Description
This Frozen Cranberry Fruit Salad is a refreshing and festive dessert perfect for holiday gatherings. Creamy softened cream cheese is blended with sugar and combined with whole cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, chopped strawberries, pecans, and shredded sweetened coconut. Lightly folded in with cool whip, this mixture is spooned into liners and frozen until firm, creating a delightful, chilled treat that’s easy to make and sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sugar
Fruit and Nuts
- 1 (14-oz) can whole cranberry sauce
- 1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
- ¾ cup chopped strawberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Whipped Topping
- 1 (8-oz) carton cool whip, thawed
Instructions
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for the fruit salad.
- Add Fruits and Nuts: Fold in the whole cranberry sauce, drained crushed pineapple, chopped strawberries, chopped pecans, and shredded sweetened coconut into the cream cheese mixture. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Incorporate Whipped Topping: Carefully fold the thawed cool whip into the fruit and cream cheese mixture, blending gently to maintain a light and airy texture without deflating the whipped topping.
- Freeze in Cups: Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners and spoon the fruit salad mixture into each cup. Place the filled cups in the freezer and freeze until the mixture is firm, typically several hours or overnight.
- Serve: Remove the frozen fruit salad cups from the freezer about 10 minutes prior to serving to allow them to soften slightly for easier eating and better flavor.
Notes
- The salad can be prepared a day ahead for convenience and deeper flavor melding.
- If pecans are unavailable or for a different texture, walnuts or almonds can be substituted.
- Ensure the cream cheese is softened at room temperature to avoid lumps when mixing.
- Allowing the frozen salad to soften slightly after removal from the freezer improves serving ease and taste.
- Use liners for muffin cups to help with easy removal and neat presentation.
