This cool and creamy Orange Fluff Salad Recipe is made with jello, whipped topping, mandarin oranges and a surprise ingredient that you wouldn’t expect!
A few weeks ago I went to a potluck with my family and one of our friends brought this Orange Fluff Salad. Everyone demolished it and my kids couldn’t stop talking about it. I asked my friend for her recipe and she gladly handed it over so I could share it with you all!
Orange Fluff Salad Ingredients:
- Frozen Whipped Topping – make sure it’s thawed out before use.
- Orange Jello Mix – you don’t need to actually make the jello, just using the powder for this recipe!
- Cottage Cheese – yes, you read that right! Get the 4% fat, small or large curd.
- Mandarin Oranges – sometimes we double these and it’s great!
- Mini Marshmallows – totally optional, but I love the added texture it brings to the dessert
How To Make Orange Jello Salad
- You do NOT need to pre-make the jello for this recipe, all we are doing is stirring ingredients together.
- Stir together the thawed whipped topping and orange jello mix until combined.
- Add in the cottage cheese and mandarin oranges and gently fold together.
- If you’re adding in the marshmallows do it now and then chill the dessert until ready to eat!
Jello Salad Variations and Tips:
This super quick Jello Salad dessert can take on so many different flavors! Here are some great variations to try…
- Use raspberry jello mix and fresh raspberries.
- Pineapple jello mix with fresh pineapple bits.
- Try using sugar free jello mix to make it a little less sweet.
Can You Make Orange Fluff Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes! This recipe is great for mixing up a day in advance and chilling in the fridge. The mandarin oranges might give the salad a little extra moisture when it sits, so you’ll just want to stir it up again before serving.
More Fluff Salad Recipes To Make:
Trust me, you’re going to want to print this recipe out. It’s a total keeper!
Just 5 simple ingredients and a dessert that’s ready in 5 minutes! Doesn’t get much easier than this!
Helpful Products To Make This Recipe:
Orange Fluff Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 3 oz package orange gelatin mix, just the powder
- 16 oz of 4% fat cottage cheese, small or large curd will work
- 14 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Combine the thawed whipped topping and orange gelatin powder together in a large bowl and stir until combined.
- Add in the cottage cheese, mandarin oranges and mini marshmallows and gently fold in until mixture is combined.
- You can enjoy right away or chill covered in the fridge until ready to serve. The flavors tend to blend better after it's been chilled for at least 1 hour.
Video
Nutrition
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Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet
Josh Cloutier
Cottage cheese was definitely a bad idea in this. Completely Ruined the dessert.
Donna Donna
My mom used to make this. No cottage cheese but shredded coconut and colored marshmallows. Cut up a jar of mancino cherries.
Delores Hearnsberger
This is a great cold salad.it is served often @ our church meals!
Jessica
It’s Christmas and I realized I forgot the orange Jello. Would and orange kool-aid pack or powder orange drink work? No stores are open.
Amy Silvarman
Made this yesterday the cottage cheese in the recipe is absolutely disgusting!! Barf. Why would you recommend putting cottage cheese in the recipe! Nasty!
Everyone who tried it threw it in the TRASH!
Shawn
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy it. I think it gives great texture and added protein to the dish, but if you’re just not a fan of cottage cheese, this probably wasn’t the best recipe for you to try.
Mr. Filling
The brand of cottage cheese can greatly affect the taste, walmart’s great value small curd cottage cheese is our go to brand. Some brands have a funk that doesn’t work in the dish and I avoid large curd for texture reasons. But you can always leave out the cottage cheese just add more whipped topping.
Maria
It’s a classic recipe. Just say you weren’t a fan– no need for the incredibly rude comment.
My grandma has been making this since the beginning of time. Our extended family of 50+ all love this recipe.
She died several years ago– im so happy you have this recipe available– it’s so simple, but it means so much to all of us.
