Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (2024)

Home » Blog » FOOD » » Mandarin Orange Jello Salad + Video

· FOOD · Holiday Eats · · Side Dishes

ByLoriPublished Updated

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on a link and/or make a purchase, I may be paid a small commission at no additional cost to you. Additionally, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my Disclosure page for more information.

Jump to Recipe

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad tastes like an orange Dreamsicle ice cream treat. Bright citrus flavor with a creamy, mousse-like texture, it’s a sweet addition to any meal.

Today I am sharing a longtime Family Favorite recipe – Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (tastes like a Dreamsicle!). My sister-in-law (Hi Cheryl!) shared this little gem with me many years ago.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (1)

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox.Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from A Reinvented Mom

We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.

My family loves this salad. A LOT! I can’t even begin to guess how many times I’ve made it over the years. I love this orange jello salad so much that I created a Strawberry Jello Salad – it’s divine!

It’s a mainstay at our holiday and special occasion meals. And I’ve also prepared it for countless potlucks and parties.

And sometimes I make it “just because”. You know, those times when a family member requests something ever so nicely. It’s all about keeping your people happy, right?

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (2)

We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.

Should I serve it as part of the meal or as a dessert?

This question has sparked many debates. Like similar Midwestern (and Southern) dishes, this jello salad with mandarin oranges is considered a salad. Perhaps there’s less guilt associated with eating something with “salad” in the name?

But this is a sweet salad. Not to be confused with a plate-of-greens-and-veggies salad.

And it always (always!) sparks a debate as to when to serve the dish. Should you serve it as part of the meal? Or serve it as a dessert?

Traditionally we’ve served it as part of the meal. But you can be a rebel and serve it as a dessert if that’s how you want to roll.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (3)

Ingredients Needed for Orange Fluff Salad:

You’ll need just a handful of common ingredients to prepare this recipe (scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card):

  • orange gelatin
  • cook & serve vanilla pudding
  • water
  • whipped topping – thawed
  • mandarin oranges – drained

Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.

How to Make Mandarin Orange Jello Salad

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (4)

Start by combining the pudding and gelatin mixes with water & cook until clear (about 5 minutes). The mixture will be “cloudy” in appearance when you first start. As it cooks, the liquid becomes a clear orange (not cloudy) color.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (5)

Pour gelatin mixture in a bowl and refrigerate until it’s set up. I usually make this the night before and let it chill overnight.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (6)

Combine chilled gelatin mixture with whipped topping. A potato masher works great for this step. Add mandarin oranges and stir gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  • Instant pudding mix is not recommended for this recipe.
  • Make sure you drain the oranges before adding.
  • I use a potato masher to combine the gelatin mixture & whipped topping.
  • You can use fresh whipped cream but keep in mind the whipped cream will break down faster than the prepared whipped topping. Leftover jello salad may separate and become watery if using fresh whipped cream.
  • You can add a second can of mandarin oranges to up the citrus flavor.
  • Swap out for strawberry gelatin and make .
Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (7)

Helpful tools to make the Mandarin Orange Salad with Cool Whip recipe

Sometimes the right tools can make or break your cooking experience. These are the tools I used to make quick work of the orange jello salad with cool whip recipe:

Whisk – I use this for cooking the mix. It’s the perfect size for dressings & sauces. Dishwasher safe with sealed barrel.
Prep bowls – This set is versatile enough for most kitchen tasks.
Hand held potato masher – I use this to combine the pudding mixture & Cool Whip.

Can I freeze Orange Jello Salad?

We don’t recommend freezing because the jello will break down.

Can I prepare this in advance?

Yes! We usually make the base a day or two ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve combine the base with the whipped topping and oranges as directed.

More vintage fruit salads & sides:

  • Creamy New York Fruit Salad
  • Summer Berry Cheesecake Salad
  • Creamy Grape Salad
  • Ambrosia Salad with Cool Whip
  • Strawberry Fluff Salad
  • Fruit co*cktail Salad
  • Cousin Betty’s Pistachio Pudding
  • The BEST Marshmallow Fruit Dip

**Pin Orange Jello Salad Recipe for Later**

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (8)

Originally posted in 2014 this post was updated 11/17/17 (post & photos updated), 5/27/19 (photos & post updated), 11/4/20 (video) and 4/19/22 (post & photos).

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (9)

If you make one of our recipes, please leave a star rating or comment below. And don’t forget to tag us with #areinventedmom – we love to see your creations! For more great content follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Yummly.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (10)

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad tastes like a Dreamsicle. Bright orange flavor with a creamy, mousse-like texture. Will you serve it as a side dish or a dessert?

4.54 from 228 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Chilling: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Lori @ www.AReinventedMom.com

Ingredients

  • 6 ounce package orange gelatin
  • 2 3 ounce packages vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
  • 4 cups hot water
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip
  • 16 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

Instructions

  • Combine orange jell-o, vanilla pudding mix and hot water in a large saucepan.

  • Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

  • Continue boiling (and stirring) until mixture turns a clear orange color (about 5 minutes).

  • Pour into a large bowl and chill overnight. Alternatively, chill until set (about 4 hours).

  • Combine Cool Whip with jell-o/pudding mixture (a potato masher works well for this step).

  • Add mandarin oranges and stir gently.

  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • I don’t recommend using instant pudding mix.
  • Plan ahead – needs to chill.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently.

