Strawberry Jello Fluff Salad Recipe

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4.75 from 4 votes
Published: November 5, 2021Author: Kristen Hills
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Strawberry Jello Fluff Salad only has 5 ingredients and is perfectly light and fluffy. Serve as a dessert or side dish!
Strawberry Jello Fluff Salad Recipe

There is a reason why this Strawberry Jello Fluff Salad is the most popular recipe on our website – it’s so DELICIOUS!

If you love fluff salads, be sure to check out all the recipes on our site:

I think that out of all the fluffy salads on our blog, this strawberry one is my favorite!

I have written this recipe to make 10-12 servings, but you could easily cut it in half (use the small boxes of jello and only one 8 ounce container of Cool Whip) if you need less.

Related Article: Make your own fruit snacks at home with Jello! Our Easy Jello Fruit Snacks are easy to make!  

Why is this called “Jello Fluff Salad”?

The texture of this salad is light and fluffy!

Some people even add in marshmallows, which adds even more to the fluffiness of this dish.

What makes the salad so fluffy is the mixture of the Jello mix with the pudding mix – it makes everything so smooth.

Add in the fluffy Cool-Whip and it makes the perfect combination of smooth fruity flavor with fluffy whipped topping.

Jello in a bowl with whipped cream on top and an electric mixer in the back

Ingredients needed for Strawberry Fluff Jello Salad:

  • 1 large box Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding (instant pudding will not work for this recipe)
  • 1 large box strawberry jell-o
  • 16 ounces Cool-Whip
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2-3 bananas, sliced
  • 5 ounces (1/2 a bag) of mini marshmallows

How far in advance can I make this jello fluff salad?

To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend making it more than 1 day in advance.

I find that the juice from the strawberries will make the salad runny.

For best results, make this salad the same day that you plan on eating it.

liquid jello being poured from a saucepan into a glass bowl

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Watch how to make this Jello Fluff Salad:

Can you make this fluff salad with sugar-free jello and pudding?

I have not made this salad using sugar-free jello or pudding, but in everything that I have read about sugar-free jello, it should still work out great for this recipe!

If you try it with sugar-free jello, leave a comment below and let us know how it worked.

whipped pink jello in a glass bowl with fresh strawberries dumped on top

Can you make this salad with fresh whipped cream?

I have never tried making this recipe without cool-whip  – the cool whip is needed to get that fluffy texture.

If you use fresh whipped cream, I am afraid that you will not get the same fluffy consistency and this recipe will not turn out the way that it’s supposed to.

If you are looking for a homemade Cool-Whip alternative, check out this recipe for Stabilized Whipped Cream – it has a more similar fluffiness to Cool-Whip.

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Try one of our other fruit salads:

Serves: 12

Strawberry Jello Fluff Salad Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes
Strawberry Jello Fluff Salad only has 6 ingredients and is perfectly light and fluffy. Serve as a dessert or side dish!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 4 mins
Chill Time 6 hrs
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 4.6 ounces cook and serve vanilla pudding mix (large box)
  • 6 ounces strawberry jello package (large box)
  • 3 cups water
  • 16 ounces cool-whip (thawed)
  • 5 ounces mini marshmallows (half of the 10 ounce bag)
  • 3 bananas sliced
  • 2 cups strawberries sliced

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, whisk together pudding mix, Jello mix, and water. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil.
  • Remove saucepan from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate until mixture has thickened (overnight or for about 4-6 hours).
  • Once mixture has thickened, beat until creamy with an electric hand mixer.
  • Fold in Cool Whip, marshmallows, and fruit. Chill for about an hour before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Using bananas is optional in this recipe (it’s great with or without them), but if you do use them, add them right before eating. They tend to turn brown and get mushy if you add them too early.
  • You can also add pineapple tidbits for another delicious twist.
  • In a hurry? You can put the jello/pudding mixture into the freezer to set up and it will be ready to mix in about an hour.

