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This orange creamsicle salad is creamy and insanely delicious! It’s loaded with mandarin oranges and mini marshmallows, whipped up in a creamy, jello, pudding-like fluff. Everyone will go crazy over it!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: You can whip this up in just 10 minutes. You will need to give it an hour to set up in the fridge. It’s great for making ahead.
- Crowd Pleaser: I love salads like these, especially during the summer months! They are perfect for potlucks and BBQs. Everyone will gobble it up.
- Tradition: Salads like this were always at my family reunions and were always the first to go! Try my peach, raspberry, and ambrosia salads next.
Ingredients in Orange Creamsicle Salad
This short list of ingredients mixes so well for a great side dish or dessert! Check out the list of ingredients at the bottom of the post for exact measurements! I can’t wait for you to try it.
- Orange Jell-O: This is what gives off that overall orange flavor.
- Water: You will mix the water in with the orange jello.
- Vanilla Pudding: The instant vanilla pudding mix adds a sweet flavor to balance the tangy jello.
- Cream Cheese: Leave your cream cheese on the counter so it can come to room temperature. It will combine better with the other ingredients if it’s soft!
- Cool Whip: The whipped topping is the base of the salad and is so delicious!
- Mini Marshmallows: Use as many of these as you want, they are my kids favorite part!
- Mandarin Oranges: Make sure you drain the liquid from the cans of oranges. If you don’t, then the base will be runny.
How to Make Orange Creamsicle Salad
You can whip these ingredients into this fluff salad in less than 10 minutes! Just make sure you make time to chill it in your fridge so it can be set up before serving.
- Mix Jello and Water: Combine the jello powder and boiling water in a large bowl. Whisk it together. Then, add the cold water and stir it in.
- Cool: Put it in the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Add pudding: Take the salad out of the fridge and stir in the pudding powder. Then, refrigerate it for another 20 minutes until it sets.
- Combine: Add cream cheese and cool whip and stir to combine.
- Stir: Then fold in the marshmallows and mandarin oranges.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve chilled.
Orange Fluff Salad Variations
If you are like me, I want to make this orange creamsicle salad all the time! But my kids like it when I change things up. Here are a few ideas on how you can mix this salad up to keep it new and fresh every time!
- Flavor: This doesn’t have to be orange-flavored! Try using raspberry, cherry, strawberry, or even pineapple jello! Then, use that same fresh fruit in it to amplify the delicious taste.
- Marshmallows: My kids love anything rainbow-colored, so sometimes we mix it up and use the rainbow mini marshmallows instead!
- Nuts: If you want to add a little texture, try adding some chopped pecans or walnuts.
How to Store Leftovers
This orange creamsicle salad makes perfect leftovers because it tastes best after it’s chilled anyway! Place any leftover salad in an airtight container and store it in your refrigerator. It will last about 3-4 days. Give it a good stir before you serve it!
More Creamy Fruity Salads to Try
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Orange Creamsicle Salad
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Orange Jell-O
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 1/2 cup Cold Water
- 3.4 ounces Vanilla Pudding
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese (softened)
- (1) 8 ounce Container Cool Whip
- 2 1/2 cups Mini Marshmallows
- (2) 11 ounce Cans Mandarin Oranges (drained)
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the jello powder and boiling water. Whisk it together. Then, add the cold water and stir it in.
- Put it in the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the pudding powder and refrigerate for another 20 minutes until it sets.
- Add in the cream cheese and cool whip and stir to combine.
- Then stir in the marshmallows and mandarin oranges.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve chilled.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pudding instant or cook? You answered instant to one client and regular to another.
Hi Helen, thank you for the question. For me, instant is regular. Use instant!
Re: mandarin orange salad…is the pudding instant or cooked.
Thank you!
Hi Patricia, thank you for your question. The pudding is instant pudding.
I love your recipes, but you need to be more realistic in your “times” there is no way the prep time is 10 minutes unless you start “prepping” the boiling water and everything else first.
Just be realistic, we don’t care if it takes more time if it’s delicious. But if you tell us it takes 20 minutes and it really takes 40….. then that’s a problem.
Hi Nick, I’m sorry, thats sounds super frustrating! Do you boil your water over the stove? When I make jello, I always boil my water in the microwave which cuts down a ton of time! I still understand that making something you think will take 20 minutes and it takes you longer can be super annoying and I’m sorry about that! I’ll be more aware in the future when adding times.
The recipe calls for Vanilla Pudding. Is that regular or instant pudding? It sounds delicious!
Thank you.
Hi Gayle, thank you for the question. It is just the regular pudding! Let me know how it turns out!
What size pudding box and Jello box, how Much cool whip and what size can of oranges.
Hi Connie, you can find all of the exact ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the page! But her is what you are looking for! 3 ounces Orange Jell-O
3.4 ounces Vanilla Pudding
4 ounces Cream Cheese (softened)
(1) 8 ounce Container Cool Whip
2 1/2 cups Mini Marshmallows
(2) 11 ounce Cans Mandarin Oranges (drained)
I hope this helps!
I made this recipe for Father’s Day. It was a big hit but my cream cheese and cool whip has small lumps in my salad. Do I blend those 2 ingredients together 1st before adding to the jello mixture? I just added both of the those items individually to the jello mixture and it was little lumpy.
I think it is somewhat bland. I would add some orange extract. I would also make sure the base was combined by whipping g instead of stirring the cream chess into the gelatin.
My family loved this!!!! They have asked me to make it again. I enjoyed it as well.
Do you drain the oranges?
Yes!
Can I use oranges, only cut up small ?
You can! It will give it a slightly different taste, as mandarin oranges are a bit sweeter than regular oranges.
Served for Christmas Eve to a group of adult picky eaters who were all Christmas cookie and candied out.
Big hit!! Can’t wait to try this when it isn’t -32F outside!
Delicious and so easy to make.
Love your recipes! Keep them coming.
Does the recipe call for instant pudding or the “cook & serve” kind?
I usually use instant pudding! But either will work here since you are just getting the flavor from the powder.
Does the pudding need to be instant…an attendee for brunch gets sick from sugar alternatives.
I haven’t tried that before so I’m not sure how a substitute would turn out. Let me know if you do!
I don’t think instant pudding is sugar free. Check the ingredients. If it’s sugar free it is part of the name on the front ( sugar free instant vanilla pudding).
Can sugar free jello and puddng be used?
Sure!
I love all the yummy recipes u post!! Thank u!!