Hattie Anne
My sister and I have been making this for 40 years. It was one of the first recipes we made on our own. We love it. The cottage cheese takes sone of the sweet out. And provides protein to help feel full after eating a meal and left craving something sweet.
Kam J
Amy Silvarman, you are very rude! It would have been more appropriate to simply say that the cottage cheese was not to your liking. Instead, you attacked in an extremely nasty and unpleasant manner. I don’t know who taught you manners, but you should be ashamed of yourself.
Gail
I absolutely abhore cottage cheese, but love this salad!!!!
Soooo, itsss all in your mindset. Try it, you’ll like it!
Jayme
WOW. This setup like a firm mousse. I love it! It’s a keeper!
Noelle Guest
Mine came out soupy and never set up (like Grandma’s used to!). Since you were successful, any suggestions why mine stayed un-firm? It tasted right…..
Joey Cline
Modified this slightly in the following way
1&1/2 cups Mini marshmallows.
Used half the juice from the mandarins and let the marshmallows swell in the juice.
Add 1/2 cup shredded coconut
Added jello mix and stirred
Let rest 20 minutes to “set up”
Stirred in cottage cheese
Fold in whopped topping
Refrigerate overnight if possible, but at least 1 hours
Enjoy!
Debbie Hogan
I made it. Today. It’s fabulous!
Thank you! ❤️
Sylvia Garmon
OMG…I’m addicted to this salad! I have made the raspberry fluff and lime jello fluff…which i could just sit and eat the whole dang bowl! I use fat free cottage cheese, sugar free jello and zero sugar cool whip! You can’t even tell the difference! The lime fluff I use pineapple tidbits drained really well and chopped pecans!
Colleen
I love this salad, it’s one of my faves. My family cannot stand it, so I am the only one in my house eating it. My mom used to make this all the time and people used to always tell her to bring it to get-togethers.
Winniebear
I have a can of sliced peaches I would like to use up. Any recommendations on the flavor of jello they would go with? Also, can I use pudding type of Jello or doesn’t it have to be jello, jello?
I know the whipped topping and cottage cheese on their own would make a lovely “peaches and cream” type desert but I would like to add a little more structure.
Aimee
They make a peach jello. Maybe substitute that for the orange jello.
MarlaMoo
I don’t think I would use peach jello. We made it once and it didn’t have a good flavor. I would try lemon or orange first. Drain the peaches then set them on a paper towel to get them drier.
Janet
Try peach or apricot jello flavors.
Shawn
Great idea!
Patti bost
Love the dessert orange jellow pudding.
Ashley K Jackson
My grandma taught me how to make this as a child but I needed a refresher and found this recipe. It was actually easier than the old way I made it without the water for the jello) and it was exactly the same taste and texture! I even made a lower sugar version using sugar free jello and sugar free cool whip, and no sugar added fruits. Couldn’t find any lower sugar versions of marshmallows though Anyhoo, it’s a great recipe, easy to double or triple, and turned out perfectly!!!
Linda W Ponder
I used to make this Orange Fluff Salad all the time when our children were young. I made this recipe & realized was missing so I looked back at my recipe and saw it was crushed pineapple. You might want to try it with pineapple too.
Leslie Hogan
Yes that is how my grandmother made it. I had forgot about the pineapple till you mentioned it.
Thank you
Jusiah
Do you recommend large or small curd cottage cheese? I made it with large and it seems little to chunky. Does small blend better?
Shawn
I usually use small curd, but large would work too.
BB
I love this recipe. If you aren’t a fan of the cottage cheese texture just give the cottage cheese a whirl in the food processor first.
Karl Mckinney
Is the nutritional information for the whole salad or what size serving?
Shawn
It’s for each serving.
Jenny Worthington
My family has made this recipe for YEARS! Although we add some pineapple tidbits to it also. And once in a while some shredded coconut. But otherwise it’s the same recipe. I always make a HUGE bowl of it and it’s gone within 2 days!
