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Quick strawberry fluff salad made with Cool Whip, pineapple, and fresh strawberries. No baking required—ready in 3 hours.
If you love easy dessert salads like Snicker salad and the flavors of no bake jello pie, you’re going to go crazy for this one!
Sweet and creamy, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, this strawberry fluff is the easiest dessert or side dish. It’s one of my family’s favorite treats to make during strawberry season, and it’s SO easy! Everything combines in one bowl. The base is a silky-smooth combo of tangy strawberry Jello and creamy vanilla pudding, mixed with Cool Whip and filled with fresh strawberries, crushed pineapple, and mini marshmallows.
Erin’s Notes
- One bowl. This easy dessert salad is a “dump and go” recipe that comes together in one bowl in 10 minutes. Simply dump all your ingredients in a bowl and mix. No fancy equipment needed!
- Sweet strawberry flavor. Strawberry Jello and fresh strawberries infuse every bite of this fluff with irresistible berry flavor.
- Light and fluffy. The cool creaminess of vanilla pudding and Cool Whip take the texture of this strawberry fluff over the top. It’s light, creamy, and SO fluffy. Perfect on its own, or as a dessert dip with graham crackers.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Like most fluff recipes, you only need a few easy pantry ingredients along with fruit and Cool Whip. Below are some quick notes. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list of ingredients.
- Strawberry Jello – You’ll need one package of strawberry Jello mix to combine with water.
- Instant Pudding –Vanilla instant pudding mix adds just the right amount of sweetness and creaminess.
- Cool Whip – One tub of thawed Cool Whip, or you can use homemade stabilized whipped cream.
- Crushed Pineapple – Remember to drain your canned pineapple well before adding it to the salad.
- Fresh Strawberries – Chopped fresh strawberries give this fluff the best, fresh flavor. If you don’t have fresh strawberries, frozen will work, but the texture will be different.
- Mini Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows put some extra “fluff” in this strawberry fluff salad.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
In a pinch, you can replace the fresh strawberries in this recipe with frozen strawberries instead. Make sure to thaw the frozen berries completely, and then drain them and pat them dry. Otherwise, the salad will turn out runny.
Honestly, if I don’t have fresh strawberries on hand, I’d rather reach for strawberry pie filling or strawberry preserves than frozen berries. They add plenty of strawberry flavor without the extra water that thawed berries release.
How to Make Strawberry Fluff
Make this easy strawberry fluff salad in just a few quick steps! Check out a short overview here, and scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make the Jello. Whisk strawberry Jello mix with boiling water until it’s dissolved, then add cold water. Chill the Jello in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Add pudding mix. Whisk the vanilla pudding mix into the Jello, and then place the bowl back into the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Combine. Finally, you’ll add crushed pineapple, strawberries, and Cool Whip. Stir everything together, and fold in the marshmallows.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate the fluff for 2 hours before serving.
Recipe Tips
One of the (many, many) great things about strawberry fluff is that you don’t need to be a master chef to make it! With a few tips in mind, your fluff will turn out delicious every time:
- Use fresh strawberries. I mentioned it earlier, but this recipe really does turn out best with fresh, in-season strawberries.
- Drain the pineapple. Make sure to fully drain the canned crushed pineapple before you add it to the strawberry fluff. The excess moisture will make the fluff watery.
- Use instant pudding. Make sure you grab instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve. Instant pudding thickens right in the Jello mixture without any cooking.
- Don’t skip the chill time. Giving the Jello its full 20 minutes before adding the pudding, and then chilling the finished fluff for at least 2 hours, helps everything set up thick and creamy.
- Fold gently. Once the Cool Whip goes in, stir gently so the fluff stays light and airy.
Recipe Variations
- Use another Jello flavor. You can make this fluff recipe with any Jello flavor you’d like. Make raspberry or cherry fluff, or use orange Jello to make orange fluff salad.
- Try cheesecake pudding. Swap the vanilla instant pudding for cheesecake-flavored instant pudding. It adds a little extra tang and gives the fluff a strawberry cheesecake vibe.
- Substitute the instant pudding. In place of instant pudding mix, use room-temperature cream cheese or cottage cheese for a tangier, richer fluff.
How to Store Leftovers
- Fridge. Store any leftover strawberry fluff airtight in the fridge for 3 days, and stir before you serve it.
- Freeze. I don’t recommend freezing strawberry fluff. The Cool Whip, pudding, and fresh fruit tend to turn watery once thawed, so this one is best enjoyed fresh from the fridge.
This strawberry fluff can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and stored airtight in the fridge. You’ll want to stir it again before you serve it. See below for storage details.
Yes! Cheesecake instant pudding is a delicious swap that adds a little extra tang. You can also skip the pudding altogether and use cream cheese or cottage cheese instead.
It’s both! Like other classic fluff salads, it’s often served as a sweet side dish at potlucks and holiday dinners, but it’s just as good as a light, no-bake dessert.
More No-Bake Dessert Recipes
Strawberry Fluff
Ingredients
- 1 3 oz package Strawberry jello mix
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 3.4 oz package of vanilla instant pudding mix
- 8 oz container Cool Whip, or homemade stabilized whipped cream
- 20 oz crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together strawberry jello with boiling water for about 2 minutes until everything is completely dissolved. Add in the cold water and mix. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.1 3 oz package Strawberry jello mix, 1 cup boiling water, ½ cup cold water
- After 20 minutes, remove from the fridge and whisk in the instant pudding mix until smooth and creamy. Place back in the fridge for 15 minutes.1 3.4 oz package of vanilla instant pudding mix
- After 15 minutes add in the crushed pineapple, strawberries, and Cool Whip. Mix until everything is combined.20 oz crushed pineapple, 1 ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries, 8 oz container Cool Whip
- Add marshmallows and gently mix until evenly blended.2 cups mini marshmallows
- Store in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is so going on our Memorial Day menu! I made it last night for dessert, and we devoured it.
The combination of fresh strawberries, Cool Whip, and marshmallows created a light, airy texture that was both satisfying and refreshing!
This was a fun treat to make! My kids loved it and kept coming back for more!
This is so easy to make an absolutely delicious! I love this recipe!
I tried your Strawberry Fluff recipe for a summer gathering, and it was an absolute hit! The light and fluffy texture combined with the sweet strawberry flavor was irresistible. It’s such a refreshing dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
This was absolutely amazing. I seriously couldn’t get enough of it. Thanks so much!
This is great using jello cheesecake instant pudding. Adds an extra zing.
Perfect for my granddaughter’s One Berry Sweet Birthday menu