Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (2024)

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Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe has just 6 ingredients and takes minutes to prepare. Whipped topping, jello, fruit and more make this salad sweet and delicious.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (1)

This dessert salad is the best side dish and my family pretty much expects me to make it for any occasion. From Summer BBQ’s to Christmas dinner, this salad always has a place at the dinner table.

Lots of marshmallows, whipped cream, jello and fruit make each bite so creamy and decadent. It is light and fluffy texture and not heavy at all. My kids could eat this by the bowl for a snack. It is really so amazing.

With only 6 ingredients, anyone can make this with very little effort. If you can toss ingredients into a bowl and stir, you can make this recipe. It is just that simple! Also try Ambrosia Salad with Jello and Cranberry Pineapple Jello Salad.

Table of Contents

  • Why We Love This Recipe:
  • Ingredient:
  • Additions and Variations:
  • Step by Step Instructions:
  • Recipe Tips:
  • Frequently Asked Questions:
  • Try These Other Delicious Fruit Recipes:
  • Try These other Easy Salad Recipes:
  • Mandarin orange jello salad Recipe

Why We Love This Recipe:

Since this easy recipe has only 6 ingredients, the entire dish is so frugal. I don’t mind at all when people ask me to bring this because it is so easy and inexpensive.

In fact, you can easily double this recipe if you have a large crowd to feed. Sometimes, I do this anyway just so I can keep some at home if I’m taking this jello salad somewhere.

This family favorite side dish is so easy and always a hit out our family gatherings. I have even used other ingredients and the salad was amazing.

Ingredient:

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (2)
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Orange Jello Powder Mix
  • Drained Mandarin Oranges
  • Mini Marshmallows
  • Drained Crushed Pineapple
  • Whipped Topping, thawed

For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.

Additions and Variations:

  • Sugar-Free Jello – Feel free to change the Jello to what you prefer. You can use lime jello, peach jello, or sugar free jello.
  • Mix-Ins – This orange fluff salad recipe is even better with other ingredients. We have added maraschino cherries, chopped nuts, and other fruits. We have added in peaches and used pineapple tidbits instead crushed pineapple.

Step by Step Instructions:

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (3)

Step 1 – Add cottage cheese to a large mixing bowl.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (4)

Step 2 – Sprinkle orange flavored jello pudding mix over cottage cheese and mix well.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (5)

Step 3 – Add mandarin oranges and pineapple to the orange jell-o. Mix well.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (6)

Step 4 – Stir in mini marshmallows.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (7)

Step 5 – Fold in cool whip to the cottage cheese mixture. The kids love to help with this part.

Recipe Tips:

  • Serving – Serve with additional mandarin oranges or whipped topping if you like. This is optional but looks pretty for garnishment.
  • Drain Fruit – Make sure to drain the fruit before mixing in with the other ingredients.
Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (9)

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to Store Leftovers:

Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days. We rarely have leftovers because everyone loves this fruit salad so much.

Can I Make in Advance?

Yes, you can make in advance. But I would prepare the base of the dessert salad and then when ready to serve mix in the whipped topping.

Can I Freeze?

We do not recommend freezing this dessert salad.

Try These Other Delicious Fruit Recipes:

  • Tropical Fruit Salad
  • Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
  • 2 Ingredient Fruit Dip Recipe
  • Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Recipe

Try These other Easy Salad Recipes:

  • Copycat Panera Bread Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
  • BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
  • Cesar Salad Dressing Recipe
  • Perfectly Crispy Kale Chips
  • Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad

We love hearing from you. If you make this Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe, please leave a comment or a star review.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (10)

Review

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Mandarin orange jello salad

5 from 48 votes

Mandarin orange jello salad recipe has just 6 ingredients and takes minutes to prepare. Whipped topping, jello, fruit and more make this salad delicious.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Chill (at least one hour) 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 6

Cuisine American

Course Dessert, Side Dish

Calories 253

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

  • 2 cups 1 – 16 oz container small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 small box 3.4 oz orange jello
  • 1 can 14 oz mandarin oranges, drained well
  • 1 can 20 oz crushed pineapple, drained well
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
  • 1 container 8 oz whipped topping, thawed

Instructions

  • Add cottage cheese to large bowl

  • Sprinkle jello over cottage cheese and mix well

  • Add mandarin oranges and pineapple, mix well

  • Stir in mini marshmallows

  • Fold in whipped topping

  • Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving, overnight is fine

  • Serve with additional mandarin oranges or whipped topping, if you like

  • Store leftovers in refrigerator

Nutrition Facts

Calories 253kcal, Carbohydrates 48g, Protein 9g, Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 14mg, Sodium 305mg, Potassium 249mg, Fiber 2g, Sugar 38g, Vitamin A 508IU, Vitamin C 47mg, Calcium 105mg, Iron 1mg

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About the Author

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (19)

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

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Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why did people make jello salad? ›

Jello acted as an easy and cheap addition to more labor-intensive or expensive recipes during the Great Depression and World War II.

