Colorful and creamy, cranberry salad can be served a side dish or a dessert!
This fluffy cranberry salad recipe can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries, simmered in a citrusy sauce with raspberry Jello, and then blended into freshly whipped cream.
Cranberry Salad Will Be A New Family Favorite
- Sweet, tart, and eye-catching, cranberry salad has a melt-in-your-mouth flavor that’s unforgettable.
- Quick and easy, creamy cranberry salad is a festive addition to any holiday party or potluck.
- Make up to a day ahead and keep chilled in the refrigerator for the perfect make-and-take side salad or dessert.
Ingredients for Cranberry Salad
Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe.
Jello: If you can find cranberry Jell-o, grab it (it can be hard to find). Otherwise use raspberry or cherry flavor.
Whipped Cream: Heavy whipping cream is a must-have for a light and fluffy salad, but if time is short, use a tub of whipped topping.
Variations
This fun recipe has endless options that make it a ‘foundation’ recipe to refer to all year long! Try any of these combos:
- Raspberry Jello with mixed berries and sliced almonds or chopped pecans.
- Lemon Jello with crushed pineapple and mini marshmallows.
- Lime Jello with sliced strawberries, kiwis, and chopped pistachios.
- Cherry Jello with fresh cherries, mini marshmallows, and walnuts.
- Orange Jello with mandarin oranges.
How to Make Cranberry Salad
- Simmer cranberries in orange and lemon juice until they pop and are cooked.
- Stir in Jello and cool completely.
- Make whipped cream (recipe below) and fold into the cranberry mixture.
- Refrigerate until set.
- Garnish with extra whipped cream and sugared cranberries.
Storing Cranberry Salad
Keep leftover creamy cranberry salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Due to its high dairy content, it’s not advisable to freeze cranberry salad, but it’s so easy to make, simply start fresh!
Favorite Fruit Salads
Did you love this Cranberry Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Cranberry Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 package raspberry Jell-O 3 ounces or 85g
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Bring cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice to a boil. Simmer 7-8 minutes or until the cranberries pop and are cooked. Remove from heat and stir in Jello. Cool completely.
- Combine heavy cream and powdered sugar in a bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the cream into the cranberry mixture.
- Spread into a bowl and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Garnish with whipped cream and sugared cranberries if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Salad, Side Dish
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We are a family that is lactose intolerant, could I fold in Cool Whip instead of the heavy cream?
We have only made the recipe as written but I think that should work just fine, Tina. Let us know how it tastes if you decide to try it! :)
You didn’t designate what size Jello?
We use a 3 ounce or 85g package of jello as pictured. We have also updated the recipe for clarity, thank you for sending us that!
Can I use dried cranberries, like the Ocean Spray ones from Costco ?
For this recipe, you will want to use fresh or frozen cranberries. Dried cranberries won’t give you the same desired results or flavor. Hope that helps!