Whenever I see a fluffy fruit salad like Cherry Fluff, it takes me straight back to my childhood. Walking into my grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter, I remember the smells of turkey or ham and the cornbread dressing, and it always makes me think of the mini marshmallows and whipped cream in the fruit salad.Â
updated 11/13/2024

When I was a tween, my mom had me help her make all the recipes for Thanksgiving. I’d get to whip the whipping cream for Heavenly Hash. This Cherry Fluff is also a favorite and very similar. And, it’s pink — my favorite color!
Table of Contents
Ingredients to make Cherry Fluff
- 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 20 oz can fruit cocktail salad, drainedÂ
- 1 16 oz maraschino cherries without stems, cut in half
- 1-2 tablespoons of juice from the maraschino cherries
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powder sugar
- Optional:Â Â 1 cup chopped pecans
How to make Cherry Fluff

Combine cream cheese, whipping cream, powder sugar, and 1-2 tablespoons of maraschino cherry juice.
Beat until combined and soft peaks form.
If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons more of maraschino cherry juice.
Drain the fruits.
Add the fruits to the fluff.

Add the marshmallows to the fruits and fluff.
If desired, add the nuts to the fruits and fluff.
Mix until everything is combined evenly.
Chill several hours or ideally, overnight before serving.

Tips and Tricks for Cherry Fluff
The big secret to making Cherry Fluff or any salad like this is to make it up a day ahead of time, so it can chill overnight. This lets the fruit, juices and whipped cream combine and really bring out the flavors.
If you don’t want to make fresh whipped cream, you can substitute an 8 oz container of Cool Whip instead. Just combine the Cool Whip with the cream cheese and cherry juice.
More Holiday Recipes
- Green Bean Casserole Cups
- Holiday Cranberry Orange Relish
- How to Make Cherry Fluff Fruit Salad
- Jalapeno Spicy Cornbread Dressing
- Cheesy Bacon Green Bean Casserole
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- How to make Old Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
- Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Pie
More Thanksgiving Fun

Cherry Fluff Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 20 oz can fruit cocktail salad, drained
- 1 16 oz maraschino cherries without stems, cut in half
- 1-2 tablespoons of juice from the maraschino cherries
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. powder sugar
- Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Use a mixer to combine cream cheese, whipping cream, powder sugar, and maraschino cherry juice.
- Gradually add more maraschino juice if needed.
- Beat until combined and soft peaks form.
- Fold in all fruit, marshmallows and nuts.
- Chill several hours or ideally, overnight before serving.
Notes
- Feel free to leave out the pecans.
- Substitute whipped topping (Cool Whip) in place of heavy whipping cream.
- If your maraschino cherry juice does not get the fluff pink enough to your liking, add a little red food coloring.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 3gSugar: 41gProtein: 3g
Any nutritional information on thetiptoefairy.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.
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