Mandarin Orange Salad is a light and refreshing dessert that is perfect for every occasion. Serve it as a dessert (or southern salad side) at potlucks, summer barbecues, Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations. It has just 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving!
It’s the season of potlucks and backyard barbecues.
So that means you need an arsenal of easy desserts, salads and side dishes you can whip up in a snap like this mandarin orange salad.
JELL-O Mandarin Orange Salad is a potluck two-fer: it works as a dessert or a salad. And making a batch is as easy as opening up some cans, tubs and boxes, then pouring and stirring. Seriously, it takes only a few minutes to make.
How to Make JELL-O Mandarin Orange Salad
This is a seriously quick recipe that you’ll find yourself making again and again. Everybody loves Orange Fluff, even if we can’t agree whether it’s a dessert or a salad.
You’ll find the complete recipe and ingredient list at the end of this post, but here’s a quick video to show you just how easy it is to make.
It will take you longer to open the cans of oranges and pineapples than it will be mix up a batch of the sweet, low-calorie mandarin orange salad.
How to Serve Orange Fluff Salad
Orange JELL-O salad is perfectly suited to outdoor parties where you want a light and fresh dessert, instead of something rich and heavy that will weigh you down. When made with low-fat cottage cheese, fat-free whipped topping and sugar-free JELL-O, the recipe is just 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving! Pair it with one of these Weight Watchers air fryer recipes for a meal that won’t weigh you down.
Mandarin orange salad is also a good choice at Thanksgiving or Christmas. The ingredients are always in season!
Plus, it’s kind of a potluck tradition to bring a JELL-O salad, at least here in the South. But this is one people will actually eat, unlike some of those congealed JELL-O salads that were so popular in the 60s and 70s!
I personally think Mandarin orange salad is a pretty tasty breakfast, too.
Tips for Making JELL-O Orange Salad
When you make this Mandarin orange salad, be sure to give it a little chill time in the fridge before serving. It’s so much better served cold, after the flavors have had time to meld.
If you’re making this for a crowd, you’ll probably want to double (or triple) the recipe. You can easily do that, just make sure you have a bowl that is large enough to mix everything together.
I’ve lightened up this recipe by using oranges and pineapples in their own juice, sugar-free gelatin and low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese and whipped topping. You can use full-fat cottage cheese and whipped topping and regular orange gelatin, but it will change the nutritional information included in the recipe below.
You can use it either crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits in the recipe. Just make sure you drain the fruit before adding it to the recipe.
- 1 small can mandarin oranges drained
- 1 small can crushed pineapple or pineapple chunks drained
- 1 package sugar-free orange-flavored gelatin
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
- 12 ounces fat-free cottage cheese
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Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine.
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Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Pin This! JELL-O Orange Salad Recipe
More Potluck Recipes
Serve these other delicious and popular recipes at your next potluck or barbecue.
Terri Churchill says
I have my own variation of this:
Small can mand. oranges, drain(RESERVE JUICES)
Small can pineapple tidbits, drain (RESERVE JUICES)
I small Granny Smith, diced
Whipping cream (or Cool Whip)
8oz. Cream Cheese
1 small pkg Banana Cream Pudding(dry)
1 C. Marshmallow minis
Whip together the cream cheese and whipping cream (it will get stiff, so that’s what the juices are for and you won’t use all of it)!!
Add dry pudding; mix till well blended.
Mix in the pineapple and apple.
Fold in the marshmallows,
FOLD IN the mandarin oranges, or they’ll break up…
Chill for a couple hours before serving
Atta Girl Amy says
This sounds delicious. I may need to try this variation soon!
Akaleistar says
What a great recipe! It’s been a long time since I had JELL-O salad 🙂
Theresa @DearCreatives says
Love the recipe! Thanks for sharing it at the Inspiration Spotlight Party. Pinned & shared. Hope to see you again soon. Have a great rest of your week.
Audrey says
I haven’t had Jello salad in awhile. This looks delicious.
Thanks for sharing on Tasty Tuesdays link up. Hope to see you back next week.
Gail Akeman says
Thank you for joining the Small victories Sunday Linkup. Please join again. Pinned to the group board.