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.
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Kid Friendly
One Skillet
Pressure Cooker
Slow Cooker
9x13 Recipes
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
Freezer Friendly
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.
Do you recommend large or small curd cottage cheese? I made it with large and it seems little to chunky. Does small blend better?
I usually use small curd, but large would work too.
Is the nutritional information for the whole salad or what size serving?
It’s for each serving.
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!
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!
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
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing Shirley!
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese? Or does it change it?
I did and it was fine!
Definitely!
Can i make this with out cottage cheese (yuck=->)
It won’t have the same texture without the cottage cheese.
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.
What a great idea to cut the calories! Thanks Phyllis!
I made this for thanksgiving it was a big hit! No left overs.
Thx for sharing
So glad you enjoyed it Jill!
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.
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
Thanks for the tip Karen!
This is a recipe from the 70s or earlier! Brings back
Memories!
I’m sure it’s been around for a while! Good stuff tends to stick around! 😉
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.
Love it! So glad it was a success for you and your potluck!
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!!
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing Star!
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!
So glad you enjoyed it Missy!
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.
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?
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.
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!
The pineapple would be fantastic in this! Love it!
How big is a serving size?
Does it really take 3oz of the jello powder? I thought it was a lot.
We use the full 3oz package.
I HAVE HAD THIS BEFORE BUT WITH CREAM CHEESE INSTEAD OF COTTAGE CHEESE .I WILL HAVE TO TRY IT. KATHLEEN
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I bet that would be extra creamy and delish with the cream cheese!
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!
Do u have to put the cottage cheese in it
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.
Have you tried this by also using chopped pecans? This salad looks amazing and I love the variations. Thank you for sharing.
Chopped pecans would be great! I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure it would add a nice crunch!
In my family, we use lime Jello and call it “Green Stuff”.–usually for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It’s a staple.
Love it! Green stuff sounds like such a fun name!
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.
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!
for a change use peach jello and peach slices. soooo good, my husband likes this version better than the orange one.
GREAT IDEA!! We love peaches and they’re so great in the summer too!
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?
You can definitely make it without the marshmallows and the sugar free jello mix should work just fine! Enjoy!
Would this work by replacing the cottage cheese (I just can’t) with plain greek yogurt?
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)
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!!!!!!
Love it! I’ll have to toss some pineapple tidbits in there the next time I make it!