Great-Grandma’s Frozen Fruit Salad

ByCarlee UpdatedOctober 22, 2025

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Frozen fruit salad is a blast from the past. This vintage recipe is a cool and delicious way to eat your fruit. It is at home at all of our holiday meals, but would also be a fun summer side dish!

Close slice of frozen fruit salad showing fruit and marshmallows in peach frozen mixture.

This vintage fruit salad recipe comes straight from my great-grandma’s recipe box. It is a fun twist on a fluff style salad, but even more refreshing because it is frozen!

It is perfect for holidays or as a refreshing summer side dish. Frozen fruit salad could even be a light dessert.

This recipe is still a staple at my family holidays. My Aunt Jenny usually makes it now and it is part of the menu at every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

looking across a glass pan of frozen fruit salad with bits of fruit cocktail and marshmallows showing.

I have a handful of recipes from my Great-Grandma, so I was going through them trying to decide which one I should make first.

When I got to this one, I knew I had to make it. I am familiar with a few of the others, but this one is still a tradition!

Though the combination might seem a little odd these days, it really isn’t that much different than fluff salads or creamy fruit salads. It just has the added bonus of being frozen!

square of pink frozen fruit salad being lifted out of pan.

I love trying vintage recipes like this, don’t you? It’s like taking a little step back in time, right into the kitchen of a loved one.

I think my great-grandma must have come to age in a time of fruity dishes like this, because another favorite from her recipe box was the green Jello salad that is loaded with pineapple and cream cheese. There is definitely a nostalgia to both recipes.

square piece of frozen fruit salad on small plate.

My great grandma wasn’t only known for her fruity side dishes though. She also made delicious cookies.

I have shared her peanut butter cookies as well as her oatmeal raisin step-on cookies. Both should be on your list of recipes to make soon.

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Great-grandma wasn’t the only good cook, her mom is the one that brought us dutch apple cake. I put a spin on that recipe to make our favorite peach breakfast cake.

When and how do you serve frozen fruit salad?

My family always serves frozen fruit salad as a side dish at holiday dinners. It is a small way to have great grandma there with us and part of the tradition.

Frozen fruit salad would be perfect side dish for a summer BBQ as well. It would be such a refreshing addition to the menu.

Serve it on a lettuce leaf for a little extra vintage flair.

Great grandma's hand written recipe card for frozen fruit salad.

You can also serve frozen fruit salad as a light fruity dessert. It’s a great make ahead and you can grab a piece whenever you want it.

For an extra fun twist on frozen fruit salad, freeze it in a cupcake tin. Then it’s single serve and the perfect way to have a piece whenever you want!

Or you can freeze the mixture in a loaf pan or two. Unmold the salad and cut it into thin slices while it is still frozen solid.

Can I use something besides fruit cocktail?

You can use any mix of fruit you would like, but fruit cocktail adds great flavor. It is a fun way to get the pineapple chunks, grapes, cherries, and more without having to chop fresh fruit. Plus the canned fruit are a little bit softer, which helps give you a great texture when everything is frozen.

Do I have to use mayonnaise?

If you are concerned about the mayonnaise in fruit salad, I understand. It does sound strange.

Believe me though, it works. It helps to give a nice creamy texture when it’s frozen.

If you really want to skip it, try using some Greek yogurt instead.

4.80 from 155 ratings

Frozen Fruit Salad

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings

Frozen fruit salad is a blast from the past. This vintage recipe is a cool and delicious way to eat your fruit. It is at home at all of our holiday meals, but would also be a fun summer treat!

Prep: 15

Cook: 0

Additional Time 2

Total: 2 15

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 6 ounces cream cheese softened
▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
▢ 1 cup heavy cream
▢ 3½ cups fruit cocktail well drained
▢ ½ cup drained Maraschino cherries
▢ 2½ cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

Quarter cherries
In a large bowl, cream together the softened 6 ounces cream cheese and 1 cup mayonnaise until smooth.
Add ½ cup drained Maraschino cherries, drained 3½ cups fruit cocktail, and 2½ cups mini marshmallows to the cream cheese mixture. Stir until combined.
Whip 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into the fruit mixture.
Put into a glass 9×13 pan or similarly sized freezer safe serving dish. Freeze until solid.
Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before time to serve.
Use a sharp knife to cut into squares and enjoy.

Notes

Possible variations:

If you don’t want to use whipped cream, you can use an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip instead.

If you like crunch in your fruit salad, add some chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.

For a more tropical flavor, feel free to substitute some drained mandarin oranges for some of the fruit cocktail. Then stir in a cup of shredded coconut before freezing.