Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad

This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad might be the ultimate kid-friendly side dish or dessert. With only four ingredients, this fruit salad is perfect for a cookout, pitch-in, barbecue or whatever you call a gathering with lots and lots of food!

This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad with pudding mix recipe may be the easiest fruit salad recipe ever, and you might even have all of the ingredients already in your pantry! If not, you can keep all these pantry staples on-hand, and throw it together in a pinch.

We always have a few cans of fruit on hand for a quick snack or side to go with any meal. Barbara’s kids love mandarin oranges, and you cannot beat the prep time to get them on the plate. Just open the can and dump them into a bowl or on a plate!

Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad with Marshmallows

Doesn’t everyone remember a fruit salad with marshmallows that always showed up at family gatherings or cookouts? This is definitely one of those classic recipes that everyone’s grandma had on hand.

The sweet flavor from the vanilla pudding makes this easy fruit salad a hit with kids and adults alike, and really, don’t marshmallows make any dish into a kid-friendly one?

Barbara found this recipe in her favorite Pot O’Gold Cookbook (surprise, surprise), and she made it for a Father’s Day cookout. The entire family – young and old –  enjoyed it.

How to Make Fruit Salad with Marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Combine mandarin oranges and mixed fruit with the marshmallows.
2. Sprinkle pudding mix over fruit, and gently stir.
3. Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours before serving.

For the full instructions for fruit salad with pudding mix, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Notes About Fruit Salad with Pudding Mix:

• Barbara’s oldest daughter put this fruit salad together for her, and she is only 7. It is that easy!
• You basically open two cans of fruit and a bag of mini marshmallows and dump them into a bowl. Once they are mixed together, sprinkle a box of vanilla pudding over it and stir.
• This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad needs to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before serving. You can make it the day before you want to serve it and refrigerate overnight.
• Feel free to change it up with different cans of fruit, whatever your family prefers.

Need some more cookout recipes? How about our Vintage Barbecue Burgers, Sweet and Sour Coleslaw, Ranch Cauliflower Salad, and Glazed Oatmeal Cherry Bars for dessert?

Other Old-Fashioned Salads

• Old-Fashioned Pea Salad
• Grandma’s Cherry Fluff
• Pink Lady Salad
• Vintage Pretzel Salad
• Classic Ambrosia
• Cream Cheese Grape Salad
• Pistachio Salad
• Old-Fashioned Lemon Jello Shrimp Salad

Print Recipe

Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad

This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad might be the ultimate kid-friendly side dish or dessert. With only four ingredients, this fruit salad is perfect for a cookout, pitch-in, barbecue or whatever you call a gathering with lots and lots of food!

Prep Time10 mins

Refrigeration Time8 hrs

Total Time8 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fruit salad with marshmallows, fruit salad with pudding, fruit salad with pudding mix, old-fashioned fruit salad

Servings: 8

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

• 15 oz. can undrained fruit cocktail
• 15 oz. can undrained mandarin oranges
• 10 oz. bag miniature marshmallows
• 3.4 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding

Instructions

• Combine both cans fruit and marshmallows.
• Sprinkle dry pudding mix over fruit; mix well.
• Refrigerate overnight or for 6-8 hours.

Notes

• Do not drain either cans of fruit.
• This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad needs to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before serving.
• You can make it the day before you want to serve it and refrigerate overnight.
• Feel free to change it up with different cans of fruit, whatever your family prefers.
• Love these old recipes? Try Classic Ambrosia or Grandma's Cherry Fluff. 

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.