Jana Crawford
I am seriously considering making this recipe for Easter dinner at church this year. However, I keep feeling like I should add bits of walnuts to this. Has anyone else added walnuts?
Shawn
You could definitely add some chopped walnuts for a bit of a crunch.
Tiffany S Roberts
I got my recipe from my sons grandma about 17 years ago and just now finished making a gargantuan bowl of it for the very first time. I used a little more than 2/3 of a family size package of Jell-O. Added extra cool whip and pineapple tidbits.
Kathy Riley
I love Orange Fluff! My recipe is a little different… no marshmallows, sour cream instead of cottage cheese, and I add pineapple with the mandarine oranges. So good anytime of year!
Shirley Dampier
I changed it up…left out the marshmallows, used cherry jello and pineapple tidbits…if that wasn’t delicious enough I sprinkled a few mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on top. Omg
Shawn
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing Shirley!
Julieann Craft
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese? Or does it change it?
Emily Wilson
I did and it was fine!
Shawn
Definitely!
Laura Toney
Can i make this with out cottage cheese (yuck=->)
Shawn
It won’t have the same texture without the cottage cheese.
Phyllis
My mother used to make this when we were on Weight Watchers many years ago. We made it with no sugar jello, no sugar Cool Whip and I would eat it for lunch.
Shawn
What a great idea to cut the calories! Thanks Phyllis!
Jill
I made this for thanksgiving it was a big hit! No left overs.
Thx for sharing
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Jill!
Carol
I’ve been making this since 1973, when my grandmother showed me how to make it without the marshmallows. It is a favorite at family gatherings.
Karen Sherman
I find if you put the cottage cheese in a strainer and shake as much of the milk out as you can before adding to recipe it tastes so much better
Shawn
Thanks for the tip Karen!
Linda
This is a recipe from the 70s or earlier! Brings back
Memories!
Shawn
I’m sure it’s been around for a while! Good stuff tends to stick around! 😉
Angela
This was sooo good!! Instead of using mandarin oranges, I used a can of fruit cocktail , drained. Delicious!!
C-Berry
DEFINATELY A CLASSIC !!!
And as others mentioned, my mandarins were in an 11oz can so I too compensated the difference with crushed [but still drained] pineapples in mine.
Glad it was in the pantry.
It’s delish either way!
Patty Mason
This is easy to make and very good. I was more familiar with the Watergate Salad (pistachio pudding) but I tried your recipe and I think I like yours better. I took it to a pot luck and some people ate it is a side dish and some ate it as a dessert. There were no left overs.
Shawn
Love it! So glad it was a success for you and your potluck!
Star
I’ve made my orange fluff using orange jello powder and cool whip vanilla pudding powder mandarin orange slices and pineapple and marshmallows. and it is awesome!!
Shawn
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing Star!
Layla
I will try adding vanilla pudding, is that just the small little box of jello & pudding? Ty
Missy
So simple, and we all loved it! Fun to make, and a fast, easy recipe for the Junior Chefs in your life – and may even get the picky ones curious enough to try cottage cheese! We used to make Watergate salad with pineapple and pistachio pudding and some other simple ingredients – this is another easy recipe to add to the collection of quick summer salads or desserts!! Thank you Shawn!
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Missy!
Maribel
Hi Shawn,
I just made this recipe just as indicated and can’t say I cared for the taste. It was NOT sweet enough for me, so I added some (about 1/4 c. or so) of powder sugar. That fixed it a bit, but it also made it real soft w/o any consistency so I poured it into cupcake liners and froze. That in turn came out “decent” at best and will deal with it as it is. Maybe I try it some other way next time.
Shawn
Hey Maribel, I feel like the flavor and sweetness intensifies when it sits for a while. How long did you let it sit before adding extra sugar?
Charity Spalding
How long does it keep in the fridge after its made?
Shawn
It’ll last a couple days, but it will start to separate after about 24 hours. You can just mix it up again before serving after it sits in the fridge.
