Mandarin Orange Salad is a delicious classic recipe that is always a hit. Often made during the holidays, this Orange Jello Salad is full of flavor and a welcome addition to every dinner, BBQ, or potluck!
Growing up my mom would make this every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I never really thought much about it until I was an adult and it just hit different.
It is such a delicious jello salad that I am happy to bring to holiday dinners and parties now that I am all grown up.
I’ve shared a few of my mom’s recipes in the past (like these deviled eggs and this cranberry relish) and they are always a hit! I couldn’t wait to share this treasured family recipe too!
What you need:
- Cottage Cheese
- Canned Mandarin Oranges (we have used mandarin fruit cups too!)
- Canned Crushed Pineapple- You can also dice up pineapple tidbits
- Orange Jello
- Frozen Whipped Topping- we tend to use cool whip but any brand works
You only need a few ingredients for this delicious side dish!
How to make Mandarin Orange Salad?
- Drain the mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple
- Mix the fruit with the jello powder
- Fold in the cottage cheese
- Fold in the cool whip
- Cover and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight
Pro Tip: Try to squeeze out any excess liquid from the crushed pineapple. This will make for a better consistency overall.
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Variations and Substitutions
Jello- I know this is called orange salad because of the orange jello but lime, strawberry, or even raspberry jello would be tasty!
Fruit- swapping out the mandarins and pineapple for other fruit like strawberries or pears might be tasty!
Low Calorie- Using low calorie/fat cottage cheese, fat free cool whip, and sugar free jello is a great way to lighten the calorie load. Just keep in mind low fat cottage cheese tends to be waterier and might affect the overall consistency of the jello salad.
How to store mandarin orange salad?
Store orange jello salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
How long does mandarin orange jello salad last?
This orange jello salad will last 4-5 days. It might start to separate the longer it sits and need to be stirred to reincorporate everything.
Top Tip: Make this mandarin orange salad the day before. Letting all those flavors come together overnight makes it even tastier!
Jello salads have been around since the 70s but instead of a weird jello mold with peas and carrots this Orange Jello Salad is one everyone will eat and go back for seconds!
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out my strawberry fruit dip, buffalo chicken dip, and this green bean casserole- all perfect for the holidays or potlucks!
Watch how to make this recipe!
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Mandarin Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 8 oz mandarin oranges drained
- 8 oz crushed pineapple or tidbits*
- 3 oz orange Jello powder
- 8 oz cool whip thawed
Instructions
- Drain mandarins and pineapples. I recommend trying to squeeze excess juice from the pineapple.
- In a large bowl combine mandarins, crushed pineapple and orange Jello powder.8 oz mandarin oranges drained, 3 oz orange Jello, 8 oz crushed pineapple
- Fold in cottage cheese until everything is orange.2 cups cottage cheese
- Fold in cool whip.8 oz cool whip
- Let sit overnight if possible or at least 4-6 hrs., best to make day before
Lisa says
Love this! We make it for every holiday!