Orange Salad – An Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad

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Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad is a cool, refreshing summer salad that can be eaten as a dessert or a side dish.  This vintage orange fluff recipe only has five ingredients, and can be mixed together in a flash. Summer is the perfect time to try some of these old-fashioned “salads” that basically give you permission to eat dessert with your dinner and not afterwards!

Orange Jello Salad Recipe

It’s me again, Barbara. I’m here, eating another old fashioned salad.  Again. I don’t know what it is, but I love all vintage salad recipes. The fact that my Grandparent’s generation considered a salad to be any combination of Cool Whip, Jello, canned fruit and marshmallows a makes me think I was born in the wrong era.

Good bye kale and spinach salad. Hello sweet, creamy, sweet dessert salad.

I know I’ve already conquered Pretzel Salad, Ambrosia, Watergate, Cherry Fluff and Pink Lady Salad but when I saw this Orange Creamsicle Salad in my Shelby County Homemakers  Cook Book labeled “Easy Dessert”, I craved it. I had to make it!

The texture of orange jello cottage cheese salad is light and fluffy with the addition of mini marshmallows that plump up while the salad sets up in the refrigerator. I choose orange Jello so that it would taste like an orange creamsicle salad but the sky is the limit. Pick whatever flavor of Jello that your family loves.

 

Ingredient List for Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad

What do I need to make orange jello salad?

Orange Jell-o or Orange Gelatin (sugar-free jello gives the best orange color)

Cottage Cheese

Cool Whip

Mini Marshmallows

Drained Crushed Pineapple

Orange Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

This recipe is so old fashioned that it not only has a box of Jell-o mix, but it also has cottage cheese.

The strange thing is that you can’t even tell. It gives the old fashioned orange jello salad some texture, but it doesn’t affect the flavor whatsoever.

When it comes to the jello, I prefer to use sugar-free because it has a more vibrant orange color than the regular version.  This seems to be the case for all flavors of jello.  If you want to use the regular box of Jello, you might consider adding a few drops of food coloring to make it prettier.

How to Make Orange Salad with Marshmallows

Step by Step Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, fold together all ingredients – orange jello mix, Cool Whip (whipped topping), cottage cheese, mini marshmallows and drained, crushed pineapple.
  2. Chill mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum 2 hours before serving.

For the full instructions and ingredient amounts for orange jello cottage cheese  salad, scroll to the recipe card at the  bottom of this post. 

Recipe FAQs

  • Try swapping out other flavors or Jello including lime or strawberry for a whole new easy jello salad.
  • Be sure to drain the crushed pineapple.
  • Sugar-free orange jello mix gives the best orange color. If you use the regular variety, you can leave it white or add food coloring to make it prettier.
  • For a low fat and calorie version of orange jello salad with cool whip, make the following substitutions:
    • use sugar free Jello,
    • use fat free Cool Whip,
    • omit marshmallows completely
    • replace marshmallows with extra cottage cheese (fat free type).
  • If you want an vibrant orange color to easy jello salad, add a few drops of food coloring.
  • This recipe is very flexible. Add more or less or omit cottage cheese and marshmallows. Swap crushed pineapple for pineapple chunks or mandarin oranges or change up the flavor of Jello.  You can’t really screw this up!

Recipe Variations

  • Add drained mandarin oranges, or substitute oranges for pineapple.
  • For an aesthetically pleasing salad, add some drained maraschino cherries.
  • Stir in sweetened shredded coconut.
  • Add chopped nuts!

What can I do with extra mandarin oranges?

Make a jello salad by whisking together a box of jello, drained mandarin oranges, and Cool Whip. Then, add in your favorite add-ins such as mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, etc.

Pitch ins are a part of our summer life. Whether it’s sitting by the campfire with family or gathering with friends in the back yard, I love a summer cook out.

Our Favorite Pitch-In Recipes

Here’s some of my favorite pitch-in friendly recipes:

Old Fashioned Pea Salad

Yellow Cake Mix Gooey Bars

Crock Pot Calico Beans

Glazed Cherry Bars (for a crowd)

Sneaky Pete Vodka Slush

Old Fashioned Jello Fluff Recipes

Watergate Salad

Watergate Salad (also known as Pistachio Fluff) is a delightful, vintage salad packed with Pistachio flavor.  With only 5 simple ingredients, this fluffy treat will quickly become a most-requested recipe. 

Strawberry Delight 

Strawberry Delight is a simply delicious dessert with only five ingredients. No Bake Strawberry Dessert Recipes is easy to make yet always a crowd-pleaser. 

Lazy Daisy Salad -A 1950s Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Lazy Daisy Salad is a classic 1950s Ambrosia fruit salad recipe with vanilla pudding, mandarin oranges and cool whip.

Orange Salad – An Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad

Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad is a cool, refreshing summer salad that can be eaten as a dessert or a side dish.  This vintage recipe only has five ingredients, and can be mixed together in a flash.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Dessert, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: orange creamsicle salad, orange fluff, orange jello salad, orange jello salad with cool whip, orange jello salad with cottage cheese
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 95kcal
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 20 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
  • 0.3 ounces dry instant orange Jello (sugar-free variety)
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip

Instructions

  • Drain pineapple well.
    Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad (with cottage cheese) is a cool, refreshing summer salad that has only five ingredients.
  • Combine drained pineapple, cottage cheese, mini marshmallows, Cool Whip and orange jello. Stir gently until incorporated.
    Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad (with cottage cheese) is a cool, refreshing summer salad that has only five ingredients.
  • Chill for a minimum 2 hours before serving.
    Old Fashioned Orange Jello Salad (with cottage cheese) is a cool, refreshing summer salad that has only five ingredients.

Notes

  • Try swapping out other flavors or Jello including lime or strawberry for a whole new easy jello salad.
  • Be sure to drain the crushed pineapple.
  • Sugar-free orange jello mix gives the best orange color. If you use the regular variety, you can leave it white or add food coloring to make it prettier. 
  • For a low fat and calorie version of orange jello salad with cool whip, make the following substitutions:
    • use sugar free Jello,
    • use fat free Cool Whip,
    • omit marshmallows completely
    • replace marshmallows with extra cottage cheese (fat free type).
  • If you want an vibrant orange color to easy jello salad, add a few drops of food coloring.
  • This recipe is very flexible. Add more or less or omit cottage cheese and marshmallows. Swap crushed pineapple for pineapple chunks or mandarin oranges or change up the flavor of Jello.  You can’t really screw this up!
  • If you love vintage salads, try our Classic Ambrosia or Pink Lady Salad

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

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