Creamy, Mandarin Orange Fluff is made with Greek yogurt, whipped topping, jello, fruit, and marshmallow. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare!
Because Mandarin Orange Fluff is both a salad and a dessert, it is not too sweet to go with main dishes, and yet it is sweet enough to be a dessert. This makes it a perfect dish for your next potluck, get-together, barbeque, or picnic.
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About Fluff Recipes
To me a fluff salad is an amuse-bouche for your meal, a small dab on a dinner plate to add fun and novelty. Think… ham dinner… and it then makes sense to serve it alongside the ham to complement the saltiness of the meat.
But then again, it is a lovely soft cloud of a dessert with just the right amount of fruit and sweetness. I love making it for picnics, barbecues, and get-togethers because there is no crust to make and no baking or cooking to do.
No doubt the versatility of fluff salads and desserts is what has made them popular for decades. But they definitely gained in popularity with the introduction of Cool Whip whipped topping in 1966. The convenience of a ready-made whipped cream product, plus the sweet flavor and creamy texture of Cool Whip is perfect for fluffs.
In the late eighties, I was told by a food marketing specialist that Cool Whip was the most successful, newly launched food product ever. It was so popular that stores could not keep it in stock!
So, enough history… let’s take a closer look at what might be called a perfect side dish.
The General Recipe for a Fluff Salad
All fluff salads generally contain five ingredients:
- Dairy (cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, or sour cream).
- Frozen Whipped Topping.
- Fruit Flavored Jell-O.
- Fruit (canned, fresh, or thawed frozen).
- Mini-Marshmallows or Large Marshmallows cut into bits.
From this list, you can see that all you have to do is change the flavor of the gelatin and pair it with a fruit, and your fluff has an entirely different flavor!
About This Recipe
If you do a little research, you will find that most versions of orange fluff contain cottage cheese for the dairy ingredient and include canned pineapple in addition to the mandarin orange segments.
I personally don’t care for cottage cheese in this recipe, and I don’t think the canned pineapple adds anything other than to make the fluff sweeter.
So, my version uses Greek yogurt for the dairy ingredient. I like it for its creamy texture plus it is lower in calories and sodium than cottage cheese.
I also do not add the canned pineapple. To me, orange fluff should only contain oranges and orange flavors. I promise you will not miss the pineapple at all!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients for this Mandarin Orange Fluff:
- Plain Greek Yogurt - Naturally low in sugar this adds more creaminess and a tartness that keeps this orange fluff from being too sweet.
- Frozen Whipped Topping - Any version as long as it is plain or vanilla flavored.
- Mandarin Oranges - Drained from a Can.
- Orange Gelatin - I prefer the Jell-O brand of gelatin to Royal or store brands. The flavor tends to be better and the large package size of 6 ounces is what is called for in this recipe. The large box of some brands is not 6 ounces.
- Fruit-Flavored Mini-Marshmallows - The fruit-flavored marshmallows have a nice flavor and add visual appeal with their pastel colors.
How to Make Mandarin Orange Fluff
Before you begin to make the orange fluff, be sure to take the frozen whipped topping out of the freezer and let it thaw. You can thaw it on your countertop for about an hour or place it in the refrigerator the night before you make the fluff.
Next, drain the mandarin oranges and gather all of the ingredients and your tools. I have found that a dry measuring cup is handy to measure the Greek yogurt and a liquid measuring cup is great for the mini marshmallows.
Whisk. In a large mixing bowl whisk together Greek yogurt and orange gelatin.
Add. Add the whipped topping and continue to whisk until all is well combined.
When the yogurt, gelatin, and whipped topping are well combined, no streaks of orange or white should show.
Fold. Fold in the drained mandarin oranges and pastel mini marshmallows.
Refrigerate and Serve. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mandarin orange fluff for at least 2 hours.
After chilling the Mandarin Orange Fluff can be served in a bowl for buffets or casual dinners or portioned out in small cups and garnished with whipped topping, a mandarin orange, and a sprig of mint.
Substitutions & Variations
I think the Greek yogurt adds just the right amount of tartness to offset the sweetness of the orange gelatin. But you might like your orange fluff a bit sweeter or even less sweet.
- Substitute Cottage Cheese. Instead of Greek yogurt substitute cottage cheese for a sweeter flavor and an increase in texture. If you want a smoother texture, put the cottage cheese in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Substitute Sour Cream. Substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt for a less sweet flavor.
- Substitute Plain Mini-Marshmallows. Instead of pastel-colored fruit-flavored mini marshmallows, you can use regular vanilla mini marshmallows.
- Change the Jello Flavor and the Fruit. You can make fluff salads with any Jell-O flavor and coordinate the fruit with it. Great combinations are:
- Cherry Jell-O and Fresh or Canned Cherries or Cherry Pie Filling
- Lime Jell-O and Canned Pineapple
- Strawberry Jell-O and Strawberries
I've got a detailed post on how to make this adorable Bunny Treat Variation: You decorate ice cream cones, fill them with Mandarin Orange Fluff, and top them with a Peeps Marshmallow Bunny. These are super cute for get-togethers, showers, and parties!
Make-Ahead & Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this Mandarin Orange Fluff the night before. Simply store it in a bowl with cling wrap or a covered container. Give it a stir before serving it to mix in any fruit juice that might collect in the bottom of the container.
Storage: It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Delicious Desserts
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📖 Recipe
Mandarin Orange Fluff
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Ingredients
Orange Fluff
- 2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 Package Orange Gelatin, Small Package - 3 Ounces
- 8 ounces Frozen Whipped Topping, Thawed
- 14 Ounces Mandarin Oranges, 1 Can - Drained
- 2 Cups Fruit Flavored Pastel Mini Marshmallows, ½ of a 10 Ounce Package
Garnish
- Whipped Topping, Mandarin Orange Segments, Mandarin Orange Segments
Instructions
- Whisk. In a large mixing bowl whisk together Greek yogurt and orange gelatin.2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt, 1 Package Orange Gelatin
- Add. Add the whipped topping and continue to whisk until all is well combined.8 ounces Frozen Whipped Topping
- Fold. Fold in the drained mandarin oranges and pastel mini marshmallows.14 Ounces Mandarin Oranges, 2 Cups Fruit Flavored Pastel Mini Marshmallows
- Refrigerate and Serve. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the orange fluff dessert at least 2 hours.If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of whipped topping, a mandarin orange segment, and some fresh mint leaves.
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Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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