Marshmallow Fruit Salad with Cool Whip

Can you make Cool Whip Fruit Salad ahead of time?

Yes, I’d recommend making it no more than 4-6 hours ahead of time. That is because you want the fresh fruit to stay as fresh as possible.

What fruit should you use in a fruit salad recipe with cool whip?

Fruit salads are so versatile – you can really use whatever fruits you enjoy the most.

In this fruit salad, we’ve used mandarin oranges, pineapple, bananas, and apples. You could add kiwi as well to make it feel more tropical.

Other fruits that are great for fruit salad are strawberries, grapes, raspberries, and blueberries.

How can I keep my fruit from browning?

One of the hard parts with using apples and bananas in a fruit salad is that they start to brown quickly. In order to avoid this, we suggest adding the mandarin oranges and pineapples first, and then chop up the bananas and apples right before adding the rest of the ingredients.

If you need to pre-chop them, you can add a little bit of orange or lemon juice to help with browning or purchase something like Ball Fruit Fresh Produce Protector for optimal freshness.

Cool Whip Fruit Salad Ingredients

• Mandarin Oranges: Canned mandarin oranges will let us get a nice citrus flavor without all of the work of peeling oranges! Plus, they’re a little sweeter than the fresh variety.
• Pineapple: A can of pineapple tidbits (drained) will give us a little more citrus acidity to help cut back on the sweetness while helping to keep some of the other fruits from browning as quickly (nifty trick, right?)
• Bananas: Sliced bananas are going to be incredible in this fruit salad because they add a nice soft and sweet texture we love to eat!
• Apples: Adding a firmer crunch than the rest of the fruit, these chopped apples can be any variety so use granny smith, pink lady, red delicious or whatever you think would pair well! Sweet or sour, you can’t go wrong!
• Shredded Coconut: Bringing us another texture, sweetness and helping to match with some of the tropical flavors in the fruit salad, coconut is an awesome ingredient!
• Cool Whip: The star of the show is one container of cool whip. Using it helps to bring all of the flavors together in a cohesive and creamy salad that tastes great!

How to Make Fruit Salad with Cool Whip

1. Combine the mandarin oranges and pineapple together in a bowl.
2. Add in bananas and apples, and coconut, and stir together.
3. Fold in shredded coconut.
4. Chill for a few hours before serving.
   

Marshmallow Fruit Salad Variations

The thing about Fruit Salad is you really can’t go wrong!

Here are a few other ways you can make this salad.

• You can add fresh whipped cream instead of Cool Whip
• You can add mini marshmallows
• You can put in fruit cocktail or any other canned fruit that you like
• You can leave out any fruit that you don’t like
• Walnuts would be a delicious addition to this salad that would give a great added crunch

How do you keep fruit salad from getting soggy?

The best way to keep fruit salad from getting soggy is to make it close to the time you plan to serve it. As fruit sits, it releases more and more water and it will just naturally get softer.

How can I make Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream stay fresh longer?

While you can’t really prolong how long fruit salad stays fresh for you can do a few things to help it last a day or so after making.

You can add a little bit of lime or lemon juice into your salad to help it last until the next day.

If you add bananas to your fruit salad you can count on them going brown and getting mushy- but the lemon or lime juice should help a little.

Can you freeze marshmallow fruit salad with whipped cream?

While you can freeze this fruit salad, know that the texture of the cream changes and that the look of the salad will be different upon thawing.

Can I use all fresh fruit?

Absolutely! If you would like to use fresh fruit, just purchase a pineapple and dice into bite size pieces, and then you can also buy some clementine or mandarin oranges from the store. These can be easier to prepare when using canned, which is why we chose them for this recipe.

Can you replace the Cool Whip?

Cool Whip is the best “whipped topping” to use in this recipe. However, if you can’t find Cool Whip where you live or you prefer not to use it in recipes, you can use stabilized whipped cream instead. If you just use regular whipped cream, the consistency will be too light and the cream will not hold up very well. It’s very simple to make your own stabilized whipped cream and it just takes a few minutes!

See Homemade Whipped Cream recipes here.

HOW DO YOU MAKE STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM?

To make stabilized whipped cream, you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 ounces of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Beat the whipping cream just until soft peaks form.
2. Add in the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip on high until mixture is smooth.
3. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to 3 days.

A little tip for making whipped cream faster: use a metal bowl and place the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you make the whipped cream. This will significantly decrease the amount of time that you will need to beat the whipped cream – the process will go much faster!

More favorite recipes to try:

• Pork Roast Slow Cooker
• How to make Homemade Chicken Strips
• Crispy Fried Chicken Recipe without Buttermilk
• Christmas Chex Mix White Chocolate
• Jello Dishes
• Maple Frosting for Donuts