Description
Cookie Salad is a delightful and easy-to-make dessert salad that combines creamy vanilla pudding, tangy pineapple and mandarin oranges, fluffy whipped topping, and crunchy fudge stripe cookies for a perfect blend of textures and flavors. This refreshing treat is ideal for potlucks, family gatherings, or a quick sweet fix.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 package (3.4 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 10 fudge stripe cookies, crushed
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 8 ounces whipped topping (such as Cool Whip)
Fruits
- 1 can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, drained well
- 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained well
Instructions
- Mix Pudding: In a large bowl, combine the instant vanilla pudding mix with the buttermilk. Whisk together until the mixture thickens, usually about 2 minutes to ensure the pudding base is smooth and creamy.
- Add Topping: Gently fold the whipped topping into the pudding mixture. Folding carefully ensures the salad remains light and fluffy without deflating the whipped topping.
- Incorporate Fruit: Add the well-drained crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges to the bowl. Stir gently but thoroughly to distribute the fruit evenly throughout the creamy mixture.
- Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, then refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to set nicely.
- Prepare Cookies and Serve: Just before serving, crush the fudge stripe cookies and gently fold most of them into the salad, reserving some for garnish. This ensures the cookies remain crunchy and add a delightful texture contrast. Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle the remaining crushed cookies on top as a garnish.
Notes
- Ensure fruits are thoroughly drained to avoid watery salad.
- Serve immediately after adding crushed cookies to maintain crunchiness.
- You can substitute whipped topping with homemade whipped cream for a fresher taste.
- For a dairy-free version, use coconut milk-based pudding and whipped topping alternatives.
- Chilling the salad longer enhances the flavor but add cookies right before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing and Chilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
