A major classic, cottage cheese jello salad is light, fluffy, and creamy! Made with cottage cheese, fresh fruit, and strawberry jello, it comes together quickly and easily. This dish is such a fun dessert idea!
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Whenever I’m invited to a party or gathering, I immediately start coming up with ideas of what I should bring.
Most of the time, I choose dessert — there’s nothing quite like a sweet treat to finish off the main event.
And while I love to switch things up and come up with a unique recipe, sometimes I just gotta go with a classic!
Think cheesecake, lemon meringue pie, and chocolate cake. This recipe for strawberry cottage cheese jello salad is another classic dish that you can add to your dessert lineup!
I’ve already shared a recipe for lime jello salad with cottage cheese. This one is similar, but it doesn’t include any added vegetables or nuts.
My strawberry cottage cheese jello salad is also prepped and served in a large bowl and doesn’t require a bundt pan.
Simply assemble the ingredients, chill, and enjoy! You can even skip the chilling step if you’re in a real rush.
Sometimes called strawberry fluff, it’s the perfect dessert option for a BBQ or cookout! It’s also a fun dessert or snack for kids.
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- The easy-to-find ingredients to make cottage cheese jello salad — you only need 5, and most of them you likely already have on hand!
- Step-by-step instructions on how to make this yummy and fresh dessert at home.
- Answers to some frequently asked questions that may come up as you go along.
If you’re looking for a fresh and flavorful dessert option, try my strawberry cottage cheese jello salad! It takes under 10 minutes to prepare, and there is no baking necessary!
How to make Cottage Cheese Jello Salad
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: If you don’t like the texture of cottage cheese, you can place it in a food processor and pulse it until it becomes smooth and creamy. Feel free to skip this step if you like chunky cottage cheese.
STEP TWO: Place the strawberry jello and cottage cheese in a large bowl and stir to mix. Then, incorporate the crushed pineapple and stir again to combine.
STEP THREE: Add the Cool Whip and fold it into the cottage cheese mixture. Be careful here — you don’t want to deflate it. Stir gently!
STEP FOUR: If desired (and you have time!) allow your cottage cheese jello salad to chill in the fridge. This will let the flavors really meld together. But, if you don’t have time for this step, it’s not a huge deal.
STEP FIVE: Garnish your dish with fresh sliced strawberries and enjoy!
What is Strawberry Fluff Made Of?
As I mentioned above, strawberry cottage cheese jello salad is also sometimes called strawberry fluff! The two dishes are exactly the same.
Some folks call it strawberry fluff because it looks a lot like the marshmallow spread that you all know and love.
Ingredients include cottage cheese, strawberry jello, pineapple, and Cool Whip.
Why Does My Cottage Cheese Jello Get Watery?
Make sure to mix the jello and cottage cheese thoroughly! You may notice that cottage cheese features quite a bit of excess moisture.
If you don’t combine it well enough with the jello, you’ll end up with watery results.
Why is Jello Salad Called Salad?
At this point, you’ve likely gathered that my cottage cheese jello salad recipe isn’t technically a salad.
This dish got its name thanks to the way it looks: small pieces of fruit come together to form what looks similar to a vegetable or fruit salad.
I also find that this dish looks somewhat similar to a dip like my orange fluff salad.
If you want it in more Jello form, try my cranberry jello salad.
How Long Does Cottage Cheese Jello Salad Last?
This dish is best enjoyed within 24 hours of making it. That said, I recommend that you store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Cottage cheese Jello salad lasts for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. Any longer and it will begin to separate and become too watery.
Other Fruity Dessert Recipes You’ll Love:
- Strawberry Banana Cake
- Orange Dreamsicle Salad
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cool Whip Fruit Salad
- Yogurt Fruit Dip
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Cottage Cheese Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box 3 ounces strawberry jello
- 1 container 16 ounces cottage cheese
- 1 can 15 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
- 8 ounces cool whip thawed
- Sliced strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- (Optional) If you aren’t a fan of the texture of cottage cheese, place it in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute), and then continue with the recipe. If you like chunky cottage cheese, skip this step.
- In a large bowl, stir together the strawberry jello and cottage cheese. Next, add the crushed pineapple and stir to combine.
- Add the cool whip and gently fold it into the cottage cheese mixture– you don’t want to deflate the cool whip too much, so make sure to stir gently.
- If you have time, allowing the jello salad to rest in the fridge before serving will help the flavors meld, but if you’re in a rush, serve it as is.
- Garnish with sliced strawberries, and enjoy.
Have you made this with ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese?
Hi Joy,
I am sure you could use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese but it will change the texture of the recipe as ricotta isn’t as lump as cottage cheese