Tried this recipe?Mention @AReinventedMom or tag #areinventedmom

Nutritional Estimate

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 407IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.

***Want to make Orange Jello Salad? Pin the recipe for later.***

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (11)
Mandarin Orange Jello Salad (2024)

FAQs

What is ambrosia salad made of? ›

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite!

What happened to jello salads? ›

Jello salad fell out of fashion in the 1960s and 70s. The rise of Julia Child and the popularization of French cooking in the United States made the jello salad appear less elegant, and dieting trends eventually turned against sugary food like Jell-O.

What can you do with a lot of mandarin oranges? ›

Here's how you can put your leftover mandarin oranges to good use in the week after Chinese New Year:
  • Mandarin Orange Green Tea. Add a zesty spin to your usual cup of green tea! ...
  • Mandarin Orange Potpourri. ...
  • Mandarin Orange Jam. ...
  • Mandarin Orange Salad Dressing. ...
  • Orange-scented Vinegar Cleaning Solution.

What is strawberry fluff made of? ›

What is strawberry fluff? Strawberry fluff is a simple dessert made by combining strawberry jello, whipped topping, crushed pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh strawberries. It is mixed and then served chilled.

What is the difference between ambrosia and watergate? ›

Ambrosia Salad Tastes Like Coconut, Watergate Salad Tastes Like Pistachio. One of the first things that sets ambrosia and Watergate salads apart is the flavor profile of each dish. Watergate salad uses a pistachio instant pudding packet and often calls for additional garnishings of pistachio on top.

What is the most popular salad in America? ›

What Is the Most Popular Salad Served in the U.S.?
  • Potato Salad. ...
  • Spinach Salad. ...
  • Caprese Salad. ...
  • Cobb Salad. ...
  • Waldorf Salad. ...
  • Fruit Salad. ...
  • Chef Salad. ...
  • Garden Salad. A common American salad consisting of leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, or arugula, mixed with assorted raw vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers.

Why do hospitals always serve Jell-O? ›

Why do hospitals serve so much Jell-O? There are a few reasons: Jell-O is easy to swallow and digest, making it suitable for patients who have difficulty eating solid foods or have digestive issues.

Why is Jell-O no longer popular? ›

Jell-O's decline

After all, it's commonly associated with patients eating it in hospitals or disgraced comedian Bill Cosby, who was the face of the brand for 30 years. And, Jell-O molds and now-defunct flavors like Italian salad and mixed vegetables are in recipe books for “nauseating” foods.

Is it OK to eat 2 mandarins a day? ›

In short, although mandarin oranges are highly nutritional and satisfies our cravings at the same time, it should not be consumed excessively, especially by certain people. Overall, I would personally recommend consuming a maximum of four mandarin oranges a day.

Is eating mandarin oranges everyday good for you? ›

Mandarin oranges have even more beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin than common oranges, making them excellent additions to your diet. The body turns beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin into vitamin A, which is essential for a healthy immune system, good vision, and normal growth and development.

Why do Chinese eat mandarin oranges? ›

Mandarin oranges have always been considered as a traditional symbol of good fortune. This is mainly because the word orange, when spoken in mandarin, sounds similar to the word “wealth”.

Is fuzz on strawberries mold? ›

That unappetizing fuzz is called gray mold, and it's caused by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Other common fungal diseases of strawberry include powdery mildew and anthracnose. These diseases pose big problems for growers, who traditionally apply fungicides to control them.

Why is my strawberry furry? ›

– Although it's common to find strawberries in the garden that have turned brown, soft or fuzzy with gray mold, proper watering and yearly renovation can help stem the problem. Strawberries can suffer gray mold, also known as Botrytis fruit rot. The berries might start showing symptoms when they flower.

What does ambrosia contain? ›

Most ambrosia recipes contain canned (often sweetened) or fresh pineapple, canned mandarin orange slices or fresh orange sections, miniature marshmallows, and coconut. Other ingredients might include various fruits and nuts: maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, peeled grapes, or crushed pecans.

Why do people eat ambrosia salad? ›

Aside from the omission of cream, it sets out the basic components of what the dish would become — sweet, citrusy, and crunchy from the coconut. One of the reasons ambrosia salad may have been so popular in the latter half of the 19th century was that its ingredients were exciting and new.

What is ambrosia also known as? ›

Ambrosia (plant), a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae commonly known as ragweed. Ambrosia beetle, beetles which live in nutritional symbiosis with ambrosia fungi. Ambrosia fungi. Bee bread, also known as ambrosia or bee pollen.

How to make ambrosia percy jackson? ›

Put the sour cream into the bowl and gently mix it until soft. Add the whipped topping and gently mix it into the sour cream until you have a smooth base for your ambrosia. Drain the liquid out of the mandarin oranges and the cherries; then add the fruit into the bowl. Mix in the bananas and coconut flakes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Moshe Kshlerin

Last Updated:

Views: 6579

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Moshe Kshlerin

Birthday: 1994-01-25

Address: Suite 609 315 Lupita Unions, Ronnieburgh, MI 62697

Phone: +2424755286529

Job: District Education Designer

Hobby: Yoga, Gunsmithing, Singing, 3D printing, Nordic skating, Soapmaking, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Moshe Kshlerin, I am a gleaming, attractive, outstanding, pleasant, delightful, outstanding, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.