This easy Strawberry Jello Salad recipe is made with fresh strawberries and cool whip! You can serve strawberry fluff salad year round.
A friend asked me to bring a strawberry fluff salad to a party at her house. She gave me a recipe for strawberry jello salad over the phone, which I wrote on the back of some random piece of paper in my purse, then and I promptly lost it!
So, at the grocery store, I called and got the ingredients from her again, thinking I had just left the recipe at home. Since I couldn’t find it, this is what I came up with, and it turned out so well that I wanted to share my recipe!
In This Post
What is Jello Salad?
Let’s start off by talking about what jello salad is. One of the definitions of the word salad is a usually incongruous mixture: hodgepodge. So basically, a jello salad is a mixture containing jello and is served as a sweet side dish or dessert.
A jello salad can be translucent with pieces of fruit suspended in it. It can be spread out in a 9×13 pan or shaped into a mold. Or it can be a jello fluff salad like the one in this recipe.
Jello salads contain everything from cream cheese and cottage cheese to diced fruit and vegetables to chopped pretzels and nuts.
Ingredients Needed For Strawberry Fluff Salad
- Strawberries: Choose fresh strawberries when they are available. You can use frozen strawberries. Just be sure to thaw them first.
- Gelatin: This recipe uses one package of strawberry jello.
- Pudding: You’ll need a package of cook-and-serve vanilla pudding (NOT instant).
- Water: The water dissolves the powdered gelatin and pudding mixes.
- Ice: We added ice cubes to the hot jello mixture to make up the rest of the water and to cool it down faster.
- Whipped Topping: The cool whip makes the salad light and airy. I do not recommend using homemade whipped cream since it won’t hold up in this salad.
- Garnish: You can add a dollop of cool whip and several strawberries to the top of the salad for garnish.
How To Make Strawberry Jello Salad
Cut up a 16 oz package of fresh (or use frozen strawberries thawed enough to slice) and set them aside.
Pour the strawberry gelatin and vanilla pudding mix into a saucepan and whisk to combine.
Whisk in the water. At this point, the mixture is opaque (you can’t see through it).
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes more translucent (you can see through it).
Adding ice to the hot jello mixture makes up the rest of the water needed and cools the jello down more quickly.
Pour into a heatproof bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until cool and slightly thickened.
Don’t leave it in the fridge too long, or the jello will set completely, and you won’t be able to incorporate the strawberries and cool whip.
Once it has cooled and thickened slightly, add the cut-up strawberries and cool whip. Put the easy strawberry jello salad into the fridge to chill and thicken.
More Jello Salad Recipes
This strawberry salad with jello can easily be turned into other salads by using different flavors of jello and other fruits! Here are a few jello salad recipes to try:
Orange Jello Salad
You can easily turn this into an orange fluff salad by using orange jello instead of strawberry. It tastes like an orange dreamsicle!
- Substitute the package of strawberry gelatin with a 6-ounce package of orange gelatin.
- Use a 15-ounce can of well-drained mandarin oranges instead of the strawberries.
Raspberry Jello Salad
Raspberry jello salad is another delicious flavor you can make using this recipe! You can choose fresh raspberries in the summer and frozen ones in the winter.
- Use a 6-ounce package of raspberry gelatin instead of strawberry.
- Substitute the diced strawberries with three cups of raspberries.
Lime Jello Salad
For a lime jello salad, use crushed pineapple for the fruit since limes would be too tart!
- Substitute a 6-ounce package of lime jello for the strawberry flavor.
- Use a 20-ounce can of drained crushed pineapple instead of the diced strawberries.
- Popular additions to lime fluff are 3 cups of mini marshmallows and 1 cup of chopped pecans!
Garnish the strawberry jello fluff salad with a dollop cool whip and several whole strawberries before serving it.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: This salad needs time to chill and thicken before serving it, so it is the perfect recipe to make ahead of time. You can even make it the day before!
- Leftovers: Cover the bowl and store it in the fridge for up to two days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze it for up to two months.
Strawberry Jello Salad FAQs
In this recipe, the strawberry jello and the pudding are cooked in a saucepan on the stovetop, so an instant pudding will not work. That being said, if you do want to use instant pudding, I suggest stirring the powdered instant pudding mix into the salad along with the cool whip.
It does get quite firm, so it should work in a mold.
Use light or sugar free cool whip. Also, several readers have reported using sugar free jello and vanilla pudding with great results.
Yes. Spread it in a 9×13 pan (or 8×8 if using leftovers). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. Store in the freezer for up to two months. Uncover and thaw enough to cut into slices. Enjoy while still frozen like a slice of ice cream cake.
Try raspberry, mandarin orange, cranberry, pineapple, or banana cream. Or leave the fruit out and make pistachio, lemon, or lime jello salad.
More Fruit Salads
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad has sugared pretzels and diced strawberries!
- Our Cranberry Salad with marshmallows is a holiday favorite!
- Blueberry Pretzel Salad has blueberries and pretzels in a creamy filling.
- This Fruit Salad is coated in a sweet lemon vanilla glaze!
Strawberry Jello Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz fresh strawberries
- 6 oz pkg strawberry jello
- 4.6 oz pkg cook ‘n serve vanilla pudding
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 16 oz cool whip thawed
Optional Garnish
- ½ cup cool whip
- 6 whole strawberries
Instructions
- Cut up a 16 oz package of fresh strawberries and set aside.
- Whisk together strawberry jello and the cook and serve vanilla pudding in a saucepan.
- Whisk in the water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and boil for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture becomes more translucent.
- Remove from heat and stir in the ice cubes until melted.