Nutrition

Calories: 214 kcal · Carbohydrates: 48 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 2 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 6 mg · Sodium: 175 mg · Potassium: 148 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 37 g · Vitamin A: 79 IU · Vitamin C: 16 mg · Calcium: 47 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • Electric Mixer
  • Mixing Bowl

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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  1. Anne says:
    September 2, 2016
    Have you ever tried making this with chocolate pudding?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      September 6, 2016
      We haven't tried it with chocolate pudding, but it would work fine. Make sure the pudding is not instant, it has to be Cook N Serve Pudding.
      Reply
  2. Sue Watson says:
    October 5, 2016
    I am making this tomorrow for a Red Hats event. Can I make the puddings up and store in fridge tonight or should I do it right before adding cool whip and fruit? Thanks
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      October 6, 2016
      Hi Sue. Make up the pudding and jello mixture and put it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight. Then the next morning or right before your event, mix the mixture that has set up and then add the rest of the ingredients. It's really an easy recipe that tastes so delicious! Hope this helps.
      Reply
  3. Rachael says:
    December 23, 2016
    Is the cool whip to be thawed?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 26, 2016
      Yes, your cool whip cannot be frozen. We just thaw it in the fridge overnight or for a few hours.
      Reply
      • Janice says:
        July 24, 2020
        I can’t find the big box of vanilla cook & serve pudding anywhere, can I use 2 small boxes?
        Reply
        • Cyd says:
          July 28, 2020
          The big box is 4.6 ounces. So just buy 2 small boxes and try to measure out close to 4.6 ounces as possible. I hope this helps.
          Reply
        • Sue Schaetz says:
          January 25, 2021
          Cannot wait to try this, looks delicious! Includes all of my favorite ingredients too. I noticed some people had trouble finding things in stores. Walmart usually stock everything I need. Stock up when you see them, they will keep quite a while.
          Reply
  4. Jessica says:
    January 15, 2017
    This looks yummy! Any chamce it can sit for only 3 hours? The kids want it tonight. Lol Thanks!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 16, 2017
      When we have this strawberry jello fluff salad for dinner, we make it in the morning. The first step where you refrigerate it is very important, and needs to be set pretty firm. This is one of our absolute favorites. We like it with orange jello and mandarin oranges too!
      Reply
      • Anabel says:
        June 23, 2020
        Can I use instant pudding?
        Reply
        • Cyd says:
          July 17, 2020
          No, it needs to be cook and serve pudding.
          Reply
    • Tara Floch says:
      July 6, 2018
      I put it in my deep freeze to speed up the process.
      Reply
  5. Kelly says:
    January 29, 2017
    I added crushed pineapple and maraschino cherry. Very tasty
    Reply
  6. Deborah says:
    February 4, 2017
    I made this yesterday and after chilling the Jello mixture for 6 hours it was like rubber! It took forever to get it creamy. I used the box sizes as listed in the recipe and 2 cups water. Is this correct? I followed the entire recipe. It turned out pretty good in the end but was a darker pink than the photo, also was hard to get off the serving spoon. I'm wondering if I should have used more water or maybe the smaller boxes of Jello???
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 7, 2017
      After refrigerating the jello, pudding and water mixture that you bring to a boil, it becomes very solid. We just beat it with a hand mixer for only about 1 minute. Then add in the cool whip and mix together well. Then fold in all of the fruit. It is a thicker type of jello salad. I'm sure you could add 3 cups of water instead of 2 and it will still work fine.
      Reply
    • Amanda says:
      February 12, 2017
      I just made this and was thinking mine was awfully pink and thick too, then I looked back at the recipe and it's 16 Oz of cool whip, I had only used one normal tub which is 8 Oz. Back to the store I go!
      Reply
    • Casey Aldrin says:
      August 24, 2018
      It calls for 3 cups water not 2. perhaps that is why yours is so rubbery.
      Reply
  7. Charlene says:
    March 11, 2017
    I made this for about 15 people. Everybody loved it, and there was none left! So easy, and so good!!
    Reply
  8. Carrie says:
    November 15, 2017
    Just double checking. You don’t cook the pudding separate. The 2 cups of water is cooked WITH the box of jello and box of pudding together. Correct? Making this for my grandsons at Thanksgiving. Thanks so much!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      November 16, 2017
      That is correct. And the pudding has to be Cook N Serve - not instant. I'm making it for Thanksgiving and using raspberry jello and fresh raspberries. It's amazing too! Have a great Thanksgiving.
      Reply
  9. Desiree Zaugg says:
    November 23, 2017
    I made this last night and it’s still kinda runny. Could it be because i only used 8 oz of cool whip?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      November 23, 2017
      You mix together the cook n serve pudding, jello and water until it boils. That is what your refrigerate overnight or for 6 hours. It becomes very thick. Then you beat it and fold in the cool whip, marshmallows and fruit. It should be a pretty thick jello salad. Hope this helps.
      Reply
  10. Glo says:
    December 3, 2017
    Can't you use 16oz of real whipped cream instead of cool whip? I hate that stuff, feels like I'm eating shaving cream...
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 4, 2017
