Cranberry Fluff Salad

Name: Cranberry Fluff Salad
Prep time: 33 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 41 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (100 g) raw pecan halves; 12 oz (340 g) fresh cranberries, rinsed, picked over to remove soft or shriveled berries (frozen berries should be fully thawed); ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; ⅛ tsp (¾ g) fine salt; 20 oz can (567 g) crushed pineapple in juice, drained in a sieve and pressed until very dry (about 1 cup / 225 g drained fruit); 1½ cups (360 ml) cold heavy whipping cream, straight from the refrigerator; 2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 3 cups (150 g) mini marshmallows

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic holiday fluff salad with tart fresh cranberries softened in sugar, folded into vanilla whipped cream with crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and toasted pecans. It's no-cook, make-ahead, and sweet-tart in every bite.

Prep: 33 min
Cook: 8 min
Wait: 6 hr
Total: 6 hr 41 min
Makes: About 9 cups (12 servings of ¾ cup)

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Ingredients

12 servings

1 cup (100 g) raw pecan halves
12 oz (340 g) fresh cranberries, rinsed, picked over to remove soft or shriveled berries (frozen berries should be fully thawed)
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
⅛ tsp (0.8 g) fine salt
20 oz can (567 g) crushed pineapple in juice, drained in a sieve and pressed until very dry (about 1 cup / 225 g drained fruit)
1½ cups (360 ml) cold heavy whipping cream, straight from the refrigerator
2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
3 cups (150 g) mini marshmallows

Equipment (9)

Food processor
Rimmed baking sheet
Large bowl (for the cranberries, 3-quart / 3 L or bigger)
Large chilled mixing bowl (4-quart / 4 L) for whipping cream
Hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
Fine-mesh sieve
Rubber spatula
Serving bowl (3-quart / 3 L)
Plastic wrap

Steps

Before you start

Plan for at least 6 hours: 4 hours for the cranberries to soften in sugar, then 2 hours for the finished salad to chill. Overnight for both stages works well.
Use fresh or fully thawed frozen cranberries, not dried ones or canned sauce.
Put the mixing bowl and whisk (or beaters) in the freezer for 15 minutes before whipping the cream. Cold cream whips faster and holds its shape better.
Open the pineapple and start draining it in a fine-mesh sieve before you assemble. Excess juice makes the salad runny.

1
Toast the pecansOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spread the pecan halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, stirring once halfway.
- Slide the pecans onto a plate to stop the cooking and let them cool while you work.
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Ready when: Pecans smell nutty and are a shade darker; they crisp as they cool.
Tip: Pecans go from toasted to bitter fast, so set a timer and don't walk away.
2
Chop the cranberries
- Put the cranberries in a food processor, filling it no more than halfway (work in 2 batches if needed).
- Pulse 8 to 10 times, scraping down the bowl once, until the berries are chopped into pieces about the size of small peas.
- Tip into a large bowl.
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Ready when: Pieces are small and fairly even, with no whole berries and no puree.
Tip: Don't hold the pulse button down, or the cranberries turn to a watery mush.
3
Sweeten the cranberries
- Add the granulated sugar and salt to the chopped cranberries.
- Stir for 30 seconds until every piece is coated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
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Ready when: No dry sugar is visible and the mixture looks glossy.
4
Chill to soften
- Refrigerate the sugared cranberries for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours, stirring once if you think of it.
- The sugar will dissolve into a ruby syrup and take the sharp edge off the berries.
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Ready when: The sugar has fully dissolved and a pool of syrup sits at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Taste a piece after 4 hours. If it's still very sharp, give it a few more hours.
5
Drain fruit, chop nuts
- Pour the cranberries into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and press gently with a spatula to drain the syrup.
- Discard the syrup, or save it to stir into sparkling water.
- Press the pineapple in the sieve the same way until no more juice drips.
- Roughly chop the cooled pecans, and set aside ¼ cup (25 g) for garnish.
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Ready when: The fruit looks moist but not wet, and only a drip or two falls from the sieve when pressed.
Tip: Well-drained fruit is the key to a fluffy, not soupy, salad.
6
Whip the cream
- In a chilled large bowl, combine the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the cream holds stiff peaks that stand upright when the beaters are lifted.
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Ready when: Stiff peaks that hold their shape; the cream looks thick and smooth, not grainy.
Tip: Stop as soon as peaks are stiff. Overwhipped cream turns grainy and starts to become butter.
7
Fold it together
- Add the drained cranberries, drained pineapple, mini marshmallows, and the chopped pecans (except the ¼ cup reserved) to the whipped cream.
- Fold gently with a rubber spatula, scraping from the bottom and turning the bowl, for about 1 minute.
- Transfer to a serving bowl.
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Ready when: The mixture is evenly pink with no white streaks of cream.
Tip: Fold, don't stir, to keep the cream airy.
8
Chill until set
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- The marshmallows soften into the cream and the flavors blend.
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Ready when: The salad is cold, scoopable, and the marshmallows are tender instead of chewy.
9
Garnish and serve
- Give the salad a gentle stir, as a little syrup may have collected.
- Sprinkle the reserved pecans over the top and serve cold in ¾-cup (about 180 ml) portions.
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Tip: Add the garnish just before serving so the pecans stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Drain both the cranberries and the pineapple thoroughly. This is the biggest factor in whether the salad stays fluffy.
Pulse the cranberries by hand in short bursts. Over-processing releases extra liquid and makes the salad watery.
For a cleaner pink color and more tang, add 1 tsp finely grated orange zest when you sugar the cranberries.
Mini marshmallows soften best in the fridge. Use large marshmallows only if you cut them into small pieces with greased scissors.

Make ahead

"Chop and sugar the cranberries up to 24 hours ahead (step 4). You can assemble the whole salad up to 24 hours ahead; keep the reserved pecans separate and add them just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days; the texture is best on day 1 and gets softer afterward. Not recommended at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Freezing isn't recommended, because the whipped cream will weep when thawed. Serve straight from the refrigerator; no reheating."

Substitutions

raw pecan halves → Walnuts. Toast the same way. Walnuts are slightly more bitter, so the salad will taste a little less sweet.
cold heavy whipping cream → Thawed frozen whipped topping (3 cups / about 190 g). Skip the whipping and powdered sugar; fold in the vanilla. The salad will be a bit sweeter and more stable.
granulated sugar → Honey (½ cup / 170 g). Adds floral flavor, and the salad will be a little looser, so drain the cranberries very well.
mini marshmallows → Marshmallow creme (1 cup / 200 g). Fold into the whipped cream first, then add the fruit. The salad will be smoother and less chewy.