- Pour into a large heatproof bowl and cool in the refrigerator until slightly thickened.
- Remove from fridge and stir in the diced strawberries and cool whip.
- Return the jello salad into the fridge to chill and thicken.
Optional Garnish
- Garnish with cool whip and strawberries before serving.
Kelley says
This looks so delicious. Wondering if you could use crushed pineapple in it instead of the cut up strawberries. Also, do make this in a 9×13″ pan? Having a Valentine’s dinner coming up at church. Thought this would be great to take. Thank you.
Rhonda says
I love jello salad!! This looks so good. Perfect for a potluck…everyone loves it.
Starshine says
Can this recipe be used in a mold?
Tonia says
I’ve never tried it but this recipe does get pretty firm so it should work in a mold! ~Tonia
Kat says
This salad is delicious and I have never had anything quite like it. I used sugar free pudding, jello and lite cool whip. I am adding the recipe to my favorite lightened desserts recipes and look forward to trying different fruits and jello flavors.
CJ says
I read the dessert and thought what a great summer treat. Sadly when I made it it did not gel! I used the correct amounts but it turned out wobbly and more like a thick strawberry cloud soup
Any suggestions?
mary ford says
I just made this and I wonder if you used 8oz cool whip since that is the only ones in the market here or if you used 2 – 8oz cool whips??? It seemed to have stronger berry flavor with just 8oz cool whip.
Tonia says
Our grocery stores sell the 16 oz size container but you could use two 8 oz containers instead! Enjoy! ~Tonia
Kathy says
I made the Key Lime Pie and my sister and I just love it.
Tonia says
Fantastic! I love to hear that. I hope you have a wonderful summer! ~Tonia
Nancy Corriveau says
I am having the Sunday school ladies prayer group over Thursday , Dec.18,2014.We will be having lunch.afterward and each of the ladies will be bring a salad.I can Hardily wait to make the Strawberry Salad.I know everyone will love it. Thank you so much. P.S.it’s winter here but I know we. Will still enjoy it.
joanmarie says
I have tried this strawberry cloud salad recipe; it is delicious. I have also tried changing the ingredients two different times for a variety.
One time is used orange jello with crushed pineapple.
Another time I used pineapple jello with mandarin oranges.
Good refreshing summer time treats!
All VERY Good. 🙂
Peggy says
I’d like to make this for monthly bunco but don’t know how many this recipe makes. Anyone got an answer?
Tonia says
Hi Peggy,
Thanks for stopping by! Since it is a salad, it really depends on your serving size. It will make 16 – 4 oz (1/2 cup) servings. I hope your bunco group enjoys it!
~Tonia
Melissa Kita says
Can this be lightened up with sugar free jello, fat free pudding & light cool whip? Also, could different berries be used? This sounds yummy!
Kathy says
This looks and sounds delicious and so refreshing. I would make a couple of changes using sugar free jello and instead of using cool whip, using plain yogurt and some splenda if needed. I’m a diabetic and often have plain yogurt with sugar free jelly or sugar free jello and it’s delicious. I will be making this with those few changes. Thanks for the recipe.
Tonia says
Sounds great! I’m glad you figured out a way to make it work for you!
The Better Baker says
OH.I.WOULD.LOVE.THIS!! Awesome and wonderful…and I can’t wait to make it. Perfect for summertime!
Melissa Lawler says
Yum! I haven’t had Strawberry Fluff since I was a kid.
Tonia says
My mom still makes it at family gatherings!
NoNoNannette says
This look great, but how many does the recipe sever?
Tonia says
There would be about 16 – 4 oz (1/2 cup) servings.
peg says
I cant wait to make this. Have a baby shower coming up and was looking for something different and tasty. And with the berries plentiful–its on my list to make. Thanks for the great and easy recipe!
Lady Behind The Curtain says
THANK YOU so much for sharing your recipe with me at Cast Party Wednesday. I’d like to invite you back this week.Thanks,I hope to see you again!
Ali says
Thank you so much for sharing this at Recipe Sharing Monday. I hope to see you back tomorrow 🙂
Crystal says
shared this with my facebook readers. thanks for much for linking up.
A Pretty Life in the Suburbs says
Yeeeeuuum! This is a must-make!Jo-Anna
Michelle Paige says
Great blog…I’ve been reading and reading and can’t stop…so I think I’m your newest follower!
Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy says
Oh yum!!! I would love it if you linked this up to my Tuesday Confessional link party going on now: http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/08/tuesday-confessional-link-party-and.html.See you soon!~Macy
Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy says
Oh yum!!! I would love it if you linked this up to my Tuesday Confessional link party going on now: http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/08/tuesday-confessional-link-party-and.html.See you soon!~Macy
Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy says
Oh yum!!! I would love it if you linked this up to my Tuesday Confessional link party going on now: http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/08/tuesday-confessional-link-party-and.html.See you soon!~Macy
June@I will craft says
Oh this looks delicious. I think I’ll be trying it soon. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie says
That looks so yummy! I am going to write down your recipe and give it a try!
OnePerfectDay says
Looks great!I’ll have to give it a go.
Something Swanky says
This looks delicious!!Hoping to see you tomorrow at the Sweet Treats Party and GIVEAWAY!!Ashtonhttp://www.somethingswanky.com{Sweet Treats Thursday} Thu-Sun
Anne @ Domesblissity says
I reckon if I could get half of those ingredients Tonia I’d be making that tomorrow. We’ve just coming into strawberry season here and warmer weather. It’d go down a treat. Anne xx
Lindsay @ Delighted Momma says
Yum yum yum!! You always have the best recipes with the greatest how to pictures. Love that