it chilled--that is why she didn't like it; it starts to run. Cool whip doesn't have the correct consistency and would be way too sweet. Make sure you whip the cream in a clean glass bowl until STIFF. Do not let it melt after this.

This is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas and everyone always LOVES it and asks for the recipe. I prefer chopped walnuts in this salad and I also like to add a teaspoon of vanilla to the whipped cream. It is SO much better frozen than chilled.

Big hit at our Thanksgiving party.

Easy and great tasting. Made this for a Christmas dinner and even those that didn't like cranberries liked this salad.

Wonderful alternative to traditional cranberry sauce! I made this for Thanksgiving dinner, and sent home the recipe with a couple of guests. The marshmallows were a little much, so I might reduce the amount next time. Also, it looked runny at first, but got nice and thick after an hour in the fridge.

Loved this! I preferred the chilled version to the frozen. Also I omitted the nuts. Per the other reviews, I cut the marshmallows to 1 cup and the next time I will double that. I liked the marshmallow taste and would have liked more than the 1 cup. Mandarin oranges would be great in this too. Go to the trouble of using whipped cream instead of cool whip, makes it much better!

I found that this made a lot more than 7 servings

Love this one!

Excellent and tangy. Make sure you use plenty of sugar and always use pecans. Very easy and travels well in an ice chest.

On the sweet side, but very good. Made for Christmas and had lots leftover, which we continued to have as a side and for dessert. It lasted a good 10 days in the fridge.

This is DELICIOUS! It is the perfect alternative to the "cranberry" salad standby. Yummy!

I've been making this for years. The only thing I do differently is to mix the marshmallows with cool whip in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day you combine the cranberries with the pineapple then fold that into the marshmallow/cool whip mixture. Excellent!!!

I have a similar recipe which calls for a chopped Granny Smith apple instead of the pineapple and used real whipped cream rather than whipped topping. It's always a hit.

This is great. My mom actually told me that it is almost identical to one my late grandmother used to make every Christmas. I plan on being the one to revive the tradition!

It tastes great but the marshmellows were overwhelming. I would cut the marshmellows in half if I made it again. It had a wonderful dessert flavor, though!

This was very good- and I don't usually like cranberrys. It seemed a little soupy to me- but I put it in the frezer for an hour and it was fine. Taste was great- although it doesn't look that apealing.

This 5 star recipe has been included in our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for the last few years. It elevates our meal to another level. I follow the recipe to a tee except for the amount of marshmallows, I use less. It makes a large batch but there are never any leftovers.

My picky husband loves it and so do I. I used 2/3 of the whipped cream which was enough to use for hot chocolate.

Everybody loved it even my Mother in law! :)

This is the second year I made this for Christmas. Everyone raves about it! I omit the pecans though since many people, especially children, don’t care for nuts. Otherwise...just like the recipe states. Making it again for tomorrow’s New Years Day gathering with the family. Great recipe!

Serve it fresh and cold or serve it frozen at at your preferred level of defrosting, this stuff is fantastic no matter how you you get it to a plate! Just get it to a plate now!

I loved it and so did my family. Delicious!

Made it exact, except added mandarin oranges, 1 1/2 cans, drained. Used chopped pecans also. Was absolutely delicious. Drained the pineapple and also drained some of the juice which was from the syrup that developed overnight from the chopped cranberry and sugar. Maybe I'll use 1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar next time, as it was a tad sweet but everyone else loved it. Very refreshing, festive, and yummy.

Everyone loved it. They thought they knew what it was the popular cool whip "fluff salad" but were pleasantly surprised when they tried. Made my own whipping cream and was also pleasantly surprised how long it held up in the fridge to serve with leftovers. Drained and squeezed the heck out of the pineapple to make sure all the liquid was gone. I only used about 1 1/2 cups of marshmallows and put them in the mix the night before. They were the perfect consistency then. I will make this again. Thanks!

I don't see what all the rave is about. And neither did my family (adults and kids!). I followed the recipe exactly and was disappointed by the results. Will definitely not make this again.

I've made this so many times, I'm reviewing it again. It makes a ton! I cut the sugar to 1cup and use unsweetened whipping cream(whip until stiff peaks) if you use cool whip it would be way too sweet. I prefer it without the marshmallows.

This is a must have dish for Thanksgiving & Christmas!!

Very pleased with this recipe. I halved it making it just right for a small group. Also used cool whip to make it super easy (in place of whipped cream). Toasting the walnuts was a great suggestion by some other folks. Definitely will make this again.

What a great, light salad! Served this with a curry chicken salad and it was enjoyed by all! Thank you!

This is a staple for Thanksgiving & Christmas with my mother's family. We call it "Aunt Tot's" salad and never use the marshmallows.

I skipped the nuts, otherwise followed exactly the same. Best Cranberry Marshmallow Salad I've ever had. Delicious!