The best Cranberry Salad! Always a hit at holiday parties! A sweet, tart and creamy side dish. Made with fresh cranberries mixed with crushed pineapple and mini marshmallows with freshly whipped cream mixed in. Pomegranate seeds are garnished on top giving it a little crunch and juiciness. It’s heavenly!
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Cranberries are my new obsession! I am loving trying new things. First kale, now cranberry! Kind of embarrassing but all I really knew of cranberry growing up was on Thanksgiving when my dad would open up a can of cranberry sauce for a side dish. I thought it was so weird! Years ago my husband and I became big fans of cranberry juice but believe it or not the first time I ever bought or cooked/baked with the actual cranberry fruit was only last week! Took me long enough! And boy am I glad I gave it a try. I am now in love with cranberry and am so excited to share this delectable salad with you.
This recipe comes from my favorite TV chef, Kelsey Nixon. I love Kelsey! I have been her fan from the beginning (even before Food Network Star) and love watching her on The Cooking Channel. I came across this recipe and it had 5 stars, looked amazing so I gave it a try!
This cranberry salad is something special! It’s simple to make and seriously really fun, and of course, is so delicious! This Cranberry Salad would be fabulous to serve this Thanksgiving or Christmas. It can be made ahead of time. I had some of this a few days after making it and it was still so good. Not only does this salad taste fantastic, but it is also very pretty! I love the pomegranates that garnish the top.
Ingredients Needed for Cranberry Salad:
- Whole fresh cranberries
- Sugar
- Mini Marshmallows
- Crushed Pineapple, 20 oz. can
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Pomegranate Seeds
Wash and pat dry the cranberries. Aren’t they seriously so beautiful!?
How to Make Cranberry Salad:
1st step, chop up the cranberries, mix it with sugar and let it chill in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight.
2nd step, mix in crushed pineapple and marshmallows.
3rd step, whip up the heavy whipping cream, add a little powdered sugar and vanilla and gently mix together with the cranberry mixture. Press the cranberry salad into an 8×8 dish and chill in the fridge or freezer.
The last step is the best! Garnish the top of the cranberry salad with pomegranate seeds. Such a pretty fruit!
I served this at dinner with my in-laws and it was a huge hit! My sister-in-law even tried hiding it under the table so she wouldn’t have to share any. It’s that good!
Enjoy!
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Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 1, 10 oz. bag fresh whole cranberries (about 3 cups)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1, 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until fine and no large pieces remain. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Drain any accumulated juices from the cranberries if needed and reserve for another use, and then mix in the marshmallows and drained pineapple. Set aside.
- Whip the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl (using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or handheld mixer) until it begins to thicken, about 1 minute, and then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form about 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture, one third at a time, until fully incorporated. Transfer to an 8-by-8-inch baking dish or serving bowl.
- Refrigerate or freeze for about 2 hours. Right before serving, top with the pomegranate seeds.
Notes
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment!
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Yum! I love this salad. And I love your process photos too. I recently posted about Kelsey’s recipe with an interview with the back story to this it and her Thanksgiving tip you may be interested in.
Fun to find your blog through The Utah Bloggers FB group. 🙂
Becky- I read that story! That’s so fun it’s your blog. And that’s awesome you got to interview her. Kelsey is my favorite!
This looks delicious!! I’m posting a cranberry salad this week too! Yours looks absolutely amazing. I am a huge cranberry fan. Pinning, Becky!!
Thanks Jen! I can’t wait to see your recipe. I am now in love with cranberry anything! 🙂
This sounds like my grandmother’s red salad recipe, except she used cherry pie filling instead of cranberries! Such good memories!
That sounds really yummy!
What a beautiful salad – it looks so festive!
Blog on
Janet
Thank you Janet!
My husband would seriously love this. Pinning so I can earn major wife points! 🙂
You’re an awesome wife! I’m sure he will love it! 🙂
I love Kelsey too, so sad she didn’t make it further in Food Network Star. This looks like such a delicious recipe, definitely going to give it a try.
Well it all worked out for her! She’s doing better than the other 3 that were ahead of her on Food Network Star. 🙂
Yeah, I always love it when my favorites end up doing well anyway. Thanks for sharing on the weekend re-Treat link party!
Britni @ Play. Party. Pin.
Becky, this looks amazing! I am going to make it for Thanksgiving for sure!
Thanks Inna! I’m excited you are going to make it. Enjoy!
I’m adoring cranberry this year! My name is Katie and I host Fall Into the Holidays, now open. All entries get pinned. I would love to have you link up!
Oh this salad is the best! Yea for cramagranite!! Thanks for introducing it to me.
No problem! 🙂 It’s my new favorite side-dish! We should have it at every family party!
Can you help me? I am confused on how to eat the pomegranite seeds that are showing up in all these new recipes? I’ve already cracked one tooth! Do you actually eat them? Spit out the seeds? Or are the just for show?
I’m sorry to hear that but that shouldn’t happen with pomegranate seeds. They aren’t that hard and you can eat the seeds it’s not just decoration, that wouldn’t make sense to put it on a recipe. Pomegranate seeds are really yummy! Give it another try! 🙂 Here’s a great link to show you how to get the seeds out: http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-a-Pomegranate
Quick question – could I use Cool Whip instead of making my own whipped cream? or would you advise against that? Thanks!
Yes, that’s fine. My mother-in-law used cool whip when she made it for Thanksgiving and it was great!
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try it 😀
That would be great to take to Thanksgiving this year. Like the flavor combination.
slehan at juno dot com
Hey just wondering what you would substitute the pomegranate for, as they are out of season here in Australia and I can not find one to save my life! Haha!
They can be hard to find sometimes! You could make it without them or I think a good substitute would be a berry like raspberry or chopped strawberries. Enjoy! 🙂
I need to make this. Looks so tasty with the pomegranates on it. YUM!
Have you ever tried this with frozen cranberries? All my local stores have been out of fresh ones since before Christmas. :/
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work just fine!
Thanks for your response! I’ll go for it and try to remember to come back to report my findings. 🙂