Cathy Fleming
You should’ve tried sugar instead of powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is too fine a consistency where sugar isn’t. Sometimes you have to play with a recipe trying this or that until you get get it the way you want it.
Ginger Cooper
I make one we call Orange stuff, but use pineapple instead of oranges and no marshmallows. I will have to try the oranges next time I make it! Sounds good!
Shawn
The pineapple would be fantastic in this! Love it!
Whitney
How big is a serving size?
Teresa Cotton
Does it really take 3oz of the jello powder? I thought it was a lot.
Shawn
We use the full 3oz package.
Kathleen Thomas
I HAVE HAD THIS BEFORE BUT WITH CREAM CHEESE INSTEAD OF COTTAGE CHEESE .I WILL HAVE TO TRY IT. KATHLEEN
#
Shawn
I bet that would be extra creamy and delish with the cream cheese!
Dawn
It is amazing either way. The cream cheese version was a staple at even family gathering on my.moms side of the family, courtesy of my Gram. When my gram passed earlier this year, we celebrated with none other than orange jello salad. I make the cottage cheese version. I always use sugar free jello and my favorite was is to leave out the fruit and marshmallows, make it with lemon jello and then top with fresh berries. So good that way. In fact I am making some tomorrow!
Cynthia
Do u have to put the cottage cheese in it
Shawn
The consistency of the fluff salad would change without it. If you’re not going to use the cottage cheese, you’ll want to double up on the whipped topping at least.
Angela Hartmann
Have you tried this by also using chopped pecans? This salad looks amazing and I love the variations. Thank you for sharing.
Shawn
Chopped pecans would be great! I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure it would add a nice crunch!
MARYANN BROWNBACK
In my family, we use lime Jello and call it “Green Stuff”.–usually for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It’s a staple.
Shawn
Love it! Green stuff sounds like such a fun name!
Terra
I am going to make using sugar free jello. How much do I use. The package comes in 0.6oz.
Shawn
Use the whole .6oz package.
Cindy G.
My grandma and mother made this salad all the time. I don’t like plain cottage cheese but I love this salad. I eat it for breakfast some days. Never thought of using Raspberries and Raspberry Jello. Will try that this weekend! Oh, and we use pineapple instead of the marshmellows.
Shawn
That’s awesome that your grandmother made this salad all the time! You’ll have to let me know how you like the raspberry version!
carol heckman
for a change use peach jello and peach slices. soooo good, my husband likes this version better than the orange one.
Shawn
GREAT IDEA!! We love peaches and they’re so great in the summer too!
Emily Wilson
Can you make this without mini marshmallows? Is there anything needed to sweeten it if so or is it sweet enough? Also, the sugar free jello mix is only .3 oz. Is that sufficient for a substitute?
Shawn
You can definitely make it without the marshmallows and the sugar free jello mix should work just fine! Enjoy!
Lynda
Would this work by replacing the cottage cheese (I just can’t) with plain greek yogurt?
Shawn
You could substitute the cottage cheese with plain greek yogurt, but trust me… the cottage cheese in this recipe is what makes it! It doesn’t taste like cottage cheese, it gives it that “frog eye salad” texture. (frog eye salad is a sweet pudding dessert made with small round pasta for texture)
Jo Ann Hansen
I’ve made a similar salad…everything that is in it except marshmallows and instead, add 1 can of drained pineapple tidbits….sometimes I cut them up….This is a fabulous summer salad or anytime you want it….mine never lasts longer than two days!!!! Got the recipe from my Grandmother Riley in Alabama many, many years ago!!!!!!
Shawn
Love it! I’ll have to toss some pineapple tidbits in there the next time I make it!
Laura Krecmer
I use to make this recipe every Sunday at a resturant I worked at, and instead of marshmallows, we used vanilla pudding mix powder, orange jello powder, mandarin oranges, and cottage cheese. It was devoured as soon as we put it out!