My fruit salad with Cool Whip is light, creamy, and bursting with fruit flavor! I love making it as a fun, sweet side dish for my kids to feel like they’re eating a treat at dinner, and they eat it up every time!

My Easy and Sweet Cool Whip Fruit Salad

Fluff Salad Ingredients

• Can of pineapple tidbits — I like the size of the pineapple in the tidbits form, but the canned pineapple chunks work great too
• Instant vanilla pudding
• Fruit cocktail — I love the one that has the pears, grapes, peaches, and cherries in it
• Jar of mandarin oranges
• Strawberries
• Maraschino cherries — I always use stemless to avoid extra work
• Mini white marshmallows — I’ve also used multi-colored fruit marshmallows to make it a true ambrosia salad
• Cool Whip — any other brand of whipped topping will work too

How to Make Fruit Salad with Cool Whip

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Drain the juice from the pineapple bits into a large mixing bowl and set aside the actual pineapple. Add the instant vanilla pudding to the pineapple juice and mix.

STEP TWO: Add the drained fruit cocktail, pineapple, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and halved cherries into the bowl. Stir until everything is evenly coated.

STEP THREE: Mix in the marshmallows until they are evenly distributed. 

STEP FOUR: Once the fruit, pudding, and marshmallows are combined, fold the Cool Whip into the fruit mixture. Mix until everything is thoroughly coated.

STEP FIVE: Chill the Cool Whip fruit salad in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Tips for the Best Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding

• Choose fresh, ripe strawberries to add that perfect balance of sweet and tang. I love making this recipe when strawberries are in season for the extra sweetness they bring.
• Keep the Cool Whip chilled before mixing. This is my secret for maximum creaminess!
• Gently fold in the Cool Whip to keep the fruit intact. I use a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients softly.
• Chill the dessert salad before serving for at least an hour. This really helps all the flavors meld together!
• Drain the fruit well before adding it to the mix. I’ve found that excess juices outside of the pineapple juice can throw off the consistency of the fruit salad and turn the salad into different colors.

Dessert Salad Variations and Substitutions

• For a dairy-free version, substitute coconut milk Cool Whip. I love how it adds a subtle coconut flavor! And, yes, instant pudding is naturally dairy-free. I was surprised by that for a bit too.
• Fold some cottage cheese that’s been pureed into the fruit salad to add some extra protein and creaminess.
• Use 1 tablespoon of cherry juice and add it to the fruit salad to add a little color. I love to do this to add a little more flavor too since I love cherry juice.
• Add a handful of chopped nuts like walnuts, pistachios, or slivered almonds. My husband loves the added crunchiness. It’s his favorite version!
• Use fresh fruit instead of canned fruit. I love adding in fresh fruits like raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, and even bananas when I have them on hand.

What to serve with Cool Whip fruit salad

My favorite way to serve fluff salad is with some homemade whipped cream on top! It’s creamy, refreshing, and so easy.

If I’m having guests over and want a few more sides, my fruit salad pairs so well with Jello salad or mango mousse. If I really want to impress my friends and family, I’ll whip up air fryer pineapple, strawberry pie, or even strawberry Jello cake!

Fruit Salad with Cool Whip FAQs

Can I use whipped cream instead of Cool Whip?

I don’t recommend using whipped cream for my fruit salad with vanilla pudding recipe. Cool Whip is thicker and stabilized, so it holds its texture. Whipped cream deflates quickly and results in a runny, watery fruit salad, and no one wants that!

Can I make Cool Whip fruit Salad ahead of time? 

Absolutely! I love to prep my fruit salad recipe a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to serve it. Letting it sit helps the flavors blend together, so I actually recommend making it the day before or morning I need it!

How long should I wait before serving this dessert salad?

I always give my dessert salad at least an hour to chill in the refrigerator. The flavors meld so nicely, and it comes out perfectly chilled!

Is fluff salad the same as an ambrosia salad with Cool Whip?

While both fluff salad and ambrosia salad are creamy fruit salads, ambrosia salads feature fruit-flavored mini marshmallows. Because I use plain white mini marshmallows in this recipe for fruit salad with Cool Whip, it’s technically not an ambrosia salad.

My recipe does make a good ambrosia salad recipe when the regular marshmallows are swapped out for the fruit-flavored ones, though!

How long will this fruit salad with vanilla pudding keep in the refrigerator?

I always try to eat my fruit salad with Cool Whip within 3 to 4 days. After that, the marshmallows and fruit start to get mushy and I don’t enjoy it as much.

I think my salad has the best texture and flavor when I serve it within a few hours or the next day after making it.

More Amazing Dessert Recipes

• Jello salad
• Apple turnovers
• Cherry dump cake
• Dirt pudding recipe
• Fruit salad dressing
• Pineapple upside down cake
• No bake cheesecake with cool whip
• Cool whip fruit dip
• Canned peach pie