This vintage recipe comes straight from my great-grandma's recipe box. It is a fun twist on marshmallow fruit salad, but even more fun 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 present at every Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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!
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.
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.
All of my great-grandma's made great food. You can search "great-grandma" in the search bar (in the side bar on desktop or down below the comments on mobile.) You will find loads of great classic recipes.
Here are some suggestions:
- Great-grandma's scalloped corn is a classic side dish. It is made from super simple ingredients but it really is delicious!
- Great-grandma's apple crisp is actually a quite healthy treat. It is a great way to turn apples into something extra fun.
- Great-grandma's egg noodles are a Thanksgiving must have for our family. However we also use them to make chicken and noodles a couple of times throughout the year.
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 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!
Yield: 24 servings
Great-Grandma's Frozen Fruit Salad
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!
Prep time: 1 H & 15 MCook time: Total time: 1 H & 15 M
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup heavy cream - "Whipped"
- 3 1/2 cups fruit cocktail, well drained
- 1/2 cup drained Maraschino cherries
- 2 1/2 cups little marshmallows
Instructions:
- Quarter cherries
- Cream together the room temperature cream cheese and mayonaise.
- Add cherries, fruit cocktail and marshmallows, mixing it together.
- Fold in whipped cream.
- Put into a glass 9x13 pan or similarly sized freezer safe serving dish. Freeze until solid.
- Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before time to serve.
- Cut into squares and enjoy.
Copyright: Cooking With Carlee 2019
Wow! Your family has a fascinating history, Carlee. That picture of your great great grandparents is wonderful :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't that fun? I did a big paper on our family history in college, which has been a little while. So it has been fun brushing up on some of the family stories as I am digging through recipes.
DeleteThis looks so refreshing and delightful! I love that it’s frozen and looks really pretty! A slice of heaven!
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a fun way to eat your fruit!
Deletei love old family recipes like this!!
ReplyDeleteMe too, it's always fun to feel connected to your family through food memories.
DeleteI have made this before and it is delicious. We have always frozen this in muffin cups. What is not used, is then saved in a zip lock bag for later.
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolutely fabulous idea! I love the single serve muffin cup idea too!
DeleteHi Carlee, I do like the way this recipe follows your rather tempting brownie cheesecake, it sort of balances out the naughtiness. I've not heard of a frozen or creamy fruit salad before. Sounds like the perfect treat on a hot summers day.
ReplyDeletexx
Hi Debbie Roberts,
DeleteI had thought of doing the muffin cups - I like to do everything in them - did you use paper cups, or have to spray the pan?? That's the only part I do not know. I am going to make mine with mixed berries, instead!!
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYour post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week and will be pinned to our Features Board. Thanks so much for sharing with us and hope you are having a great week!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much Miz Helen!
DeleteThis is so interesting! I remember my grandma making a lot of dishes with fruit cocktail, but I don't recall any frozen dishes. I know my dad would love to see a fruit cocktail dish since his mom used it so often.
ReplyDeleteI used to love fruit cocktail (especially the cherries!) but don't get it much any more. I really want to get some to make a fruit cocktail cake sometime though. I wonder if we could come up with a fruit cocktail frosting too ;-)
Delete1 of my fav recipes I request every single birthday is my Grandmothers fruit cocktail cake vintage recipes from Kentucky.,the cake is phenominal and the frosting will take you to heaven and bk...milk sugar n butter :)
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to make a fruit cocktail cake one of these days. Now I am super curious about the frosting your grandmother used!
DeleteYum!! My daughter would love this!!
ReplyDeleteIt's so creamy and delicious!
DeleteI love vintage recipes like this one! My MIL was looking for one similar to this and I'll be passing it on to her. I also pinned it!
ReplyDeleteI hope you both love it!
DeleteFamily recipes are the best! I'd love to some from my great-grandmas, how special!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely! I am lucky to have recipes that have been handed down through generations. Now I need to get my hands on my grandma's recipe box, or even better go through it with her!
DeleteWhat a fabulous treasure both the recipe and photo are! This will be perfect this summer.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that pic amazing? Thank you!
DeleteHow cool that you still have access to her recipes from her recipe box! I love that this is frozen! Sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteThey are definitely a treasure! Thank you!
DeleteYou can never go wrong with vintage recipes! This sounds awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI love going back and trying some of the classics!
DeleteI love recipes that have been passed down and this would definitely be great in the summer too.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I need to dig up some more from the family archives!
DeleteWhat an interesting recipe! I love old school family traditions like this!
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun one steeped in a lot of memories for my family!
DeleteThis sounds so good, but my grandson is allergic to cherries. Can I substitute another kind of fruit combination?
ReplyDeleteOh my, then we definitely need to make some changes. You could sub in just pears, peaches and pineapple instead of the fruit cocktail and use four cups total of fruit. Or if you have a fruit cocktail you like that doesn't have cherries, mandarin oranges would be a fun replacement for the cherries. You'll have to let me know what you decide to do and how it goes!
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