Easy Orange Jello Salad Recipe | Mandarin Orange Fluff Dessert
Creamy, citrusy orange Jello fluff with mandarins, pineapple, and whipped topping that sets light and spoonable. A quick, no-bake crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for make-ahead desserts.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Orange Jello (3 oz box)
- Boiling water (1 cup)
- Cold water (1/2 cup)
- Ice cubes (about 1 cup)
- Mandarin oranges (2 cans, 11 oz each), well-drained
- Crushed pineapple (1 can, 8 oz), well-drained
- Instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)
- Cottage cheese (1 cup), small curd
- Whipped topping (8 oz), thawed
- Mini marshmallows (1 to 1 1/2 cups, optional)
- Orange zest (1 teaspoon, optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Add orange Jello to a large mixing bowl, pour in boiling water, and whisk until fully dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in cold water, then add ice cubes and stir until the mixture cools and slightly thickens; remove any remaining ice.
- Whisk in instant vanilla pudding mix until smooth, then let sit 5–10 minutes until soft and spoonable.
- Drain mandarins and crushed pineapple very well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Stir in cottage cheese until evenly distributed.
- Gently fold in the whipped topping with a spatula to keep the mixture airy.
- Fold in mandarins, pineapple, and mini marshmallows if using, then sprinkle in orange zest and fold once more.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fluffy and scoopable.
- Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with extra mandarin segments or zest, keeping cold until serving.
Notes
Drain canned fruit thoroughly and pat dry to prevent a watery salad. Let the Jello-pudding base cool and slightly thicken before folding in whipped topping. Do not freeze. Chill up to 24 hours ahead; stir gently before serving. Avoid fresh pineapple or kiwi, which can prevent gelatin from setting. Variations: swap in strawberry Jello with strawberries, add toasted coconut, or fold in nuts for crunch.