Classic Cranberry Salad is tart, sweet and chock-full of chopped pecans and mini marshmallows, you can level up your cranberry sauce this year by turning it into this simple, sweet cranberry salad!
Cranberry Salad Ingredients:
This easy, old fashioned classic is packed with your favorite jello, cranberry sauce, lemon juice, walnuts, pecans, and mini marshmallows! It is so easy to make in only about 20 minutes or so. This one can be made in addition to, or as a substitute for a classic Cranberry Sauce! This one really brings back childhood memories for me! It’s a midwestern “salad” with no actual salad in sight! But, the flavors and textures are so yummy and it has a great balance of sweet and tangy!
How to Make Cranberry Salad:
- First make the jello! You just need to boil your water as usual then whisk in your jello mix.
- Next, we just add in the additional water and cranberry sauce along with the lemon juice and nuts.
- At this point allow it to cool down for about 30 minutes and add in your mini marshmallows.
- Then pour into your favorite serving dish, let it chill for at least four hours and it’s ready to serve.
Classic Cranberry Salad Recipe Notes and Tips:
- This salad can be made ahead and holds up well for a few days! I do recommend eating it within one week of making, it should stay fresh as long as it’s in an airtight container in the fridge. This one does not freeze well.
- This dish can be served as a side dish or a dessert! In the midwest we usually put “salads” like this out with the main meal. However, it’s also totally common to see it on the dessert table too.
- I like to use regular mini marshmallows here but if you are a fan of the fruity style mini marshmallows go ahead and try them out! They will add a different flavor but a good one.
- You can use any type of “red” jello for this recipe. I’ve tested it out with cherry, raspberry, or strawberry all them are great. Use your preference, raspberry is my favorite.
- I love the mixture of walnuts and pecans, but use what you like best! You can use one or the other, or both. Or, you can try out chopped almonds instead.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Classic Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Water
- 1 6-oz Packet Strawberry or Raspberry Jell-O
- 1 14-oz Can Cranberry Sauce
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1 Cup Chopped Pecans
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
- 2 Cups Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
- Heat 1 1/2 Cups of the water in a medium saucepan over high heat until it boils then remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Jell-O mix.
- Whisk in the remaining 1 ½ cup of water, cranberry sauce and lemon juice until fully combined then stir in the pecans and walnuts.
- Let the Jell-O mix cool for 30 minutes then stir in the marshmallows and pour the mixture into a 2-quart container.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for 4-8 hours then serve.
