This quick and easy Marshmallow Fruit Salad is prepared with a mix of tropical fruit, Cool Whip, and coconut for a refreshing no-bake dessert everyone will enjoy.
Whether you’re searching for a sweet treat for a summer BBQ or something simple to serve after a holiday dinner, this easy marshmallow fruit salad is a great choice!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy - No cooking involved. All you do is stir together all your ingredients and place in refrigerator to cool until time to serve.
- Vintage Recipe - This is a recipe we all grew up eating at Grandma's house for the holidays! Easy and delicious!
- Easy to Customize - Make it your own. Don't like pineapple chunks? Leave them out or substitute with another fruit.
We love easy desserts with fruit in them. A few favorites include this Creamy Grape Salad, No Bake Banana Split Dessert and No Churn Berry Pie Ice Cream.
Are you ready to make this easy Marshmallow Fruit Salad? All you need are some basic ingredients and a few minutes of your time to prepare this classic dessert for your next get-together.
Ingredients
See printable recipe card below for all ingredients, specific measurements, and complete instructions.
- Mixed fruit cocktail
- Mandarin oranges
- Pineapple chunks
- Whipped topping
- Coconut flakes
- Mini marshmallows
How to Make Marshmallow Fruit Salad
You’re going to love how easy it is to prepare this sweet snack. And since there’s no cooking involved, it’s ready in minutes! Just follow these simple instructions for mixing up this refreshing treat.
Before you start mixing all of your fruit salad ingredients together, it’s important to thoroughly drain the juice from the can of the fruit cocktail. Pour into strainer to remove all liquid. Then combine the mixed fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks in a large bowl. Stir to mix all the fruit together.
After mixing your fruit, add the whipped topping, coconut flakes, and marshmallows to the to bowl. Stir to mix all the ingredients together until the fruit is fully coated in the whipped topping.
Place the mixed fruit salad in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour before serving.
Recipe Variations
One of the best things about this easy recipe is how simple it is to customize! There are a variety of ways you can adjust the ingredients to suit your family’s tastes. Try adding these ingredients to create a fruit salad that’s perfect for your next party.
- Add more fruit. One of the easiest ways to customize this fruit salad is to add more fruit. Try mixing in diced apples, sliced bananas, grapes, strawberry slices, pieces of kiwi or diced mango.
- Mix in some nuts. Add a salty flavor to your sweet fruit salad with the help of some nuts. Add finely chopped peanuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds for a salty crunch.
- Add some yogurt. Give your fruit salad some added creaminess with the help of yogurt. Plain or Greek yogurt is a simple way to thicken the sauce and add more flavor to the salad.
- Lighten it up. This recipe is already a light dessert since it’s made with fruit and fat free marshmallows. But if you want to lighten it up even further, try using lite whipped topping instead of the full-fat version.
- Use rainbow marshmallows. Add even more color and fruit flavor to your salad by substituting rainbow marshmallows in place of white marshmallows.
How To Store
Cover the serving bowl and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Recipe FAQs
While this recipe for marshmallow fruit salad is similar to ambrosia salad, there is one key difference. Ambrosia salad is typically made with a mix of sour cream and whipped topping, adding a salty tang to the fruit mixture. Other than the omission of sour cream, this sweet fruit salad is very similar to the classic fruit dessert. Both recipes include a mix of fruit, whipped topping or whipped cream, and marshmallows.
There’s nothing worse than soggy fruit salad! The key to keeping your fruit from getting too watery is to properly drain it before mixing the salad together.
Start by pouring the can of fruit into a colander to remove the liquid from the fruit. Then, let the fruit sit in the colander for 5 to 10 minutes to give excess moisture time to drip off the fruit. Before pouring the drained fruit into your bowl, lightly shake the colander to remove the rest of the moisture from the fruit pieces.
This sweet dessert is best served cold, which means it’s perfect for preparing in advance. This fruit salad can be made up to one day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. Make sure to cover the bowl while storing it in the fridge to keep the whipped topping from separating.
More Easy Desserts!
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Marshmallow Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans mixed fruit cocktail, drained
- 1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 15 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the drained fruit cocktail, oranges, and pineapple chunks. Stir until mixed.
- Next add in the thawed whipped topping, sweetened coconut flakes, and mini marshmallows.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour before serving.