What can you do with a lot of mandarin oranges? ›

Here's how you can put your leftover mandarin oranges to good use in the week after Chinese New Year:
  • Mandarin Orange Green Tea. Add a zesty spin to your usual cup of green tea! ...
  • Mandarin Orange Potpourri. ...
  • Mandarin Orange Jam. ...
  • Mandarin Orange Salad Dressing. ...
  • Orange-scented Vinegar Cleaning Solution.

What are the ingredients in orange jello? ›

INGREDIENTS: Orange Jello (Sugar, Gelatin, Adipic Acid (For Tartness), Contains Less Than 2% of Natural and Artificial Flavor, Disodium Phosphate and Sodium Citrate (Control Acidity), Fumaric Acid (For Tartness), Yellow 6, Red 40, BHA (Preservative).)

What happened to Jello salads? ›

Savory Jell-O salads fell out of fashion, replaced by tossed salads and a fad for sun-dried tomatoes. This was also when the efforts of the women's movement began to bear fruit: Women were entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers, and more and more women were heads of households.

Why is Jell-O not popular anymore? ›

Jell-O shifted to single-serve cups and more convenient options as competition for snacks and desserts grew. Kraft in the early 2000's shifted the focus of Jell-O's advertising away from kids and toward adults. It pitched sugar-free Jell-O, for example, as a treat for Atkins dieters.

Why do hospitals give you Jell-O? ›

There are a few reasons: Jell-O is easy to swallow and digest, making it suitable for patients who have difficulty eating solid foods or have digestive issues. It's smooth texture and mild flavor make it more tolerable for those with sensitive stomachs or who are recovering from surgery.

Is it OK to eat 3 mandarins a day? ›

In short, although mandarin oranges are highly nutritional and satisfies our cravings at the same time, it should not be consumed excessively, especially by certain people. Overall, I would personally recommend consuming a maximum of four mandarin oranges a day.

Why do Chinese eat mandarin oranges? ›

Mandarin oranges have always been considered as a traditional symbol of good fortune. This is mainly because the word orange, when spoken in mandarin, sounds similar to the word “wealth”.

Why are canned mandarin oranges so good? ›

-Mandarin oranges: A half cup of canned mandarin oranges provides you with more vitamin C (57 percent of the RDA) than its freshly peeled counterpart. (Choose canned fruits with the lowest sugar content.)

What is the secret ingredient in jello? ›

Gelatin is made from animal collagen — a protein that makes up connective tissues, such as skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones. The hides and bones of certain animals — often cows and pigs — are boiled, dried, treated with a strong acid or base, and finally filtered until the collagen is extracted.

Does orange jello have red 40? ›

From the Package. WATER, SUGAR, FRUIT JUICE BLEND FROM CONCENTRATE (WATER, ORANGE JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, APPLE JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE), GELATIN, ADIPIC ACID AND CITRIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), CONTAINS LESS THAN 0.5% OF SODIUM CITRATE (CONTROLS ACIDITY), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, YELLOW 6, RED 40.

What is the difference between gelatin and Jell-O? ›

So, while jelly and jello both contain gelatin as an ingredient, they are not the same thing. Jelly is a fruit spread that is thickened with pectin, while jello is a brand of gelatin dessert mix that contains gelatin as its primary thickening agent.

What should not be added to gelatin salad? ›

Fresh raw pineapple shouldn't be used in Jello salad because it contains protease enzymes. These will prevent the gelatin from gelling and will leave you with a liquid jello salad. Citrus fruits are fine. For example it is quite common to add mandarin oranges.

What ruins Jell-O? ›

If you like making gelatin for dessert, the box often recommends not adding certain kinds of fruit, including pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs or guava. People have a hard time getting the gelatin to solidify when they add these fruits.

Why wouldn t you want to use pineapple in a jello salad? ›

Bromolain in pineapple, papain in papaya and actinidin in kiwi are all enzymes capable of breaking down proteins, hence the warning that these fruits cannot be used in Jell-O. But canned fruits are fine because the pasteurization process they undergo destroys the proteolytic enzymes.

Why were people obsessed with Jell-O in the 50s? ›

But when they first gained popularity, there were in fact a few reasons why a home cook might have wanted to serve them. One, in the early 1950s refrigerators were still quite expensive, and gelatin needs refrigeration in order to set. So in a way, preparing a Jell-O mold was something of a status symbol.

What is the purpose of eating Jell-O? ›

Gelatin contains proteins and amino acids, including collagen, which can reduce joint pain and improve the strength and flexibility of your body's tissues and tendons. Collagen is also widely praised for its ability to improve skin hydration and elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Why was Jell-O so popular in the 1970s? ›

Jell-O, particularly, was able to capitalize on the low prices of their products and the nostalgia women felt toward the aspics prepared by their grandmothers in the Victorian era.

Why was Jell-O popular in the 1920s? ›

During the 1920s-'30s, gelatin salads spiked in popularity, as the Depression motivated homemakers to stretch their ingredients as far as possible by mixing vegetables and fruits into them. The introduction of lime-flavored Jell-O in the early 1930s shook things up, and entire cookbooks were devoted to it.

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