      I did some research for you on subbing real whipped cream in some recipes for Cool Whip. It does not always work out well. A recipe that calls for frozen whipped topping in the recipe, will be more difficult to substitute. The reason frozen whipped topping is used in a dessert is to create a fluffy texture. Homemade whipped cream won’t create the same consistency, and your dessert may end up being a flop. If you would like to avoid frozen whipped topping, then you’ll need to stabilize your whipped cream. To stabilize, simply add a tablespoon of cornstarch to every cup of cream. This will help your whipped cream keep its shape.
      Reply
  11. Nancy says:
    December 5, 2017
    YUM!
    Reply
  12. Can B. says:
    December 21, 2017
    Would it be possible to use frozen fruit or should it be thawed first?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 29, 2017
      We have used the frozen fruit and thawed it first. You will want to drain off any liquid after it thaws so that it doesn't turn your jello salad runny. Fresh fruit works the best in this recipe.
      Reply
      • Amanda says:
        July 5, 2020
        Made today for the 1st time. Used sugar free pudding and sugar free jello to cut the carbohydrates way down. Turned out great. Then I dipped a pretzel in it. OMG the sweet and the salty is so amazing. You must try it.
        Reply
  13. Olivis says:
    January 3, 2018
    Is there a way I can make with instant pudding?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 4, 2018
      This recipe is for cook n serve pudding. But here is one we have for instant pudding. You could easily substitute another jello flavor and add fruit. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/2011/06/5-minute-pistachio-salad/
      Reply
  14. Tanya Scharinger says:
    March 31, 2018
    I just purchased the large cook and serve vanilla Jell-O brand pudding and the box is 1.6oz. your recipe calls for 4.6oz, I am reading that correct?! That seems like a ton!. And the box of strawberry jello is .6oz and you have 6 oz listed. Help!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 2, 2018
      The big box of cook n serve pudding is 4.6 ounces https://amzn.to/2pYwr55 The big box of strawberry jello is 6 ounces https://amzn.to/2GLPBFE I'm not sure what jello you purchased. But these are the packages we use when making this jello salad. You can easily cut this salad recipe in half.
      Reply
    • Pam says:
      April 11, 2018
      Is it possible you have the sugar free? Those are much lighter.
      Reply
  15. Melissa says:
    April 1, 2018
    It was awesome . Sooo tasty whole family LOVED it !!!
    Reply
  16. Cindy says:
    April 6, 2018
    Can I make it today and leave it for tomorrow night. Will it hold up until then.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 6, 2018
      Just do the first 3 steps this evening and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then tomorrow (or maybe 2-3 hours before serving) beat the stiffened jello mixture and follow the rest of the directions. Then it will still be fresh before serving. The bananas tend to go brown. We have saved leftovers for the next day, but it does get a little runny and not so good. You could even do the first 3 steps early in the morning if you were serving this in the evening.
      Reply
  17. Pam says:
    April 11, 2018
    I have made this several times in the past year with different combinations. I also have used the standard size pudding and jello, reduced the water to 2 cups and the Cool Whip to the 8 oz size with a good result. Beating the set jello mixture until somewhat fluffy seems to be where some are having their problems. Mine holds up fine if made in advance too. I just gently stir it to absorb liquids. More marshmallows could be added if needed. It is a very pretty salad . Tried strawberry/vanilla, strawberry/chocolate, orange/vanilla with mandarin oranges, lime/vanilla with pineapple, pineapple/vanilla with pineapple. Will report on any other flavors I mix. I don't add bananas always either.
    Reply
    • Julie says:
      June 14, 2018
      At what point do u gently stir it to absorb liquids?
      Reply
      • Cyd says:
        June 14, 2018
        Sometimes after sitting overnight, some moisture collects at the bottom of the bowl. Give it a stir and everything is all mixed together well and it looks amazing.
        Reply
  18. Shelby says:
    June 24, 2018
    Can I just say thank you for posting a YouTube video about this, I was confused by adding both pudding and jello in the water and the video cleared it up completely
    Reply
  19. Kay says:
    July 2, 2018
    Can sugar-free pudding and Jello be used?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      July 5, 2018
      Hi Kay. We have not made this recipe using sugar free pudding or sugar free jello, so not sure how it would turn out.
      Reply
  20. Chris says:
    August 23, 2018
    I used regular pudding & sugar free jello. It turned out great. Everyone loved it.
    Reply
  21. Joan says:
    December 12, 2018
    I made this amazing recipe and was able to serve it inside 2hrs! I had forgotten that I committed to bringing a jello fluff to a party. I didn't panic. I improvised n stayed calm. I chose orange jello, with mandarin oranges (drained),1 cup coconut. I did used the large box jello, and the vanilla cook n serve pudding boiled with 2 cups hot water and added 2 pkgs Knox unflavored gelatin. Then after dissolving, I added the additional cup very cold water. I covered this mixture and put outdoors, -10`C or 14`F. It set up thick quickly... Like inside 40mins. Then i whipped it, added only 8 of thawed Cool Whip (I mistakenly bought the smaller size), then folded in oranges, and coconut. It was firm and beautiful and nearly gone by the end of the party. Everyone loved it.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 13, 2018
      Hi Joan. So glad it worked out great and that you really could serve it in 2 hours if needed! :) Have a great day!!
      Reply
  22. Brittany says:
    December 18, 2018
