Orange Pineapple Dream Salad

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Whether served as a dessert or side dish, this Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is the perfect compliment to any celebration, holiday, or meal.

This Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is a delicious side dish for the holidays.

Orange Pineapple Dream Salad:

Today, I thought it’d be fun to share another family-favorite holiday recipe. This Orange Pineapple Dream Salad is a staple of our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner tables, I’m certain you’ll love it as much as we do.

Orange Pineapple Dream Salad - delicious as a side dish or dessert

This recipe came from my mom’s best friend. She called it “White Jell-O Salad,” but because that name isn’t descriptive, and there’s no Jell-O in it, I renamed it Orange Pineapple Dream Salad. (I love you, Joanna, and appreciate the recipe!)

Orange Pineapple Dream Salad - delicious as a side dish or dessert

Whether it's a dessert or a side, this Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is winner!

How to Make Orange Pineapple Dream Salad:

I still don’t know why some old-fashioned desserts are referred to as “salads,” however, I’m not complaining. If I can eat a “salad” that’s actually a dessert, life is good.

I would classify this as dessert, not salad because it brings a sweet component to any holiday meal. It’s similar to ambrosia, but with fewer fruits and fillings.

How to make Orange Pineapple Dream Salad

How to make Orange Pineapple Dream Salad

The resulting concoction is a sweet, light cloud-like cream swirled with pineapple and mandarin oranges. It’s nothing fancy, but it tastes oh-so-good! It’s one of those things I always look forward to when the holidays roll around.

This Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is a delicious side dish for the holidays.

If you’re not certain your family will get that this is a side dish, you could simply serve it as dessert. And since it doesn’t contain any seasonal ingredients, you could serve it any time of year.

Whether it's a dessert or a side, this Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is winner!

No matter when or how you make it, I’m sure your family and guests will love this dessert-disguised-as-salad.

This Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is a delicious side dish for the holidays.

As you can see, this is super simple to make and comes together in less than 15 minutes, hands-on time.

This Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is a delicious side dish for the holidays.

I hope you’ll give it a try. Enjoy!

Orange Pineapple Dream Salad Recipe:

Whether it's a dessert or a side, this Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is winner!

Orange Pineapple Dream Salad

Whether served as a dessert or side dish, this Orange Pineapple Dream Salad recipe is the perfect compliment to any celebration, holiday, or meal.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert, orange, pineapple, salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 212kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 envelople unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) crushed pineapple
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened softened
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 envelopes (1 box) Dream Whip
  • 1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges drained and chopped
  • Fresh mandarin segments for garnish

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and water. Set aside.
  • Then, in a saucepan, combine the crushed pineapple (with juice) and sugar. Heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the prepared gelatin. Set aside to cool completely.
  • With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and whole milk. Beat until smooth. Add the two envelopes of Dream Whip and beat until the mixture forms peaks. Fold in the cooled pineapple mixture and chopped mandarin oranges.
  • Pour into an 8x12" dish and chill 3-4 hours before serving. Garnish with fresh mandarin orange segments, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 922IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

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12 Comments

  1. I will put this recipe in a special place to use for the holiday this year. I haven’t made it yet, but it sounds so good that I will make sure to have it on hand. I was wondering if you can use real whip cream instead of the cool whip that was listed on the recipe or is it better to use cool whip?

    Thank you,

    Merrilee Marsh

  2. My family is planning a football themed family picnic for this year and I host the meetings at my home. I made this and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Thank you and keep sharing your talents.

  3. This looks so good. My family does a similar one that uses flavored gelatin, usually based on the fruit or berries chosen, and cottage cheese in place of cream cheese. I plan to try your recipe for our next family gathering to see if they like it.

  4. In the dark ages of my youth I loved to eat dessert WITH the meal (jello salads, ambrosia, fruit salads, etc.) I would never have called them desserts because they might never be served again or might be withheld for good behaviour. If they were called salads, they were with the main meal.

  5. This dessert does look delicious! You said it doesn’t contain Jell-o, but the recipe states it does require gelatin. Jell-o is just a name brand of gelatin. I’m not trying to nit-pick, but just pointing out a contradiction.