Cherry Pineapple Fluff Recipe with Marshmallows

Dump the cherry pie filling in a bowl. Mandarin oranges go in too—but drain them first. Actually drain them twice. You’ll see why when the fluff sits in the fridge.

Why You’ll Love This Cherry Pineapple Fluff

No bake. Twenty minutes to make. That’s it. Tastes like cherry and pineapple had a party in your mouth, but in a way that doesn’t sound weird when you say it out loud. Marshmallows stay chewy. Pecans stay crunchy. The whole thing stays cold and bright for like two hours on the table without getting watery or falling apart. Looks like you tried. You didn’t. A kid could make this. People ask for the recipe at parties. Every time. Then they find out it’s literally five ingredients and feel kind of bad they asked.

What You Need for Cherry Pineapple Fluff

One can of cherry pie filling. Don’t get lite. The sugar matters. Mandarin oranges from a can. Drained. Like, really drained—pat them with paper towels if you want to be extra. They’ll keep the whole thing from turning into soup. Sweetened condensed milk. A 14-ounce can. That’s your glue. Vanilla and almond extracts. A teaspoon of vanilla. A quarter teaspoon of almond. The almond is weird but trust it. Whipped topping. The tub kind, thawed. Not the spray. Not homemade—this one time, don’t do it from scratch. Two cups of mini marshmallows. Maybe a little less if you hate them. More if you’re a marshmallow person. Walnuts. Three-quarters cup, chopped. Pecans work too. Not both. Pick one. Half a cup more mini marshmallows for the top. And maraschino cherries—the bright red kind. Pat them dry first or they bleed everywhere.

How to Make Cherry Pineapple Fluff

Get a big bowl. Dump in the cherry pie filling. The whole can. Don’t be gentle.

Mandarin oranges go in next. But before they do—and this matters—drain them. Then drain them again. Seriously. Squeeze them in the strainer a little bit. Nobody talks about this but it’s the difference between fluff and pink soup.

Mix the fruit together. Gently. You want the cherries to stay whole. The mandarins can break but don’t go looking for it.

In a separate bowl—smaller one—pour in the sweetened condensed milk. Add the vanilla and the almond extract. Whisk it. It’ll get slightly thicker and paler. That’s right.

Pour it over the fruit. Stir it but don’t go crazy. The cherries should still look like cherries. You’re mixing, not blending.

Whipped topping goes in next. Fold it—like actually fold it, don’t stir. You’re trying to make it fluffy, not dense. It should look creamy and light. If it looks like frosting, you folded too hard.

Now the marshmallows and nuts. Two cups of marshmallows. Three-quarters cup of walnuts. Fold them in. Everything together. The texture should feel bumpy and chewy and crunchy all at once.

Cover the bowl. Plastic wrap. Tight. Into the fridge it goes.

How Long to Chill Cherry Pineapple Fluff and Why It Matters

Two hours minimum. Two hours and twenty minutes is actually better. That’s the total time from start to serve. The marshmallows need the cold to hold their shape. The flavors need the cold to settle. The whipped topping needs the cold to stay fluffy. All three things happen at the same time but not fast. Don’t freeze it. Ever. The texture goes weird and icy. Pull it out maybe five minutes before you serve it. If it comes straight from the fridge it’s too cold and you can’t taste the fruit. Five minutes on the counter and it softens just enough.

Top it right before the party. The extra marshmallows. The cherries arranged on top. They go brown if they sit too long. Red and white looks like you planned it. Brown and white looks like you forgot.

Cherry Pineapple Fluff Recipe with Marshmallows

By Emma

Prep:

20 min

Cook:

0 min

Total:

2h 20min

Servings:

10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1 can drained canned mandarin oranges
• 14oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tub thawed whipped topping (about 8oz)
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup mini marshmallows (for garnish)
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries (patted dry)

Method

1. 1 Drain mandarin oranges completely; don’t rush this step or fluff gets too runny.
2. 2 In a large bowl, dump cherry pie filling and drained mandarin oranges; toss gently to mix.
3. 3 In a smaller bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk with vanilla and almond extracts until homogenous.
4. 4 Pour condensed milk mixture over fruit blend. Stir but don’t mash fruit apart – keep chunks visible.
5. 5 Add whipped topping, fold in carefully. Look for creamy texture, not liquidy or dense.
6. 6 Fold in 2 cups mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts – balance chew and crunch here.
7. 7 Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally up to 2 1/4 hours. Keep marshmallows from getting mushy by not over chilling.
8. 8 Before serving, sprinkle remaining mini marshmallows and arrange maraschino cherries evenly on top. Bright reds against white, visual cue it’s ready.
9. 9 Serve chilled, but not straight from freezer. Let sit 5 minutes if too cold for flavor to bloom.

Nutritional information

Calories

370

Protein

5g

Carbs

62g

Fat

11g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Cherry Pineapple Fluff

Can you use fresh pineapple instead of the canned mandarin oranges? No. Fresh pineapple has an enzyme that tears apart the whipped topping. It’ll turn into liquid. Canned is fine because they cooked it already.

What if you don’t like almond extract? Leave it out. Add another half teaspoon of vanilla instead. Different flavor but it works.

How long does it actually last in the fridge? Two days maybe. Marshmallows get hard after that. Everything else is fine.

Can you make this the day before a party? Yes. Chill it overnight. Skip the marshmallow and cherry topping until the morning. Add those two hours before people show up. Keeps them bright and chewy.

What if you use pecans instead of walnuts? Do it. Pecans are sweeter. The fluff tastes a little richer. Both work.

Can you make it without the almond extract? Yeah. It’ll taste like cherry and orange and sweet. Less interesting but nobody will know what’s missing.

Is there pineapple in this? No. The title is a lie. It’s cherry and mandarin orange. Someone probably thought mandarin oranges were pineapple once and it stuck. Don’t worry about it.