    Is there a fruit that can be substituted for banana that you have found is delicious in it? I am not super into bananas in my food. Thanks!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 20, 2018
      You could add in more strawberries and just leave the bananas out all together.
      Reply
    • Heather says:
      November 26, 2021
      I put halved grapes instead of the bananas and it turned out great
      Reply
  23. Lisa says:
    January 19, 2019
    How many servings would you say this is?
    Reply
    • Lisa says:
      January 19, 2019
      Nevermind. I should have read everything before asking. Lol. I see it says 12.
      Reply
  24. Frank says:
    February 2, 2019
    Can you freeze any if this for a later date
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 6, 2019
      This salad will not freeze well.
      Reply
  25. Lisa says:
    April 20, 2019
    The recipe calls for 3 cups of water but down on the comments some people are saying 2 so???? Hopefully mine is not ruined by doing 3.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 26, 2019
      If you use the big box of pudding and jello - it's 3 cups. If you use the smaller box of jello and pudding- it's 2 cups. Hope this helps.
      Reply
  26. Debbie says:
    May 22, 2019
    Can you double this recipe?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 1, 2019
      This recipe can be easily doubled. Just make sure your bowl is big enough.
      Reply
  27. Joyce Desrosier```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` says:
    August 5, 2019
    can this recipe be cut in half for a smaller crowd?````````````````````````````````
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      August 12, 2019
      Yes, you can definitely cut this recipe in half.
      Reply
  28. Kari says:
    August 25, 2019
    FYI: I’ve made this several times with sugar free/fat free pudding and jello. It turns out great every time and has become a family favorite!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      August 29, 2019
      Thanks Kari. This is so good to know!
      Reply
  29. Carolyn says:
    February 14, 2020
    Hi, just wondering is this recipe okay for diabetic people to eat and enjoy?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 17, 2020
      This recipe has jello and pudding. So you would need to make that call.
      Reply
  30. Kevin says:
    March 25, 2020
    Now I’m seeing why my heated mixture left clumps and couldn’t fully dissolve... I had used INSTANT pudding. I for the life of me could NOT see anything in all the stores stating COOK&SERVE. So, I believed it was a packaging change, and bought what was available. I just now took another look at my box in the trash... instant, in small print. I’m hoping it sets well in 6 hours. :(
    Reply
    • Kevin says:
      March 26, 2020
      Update: everything settled firmly. The lumps from the INSTANT pudding that settled on the bottom are nonexistent after blending. :)
      Reply
    • Cyd says:
      March 26, 2020
      We have a hard time finding the smaller boxes of cook and serve pudding at our stores. So we buy the big one and just use half of it. Sorry you grabbed instant pudding!
      Reply
  31. John says:
    April 18, 2020
    Hi, I was thinking that I'd like to try this with lime Jell-o, but I'm not sure what fruit might go along with that. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 24, 2020
      Pineapple, bananas, and the marshmallows go great with Lime jello.
      Reply
  32. Heather Chlupsa says:
    April 29, 2020
    How long do you wait after removing it from heat to put it in bowl ?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      May 6, 2020
      We put it in right after it came off the stove top. But you could easily wait 10-15 minutes.
      Reply
  33. Beth says:
    May 9, 2020
    Just follow the recipe... it doesn’t have to be that hard!
    Reply
  34. Amanda says:
    July 5, 2020
    Made today for the 1st time. Used sugar free pudding and sugar free jello to cut the carbohydrates way down. Turned out great. Then I dipped a pretzel in it. OMG the sweet and the salty is so amazing. You must try it.
    Reply
  35. Kelly says:
    November 10, 2020
    The written instructions say to use 16 ounces of cool whip but in the video, you say 8 ounces of cool whip. Everything else is the same. Which is it, 8 or 16? Thank you.
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      November 11, 2020
      It should be 16 ounces of Cool Whip. If you use the small box of Jello and the small box of pudding, you can use 2 cups of water and and 8 ounces container of Cool Whip.
      Reply
      • Kelly says:
        November 11, 2020
        Great! Thank you.
        Reply
  36. wendy says:
    November 11, 2020
    I sub vanilla or plain low fat Greek yogurt for the cool whip. It is not as fluffy, of course, but very creamy and oh so yummy!
    Reply
  37. Sue says:
    November 25, 2020
    The recipe says 8 ounce Cool Whip, but in some of the comments they say 16 ounces. Which is correct? Thanks
    Reply
    • Camille Beckstrand says:
      November 25, 2020
      So sorry about that! You will need 16 ounces of Cool Whip. Have a great Thanksgiving!
      Reply
  38. Amy Woodard says:
    November 27, 2020
    Anyone else feel like 16 oz. of cool Whip is too much???
    Reply
  39. Jess says:
    December 20, 2020
    Do you think for texture and to combine sweet and salty you could do crushed salted pretzels, butter, sugar combo...let it set up in the fridge, then break into pieces and add to this salad? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      January 13, 2021
      Sounds delicious! Let us know how it turns out!
      Reply
  40. Mira says:
    December 23, 2020
    I literally thought this was ice cream, so you can see how good it is.
    Reply
  41. Becky White says:
    March 30, 2021
    Watergate salad is my usual "go to" for a light side/dessert but I think I,e found a new go to!
    Reply
  42. Kim Adams says:
    March 30, 2021
    My mother-in-law makes this and I make it a lot and use sugar free every time and out turns out great!

