Pink Lady Salad Recipe (Includes Step By Step Instructions)
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Pink Lady Salad is 5 ingredient vintage Jello salad that includes cottage cheese, canned pineapple and Cool Whip. Also known as Pink Stuff, this recipe creates one of those classic dishes that graced holiday dinner tables, family gatherings, baby showers, and Easter brunches across the Midwest.
Pink Lady Salad Recipe
There’s nothing more vintage than a gelatin salad. Preparing and serving a pink fluff salad (also called sweetheart salad) sends me through a time warp. I’m in a time when my Grandma is getting ready for a lady’s luncheon wearing a patterned apron.
I found this 5 Minute Pink Salad recipe in Grandma’s wooden recipe box. Grandma’s recipe is on an index card, and she had two versions of Pink Lady Salad on the same stained card. Both recipes were similar but unique. There are numerous versions of gelatin salads out there, and I imagine that each home cook had her own beloved version that she used based on what ingredients were accessible and affordable. I also love how the same salads have various names.
If your heart desires, try mixing up this recipe by adding miniature marshmallows, cream cheese, drained mandarin oranges, or a different flavor of jello mix. Or, if you are wanting a more decadent Cherry Pie Version using cherry pie filling, try Grandma’s Cherry Fluff. This is another recipe straight out of Grandma’s wooden recipe box.
Southern Pink Salad Ingredient List
- Strawberry Jello (preferably sugar free), 0.3 oz packet
- Crushed Pineapple, drained well
- Cottage Cheese
- Cool Whip
- Pecans, chopped
How to Make Old Fashioned Jello Salad Recipe
Step By Step Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix cool whip, drained crushed pineapple, cottage cheese, chopped nuts and dry packet of Jello.
- Let salad set up in refrigerator before serving, approximately 1 hour.
For the full instructions and ingredient amounts for 5 Minute Pink Salad, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe FAQs
- This easy pink stuff salad has only 5 ingredients – strawberry jello mix, cool whip, cottage cheese, chopped nuts and crushed pineapple.
- Use raspberry jello, if desired.
- Be sure to drain the pineapple thoroughly before adding to the pink stuff salad. Discard the juice or use it for something delicious like Amaretto Pina Coladas.
- A sieve works best for draining crushed pineapple. Check out the “Kitchen Stuff You Need” list in our Amazon shop for our sieve of choice and other items that we can’t live without.
- To make this 5 minute pink salad diet friendly, use fat free cool whip, non fat cottage cheese, and sugar free strawberry jello.
- We prefer to use sugar free strawberry jello in this recipe, but regular strawberry jello mix would work too.
- The strawberry jello mix gets added to the salad dry without water being added.
- Love family favorite fluff salads? Try Cranberry Fluff Salad by clicking here.
Can I swap canned pineapple chunks for crushed pineapple?
Yes, canned pineapple chunks, tidbits or pineapple rings are a suitable substitute for crushed pineapple. First off, you need to determine whether or not the recipe calls to drain off the juices from the crushed pineapple. If so, then go ahead and drain first, and then pour the chunks into a food processor.
If the recipe says to keep the pineapple undrained, then pour in the entire can, juices and all.
Next, use the food processor to make crushed pineapple. The Pulse button works great for this. Pulse until the pineapple chunks are broken down into crushed pineapple. Or, turn on low for a few seconds at a time until you get to the desired texture.
This can also be done with fresh pineapple as well.
Our Favorite Vintage Dessert Salads
Our grandma loved her dessert salads and luckily she wrote some of her favorite recipes down and we’ve found other keepers in our old church cookbook collection. Here are some that we’ve shared already on the blog – Ambrosia, Cherry Fluff, Vintage Pineapple Pretzel Salad, Watergate Salad, and Lazy Daisy (Ambrosia) Salad.
Our Favorite Vintage Recipes
Vintage recipes are our cup of tea. Here’s some of our favorites:
Grandma’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Mom’s Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips
Linking up to Weekend Potluck.
Pink Lady Salad – An Old Fashioned Jello Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 ounces Cool Whip
- 0.3 ounces strawberry Jello mix, dry (sugar free, preferably)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until strawberry jello mix is completely incorporated and salad is perfectly pink.
- Let set up in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.
Notes
- This easy pink stuff salad has only 5 ingredients—strawberry jello mix, cool whip, cottage cheese, chopped nuts and crushed pineapple.
- Be sure to drain the pineapple thoroughly before adding to the pink stuff salad. Discard the juice or use it for something delicious like Amaretto Pina Coladas.
- A sieve works best for draining crushed pineapple.
- To make this 5 minute pink salad diet friendly, use fat free cool whip, non fat cottage cheese, and sugar free strawberry jello.
- We prefer to use sugar free strawberry jello in this recipe, but regular strawberry jello mix would work too.Â
- The strawberry jello mix gets added to the salad dry without water being added.Â
- Please note carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information can vary greatly depending on the products you use. The nutritional information below is auto-calculated and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
Nutrition
My gram made “May Day Salad”, which is mandarin oranges instead of pineapples and orange jello powder.
Love how there are so many versions of this vintage dish!
One of my favorites as a kid! But my mom cooked the jello and pineapple (undrained) until the grainy jello look was gone. Then cooled it down and added cottage cheese. After that was lightly mixed she folded in the whip cream. Delish!!! Im going to try the no cook version. One less step.
We’ll have to try the cooked version! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve heard it was actually better when it was cooked like that. If you try the instant way please let us know what way you liked better as in flavor wise Please.
My family knows this as Pink Salad but we never put nuts in. It’s so creamy and delicious.
I think I’ll try adding fresh cut strawberries to the mix.
How long does the pink lady salad last in refrigerator
It last 5-7 days in the fridge but it will break down and get watery if you double dip so beware.
What a childhood memory! Please share all the versions your grandmother had! It is a perfect for diabetics!
It was a big hit at our church fellowship. Several ask for the recipe.
Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Is this ok to make the night before you need it?
Yes, making it ahead of time is just fine…just don’t take a bite from the bowl and double dip…the bacteria in our mouths can break down the salad and make it watery.