Marshmallow Salad

Name: Marshmallow Salad Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup heavy whipping cream (227g); 2 tbsp powdered sugar (14g); ¼ cup sour cream (57g); 10 oz. mini marshmallows (283g (1 bag)); 1 cup canned mandarin oranges (268g, drained); 1 cup diced fresh strawberries (170g); 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (170g); 1 cup green grapes (150g, halved); ⅓ cup maraschino cherries (57g, halved); ⅓ cup chopped pecans (38g)

By Becky Hardin

Updated Nov 18, 2025

Read 2 Reviews

Prep 20

Servings 12 people

By Becky Hardin

Updated Nov 18, 2025

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This classic marshmallow salad recipe is a sure-fire hit that works as a sweet side dish or fruity dessert. I’ve taken grapes, strawberries, pineapple, oranges, and marshmallows, and tossed them in a sweet and sour whipped cream dressing for a marshmallow fruit salad that is too good to be missed.

Marshmallow salad in a white bowl with 2 maraschino cherries and a spoon.

Easy Marshmallow Salad Recipe

I love preparing an old-fashioned marshmallow fruit salad as a holiday dish, although I must admit that I also enjoy eating it any time of the year. Fluffy, light, and sweet, it’s a delicious way to enjoy fruit.

This salad comes together in about 20 minutes, with no cooking required, and, best of all, I can prepare it a day or two ahead of time so there are fewer things on my to-do list as the holidays approach. This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd, making about 12 servings.

Though it tastes great as is, I’ll often switch things up based on my mood and what I’ve got in my kitchen. Sometimes I throw in canned pineapple in place of the fresh pineapple or use whipped topping in place of the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and sour cream. And if I haven’t had a chance to pick up fresh fruit, I use canned fruit cocktail instead.

Tips for Beginners

Make the salad 4 hours before serving. This allows the flavors to mingle and preserves the salad’s structure.
Add the cherries just before serving. Maraschino cherries will turn your whipped cream pink. I recommend adding them right before serving to avoid this.
Serve the salad cold. Marshmallow salad can be left out of the refrigerator for up to 2 hours, but I recommend serving it cold because the whipped cream dressing will start to melt after 30 minutes.

How to Make Marshmallow Salad Step by Step

Heavy cream and powdered sugar in a glass bowl.

Whip the Cream: Using a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 tbsp of powdered sugar until soft-medium peaks form. Gently fold in ¼ cup of sour cream but do not overmix.

Adding fruit to the whipped cream mixture.

Fold in the fruit: Gently fold in 10 oz. of mini marshmallows, 1 cup of canned mandarin oranges, 1 cup of diced fresh strawberries, 1 cup of chopped fresh pineapple, 1 cup of green grapes, ⅓ cup of maraschino cherries, and ⅓ cup of chopped pecans.

Marshmallow salad in a glass bowl with pecans and maraschino cherries.

Serve the salad: Spoon the salad into a serving dish and top with additional maraschino cherries and pecans.

How to Store

This salad is a great make-ahead dish. Prepare the entire salad, leaving off any nuts or cherries that you plan to use as garnish, up to 2 days in advance. Store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator, and garnish with cherries and chopped nuts when ready to serve.

Store leftover marshmallow salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this salad.

Marshmallow salad in a white serving bowl with 2 maraschino cherries.

Serving Suggestions

This marshmallow salad recipe is one delicious and crowd-pleasing dessert, but it is also commonly served as a side dish as part of a holiday meal. I like to serve it with some of my favorite holiday mains like air fryer garlic rosemary turkey breast, or deep fried turkey breast for Thanksgiving, garlic butter prime rib for Christmas, or sheet pan Easter dinner with lamb.

more fruit salads to try

Waldorf Salad

Cranberry Fluff Salad

Watermelon Salad

Grape Salad

Filed under: Dessert Recipes, Easter, Fruit, Holiday Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.