    5 stars

    Reply
  43. Terrie S says:
    July 5, 2021
    This is amazing!!! I made it for our 4th of July dinner and we all loved it! I was so glad I read the other reviews though. I bought one cool whip. The recipe calls for 16 oz of cool whip, so you'll need 2 of the regular size. I will add this recipe to my family dinner menu! YUMMMM!!!!

    5 stars

    Reply
  44. Sue Hale says:
    November 23, 2021
    If I make this on Tuesday will it hold for the final step in Thursday afternoon? Trying to prepare early for Thanksgiving
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      November 23, 2021
      You can do the first step where you add the jello, pudding mix and boiling water and then refrigerate until set up. But for the mixing part and adding the fruit and Cool Whip - I would wait until Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Add the bananas last!
      Reply
  45. Martha says:
    December 12, 2021
    I love this dish!! I added 1 can mandarin oranges, drained, 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained and little coconut. It is fabulous. I purchased by mistake the strawberry banana pudding and didn't add bananas. It was perfect. I'm having a party with around 50 guests and I'm sure it will be a huge success. Thanks for publishing this recipe.

    5 stars

    Reply
  46. Renee M. says:
    December 13, 2021
    I made this Recipe without bananas and added pinapples and cocunut and pecans.- It turned out wonderful!!!! I try to adjust where I can and this recipe was Yummy!! I am asked every day are you making that strawberry Salad Stuff? My Kids and Hubby give it 5 stars!!!!!

    4 stars

    Reply
  47. Pam Carey says:
    December 18, 2021
    This has become my go to dish to take to potlucks! Everyone loves it!
    Reply
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