Mandarin Orange Jello Salad Recipe

Orange jello salad is an amazing dish that can be a dessert or a side dish to any meal! It’s fluffy, full or flavor and delicious – it only has five ingredients (and none of them are cottage cheese!). The secret is using a pudding mix!

Some call this orange fluff salad – but we just call it amazing. We’ve added pineapple and mandarin oranges to make this into a delicious mandarin orange jello salad recipe!

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad

It’s been a while since I’ve made a jello salad…but lately, I’ve been on a HUGE kick of them!

I don’t like the kind that contains cottage cheese or cream cheese…as those aren’t ingredients I tend to enjoy very much.

This jello salad is fantastic. I’ve had multiple people tell me it’s one of the best things they’ve ever eaten! Pretty fantastic endorsement, eh?

What I love about it is that it has very simple ingredients that few people will object to, it’s so easy to make (my four-year-old loves to be a helper with it), and it’s so delicious!

How to Make Orange Jello Salad

Ingredients

• 6 oz Orange Jello Mix
• 3 ounce instant vanilla pudding
• 11 ounce can Mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 of a 20 ounce can of Pineapple chunks, drained
• One 8 ounce container cool whip

Instructions

1. Mix together 4 cups of water, orange jello mix, and vanilla pudding mix in a sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring the whole time to keep clumps from forming. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat.
3. Pour into a heat-resistant container (I usually use a glass baking dish), cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about four hours.
4. Remove from fridge and break up the jello into chunks. Place in a large bowl.
5. Add in the pineapple, mandarin oranges, and whipped cream and mix around until everything is combined.
6. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Orange Fluff Salad R

How long will Jello Salad keep in the fridge?

If properly stored in an airtight container it should be good for 1-2 days. We don’t recommend leaving it out for very long – it should be refrigerated immediately before serving and put away immediately after.

What can I serve with Jello Salad?

I love having Jello Salad as a dessert or a side dish! Which makes it super easy to pair with other dishes.

I think this is a great salad to serve for a BBQ, holiday dinner or potluck. This is a great summer meal!

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Should I Use Fresh or Canned Fruit in Jello Salad?

We usually use canned fruit, simply because it’s easier! However, if you’d rather use fresh fruit, that’s a great option. I would just cut pineapple into chunks and peel some mandarin oranges immediately before preparing in order to incorporate them into this dish!

With the mandarin oranges, just make sure you remove any of the stringiness that will sometimes be on them after you peel them.

Can I make Jello Salad ahead of time?

Yes. I would recommend making it several hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to mesh. Be sure to serve within 24 hours.

Keep in mind that this jello takes about four hours to set in the fridge, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time!

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Secrets to this Recipe

One of the secrets is using a pudding mix with the jello. It makes the texture SO creamy and delicious – I never make any jello dish without it anymore.

Although traditional instructions for jello tell you to wait for the water to boil, I actually suggest mixing the water with the jello and pudding mixes before you turn the stove on. Otherwise, I find that the pudding mix tends to clump up.

Are there any substitutes I should know about for this dish?

In my experience I have found that name brand tastes better in this dish but you can definitely go ahead and use store brand, too.

If you don’t want to use Orange Jello mix you can always try another flavor! Just make sure it would pair well with the fruit you add.

You can always sub Pineapple chunks for tidbits or crushed pineapple just know the consistency might be a little different.

You could use cutie clementines instead of mandarin oranges. And as already stated, you could use fresh fruit instead of canned.

I like to use full fat products so stay away from the “fat free” or “lite” versions as it won’t taste quite the same!

Can I leave the fruit out?

I haven’t ever left the fruit out and think the juices they contribute make this dish what it is, but you can always experiment or add other fruit.

Is Jello Salad Good For You?

Not particularly – though this recipe isn’t very high in calories, and it has fruit! However, there is quite a bit of sugar, so I wouldn’t put this in the “healthy” category.

It’s a great lower-calorie side dish/dessert, though, so we consider it a part of a balanced diet every now and then!

Why Jello Salad?

Well, why not?! Jello salad is a fun way to add some fruit to an otherwise empty calorie (yet delicious) food, and it’s almost always a huge hit.

This is a great dish to serve at pretty much any kind of meal, and there are so many fun variations. This tropical orange version is definitely our favorite, though. And for a different flavor sensation, you might also want to try our chicken salad recipe. It’s a delightful option that can be enjoyed as a main course or a side, adding even more variety to your mealtime.

Other Jello Salad Recipes:

• Simple Lime Jello Salad
• Layered Blueberry Jello Salad
• Triple Berry Jello Salad
• 3 Ingredient Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (not Jello salad, but super yummy!)
• Classic Cherry Fluff Salad Recipe

This orange jello salad is a hit anytime we make it – especially because of the secret ingredient of pudding! It’s super easy to make, and it’s something that kids and adults just gobble up!

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