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–+ servings
orange fluff salad topped with pecans in a white bowl
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5 from 1 vote

Orange Fluff Salad

Orange Fluff Salad is a light and fluffy dessert with a bright and tangy orange flavor. Sometimes called orange stuff, this delicious Jello salad is loaded with sweet mandarin oranges, pineapple, pecans, and mini marshmallows (no cottage cheese) -- always a crowd favorite.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Chill Time4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 48 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 236kcal
Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

  • 1 3 oz. box orange Jello
  • 1 3.4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 15 oz. can mandarin oranges in water reserve the water
  • ½ cup ice water
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip
  • 1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows or large marshmallows cut into small pieces
  • ½ cup toasted pecans

Instructions

  • Place the orange Jello mix and instant vanilla pudding mix in a medium saucepan.
    Add 1 cup of the juice from the mandarin oranges (add water as necessary to get to one cup).
    Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Remove from the heat. Stir in ½ cup of ice water until the ice has melted.
    Pour the mixture into a large heat-proof bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until it is no longer warm and slightly chilled.
  • Meanwhile, toast the pecans. Warm a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir them around in the pan for 2-5 minutes until they are fragrant and lightly toasted.
    Immediately remove the pecans from the pan to keep them from toasting any further (or burning).
  • Remove the Jello mixture from the refrigerator and give it a quick whisk. Fold in the Cool Whip until completely combined.
    Stir in the drained oranges, drained pineapple, marshmallows, and pecans.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    Serve with additional toasted pecans.

Notes

Store leftover mandarin orange salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Don't dump out the water from the oranges! Use it to cook the Jello and pudding mixture.
Be sure to use instant pudding. Cook and serve pudding will make the texture clumpy and weird.
Try a different flavor of Jello like strawberry or peach!

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0.5mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.5mg