Fruit Salad with Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

June 25, 2018July 29, 2023

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Have you ever made an old-fashioned fruit salad with pudding? This easy fruit salad recipe with pudding can be whipped up in minutes.

This Old-Fashioned Fruit Salad is a fruit salad recipe with pudding. It 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!

Vanilla Pudding Marshmallow Fruit Salad

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.

Ingredient List for Vanilla Pudding Fruit Salad

• Canned Mandarin Oranges, do not drain
• Canned Mixed Fruit, do not drain
• Mini Marshmallows
• Instant Pudding Mix (vanilla, lemon, etc.)

How to Make Fruit Salad with Marshmallows

Step By Step Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine undrained 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.

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container or a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap for 3 to 5 days.

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

What is an easy fruit salad?

Here’s the simplest way to make a tasty fruit salad for your next holiday or party.

• Pick out two cans of fruit from the pantry (mixed fruit, mandarin oranges, diced pears, diced peaches, pineapple tidbits or chunks, tropical mixed fruit).
• Without draining, pour into a large bowl. Add a couple cups of mini marshmallows, and stir together.
• Take your favorite instant pudding flavor (vanilla, French vanilla, banana cream, lemon, coconut cream), and pour over the fruit mixture. Stir together well.
• Cover, and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Kids and adults absolutely love this easy fruit salad recipe.

Recipe FAQs

• Do not drain the mixed fruit or mandarin oranges.
• Feel free to change it up with different cans of fruit, whatever your family prefers. Canned pineapple, peaches, pears, or even tropical mixed fruit would be fun.
• Try swapping in different flavors of instant pudding including lemon or banana cream.
• 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.
• Check out our Amazon Store for our favorite kitchen and pantry essentials.

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? Make this simple sour cream fruit dip too!

Recipe Variations

• Stir in diced apples, bananas, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries.
• Use different flavors of pudding mix such as lemon.
• Add a spoonful of sour cream or greek yogurt for a little tang.
• Green or purple grapes make a nice addition.
• Add chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts.
• Squeeze in fresh lemon juice or fresh lime just for a little acidity to cut the sweetness.
• Shredded coconut can be stirred in.
• For a pop of color, stir in maraschino cherries.

Old-Fashioned Salads

Old-Fashioned Pea Salad

Grandma’s Cherry Fluff

Pink Lady Salad

Vintage Pretzel Salad

Classic Ambrosia

Pistachio Salad

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